"Oh so NOW you’re learning Mandarin": Duolingo pokes fun at users switching to RedNote amid potential TikTok ban

The latest plot twist in TikTok is not about the possible U.S. ban—it’s about the “TikTok refugees” jumping ship... straight into the arms of another Chinese app. RedNote, a.k.a. Xiaohongshu, is suddenly that app, climbing to the top of the U.S. app store.

If that was not enough, users are enthusiastically brushing up on their Mandarin while Congress must be out here fighting the urge to facepalm.

Amid this chaos, Duolingo couldn't resist the moment, posting a cheeky message:

"Oh so NOW you’re learning Mandarin".

It was followed by a link to “Chinese tones” with the note, “In case you were stuck…” If that doesn’t scream passive-aggressive genius, what does?

One user was straight-up crying laughing:

“LMFAOOOOO not Duolingo calling y’all out.”

A user reacted with an OG GIF:

Another user dropped a "starter pack" meme featuring RedNote, Duolingo, and Google Translate.

As another user put it, “Oh my goodness this is the hardest I’ve laughed in days 😂😂😂.”

Meanwhile, another one lamented how her daughter had deleted Duolingo because it was too scary to learn Mandarin now—“She was finally excited to learn Spanish,” they said, poor kid.

Someone casually posted: “Whatever they’re paying the person behind this account, it's nowhere near enough.”

Even a user who normally "doesn’t simp for brands" had to admit:

“I don't usually simp for brands, but here you dropped this king 🏆.”

One particularly sharp user pointed out: “We want to communicate with our Chinese spy.”

And of course, someone summed it up best with:

“Crying, you guys pissed off the bird 😭,” a reference to Twitter's ever-angry mascot.

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Why are people migrating to REDNote?

Now, you’re probably wondering, why users are all flocking to RedNote. The U.S. Supreme Court has to rule on TikTok’s future by January 19, 2025, and nobody wants to risk getting caught with zero backup plans.

People are already panicking and looking for some alternative with an end to the TikTok era possible. RedNote is ready to replace the pieces by offering users a perfect blend of vibes, just like Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok, with the freedom to create short video uploads and post images, shop, and then dance on their favorite tracks.

Gen Z is clearly living for it, and hashtag #TikTokRefugees is trending, marking this as a social migration like no other.

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So, why exactly is TikTok facing the chop?

Apparently, it’s a matter of national security. U.S. lawmakers and intelligence agencies are convinced the Chinese government is using TikTok as a sneaky way to harvest sensitive data for surveillance or worse—some say it’s all about control, influence, and possibly spreading misinformation.

You have FBI Director Chris Wray calling it a "national security threat". TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, might be compelled by Chinese law to surrender the data.

In April 2024, President Biden signed a law that would require TikTok to be separated from its Chinese owners—or face a ban by January 19, 2025.

But here’s the kicker: users decided, “Hey, let’s just jump to another Chinese app.” Talk about irony.