What is Lemon8 and how do you use it?

TikTokers have been going nuts over Lemon8, but what is it, how do you use it, and is it legit? Learn all about the world’s buzziest app below.

What is Lemon8?

Lemon8 is a popular social media platform that shares a bunch of similarities with Instagram and Pinterest. It’s lifestyle-based, allowing creators to share photos or short videos, curated within different categories.

Lemon8 gives creators the opportunity to tag their posts with specific product details, links, and prices, breaking down the barriers between audience and influencer.

Is Lemon8 like Instagram?

Lemon8 and Instagram are similar in a few ways. Both apps let you share photo and video content with captions, comments, hashtags, likes, saves, and location information. 

Instagram’s search function makes it easier to find your IRL friends, whereas the focus on Lemon8 is more Pinterest-like, based on trends and certain aesthetics. So, while Lemon8 does share some DNA with Instagram, it’s very much a hybrid of Insta and Pinterest. Pinstagram, if you will.

Is Lemon8 an app?

Yep, Lemon8 is available as an app. If you’re using an Apple device, you can download Lemon8 for free via the App Store for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. Alternatively, you can download Lemon8 through the Google Play Store. 

You can also access Lemon8 via your browser, but its full capabilities are tucked away within the app version. For that reason, we’ll refer to it as an app from here.

How old is Lemon8?

Lemon8 was initially released in Japan back in 2020. The app gained steam in Western markets three years later, when it became available in the UK and the USA.

Is Lemon8 owned by ByteDance?

Lemon8 was created by a company called Heliophilia, based in Singapore. Eagle-eyed journalists have suggested that Heliophilia is owned by TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance. However, ByteDance hasn’t publicly confirmed this.

Will Lemon8 and TikTok merge?

Even though ByteDance hasn’t said it owns Lemon8, major news outlets have done the digging and report ByteDance as Lemon8’s parent company. With that connection already made in people’s heads… is a TikTok/Lemon8 integration on the cards?

Well, in August 2023, rumors of a TikTok and Lemon8 partnership started circulating. Apparently, TikTok is developing a feature that'll allow users to sync Lemon8 posts to TikTok. This means they’ll also be able to take advantage of TikTok’s music- and video-editing capabilities. We’ll keep you posted!

Where is Lemon8 available?

The Lemon8 app is currently available to download in Japan, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, the UK, and the USA.

We’re expecting it to roll out in further territories once it gains more of a following. If you want to take a look, you can browse a basic web version in other areas of the world. 

Is Lemon8 replacing TikTok?

Given how wildly successful TikTok is, it’s hard to believe that ByteDance would push an app to straight-up replace its flagship app. Lemon8 serves a different purpose than TikTok, thus the user experience and expectations are nowhere near close. 

Will Lemon8 replace Instagram?

It’s unlikely that Lemon8 will replace Instagram. Just like the Instagram Reels vs TikTok debate, there’s a place for everyone. Instagram has built a solid reputation and user experience since launching in 2010, while Lemon8 caters to a slightly different audience. If anything, it’s more like old-school Instagram from back in the day.

Who uses Lemon8?

While Lemon8 is, of course, open for anyone over the age of 13 to use, its main demographic is a younger, Gen Z audience. It’s more about the aesthetic than the hustle, meaning it’s great for browsing and getting tips. Lemon8’s just a really nice place to hang out online, if we’re being honest.

Do people get paid on Lemon8?

There’s no clear description of how to make money on Lemon8 at the moment. However, reports claim that ByteDance has paid several influencers from the UK and the USA to post content on the platform.

In the future, we imagine Lemon8 will develop a similar model to TikTok monetization. We’ll just have to keep our eyes peeled in the meantime! 

How does the Lemon8 algorithm work?

Like TikTok, Lemon8 doesn’t publicly disclose the ins and outs of how its algorithm works. That said, we can assume the algorithm is similar to TikTok’s, as reports have suggested. 

This means that Lemon8 will assess how you interact with the ‘For You’ page, which posts you like, and which posts you ignore to curate and improve your experience.

What are the categories for Lemon8?

Lemon8’s browsable categories are limited at the moment, but we expect them to grow as the app gains steam. The categories are:

• Fashion
• Beauty
• Food
• Wellness
• Travel
• Home
• Pet

It’s worth noting that Lemon8 categories may vary depending on location.

Does Lemon8 have ads?

Lemon8 doesn’t currently feature advertising. Whether it builds an advertising model or stays ad-free like BeReal remains to be seen. If we were to guess, though, we’d edge toward ads being introduced. 

Can you download video on Lemon8?

At the moment, there’s no button or mechanism to download video or photos from Lemon8 to your device. You can, of course, save them to a private, in-app collection like you would do on other social media platforms.

Is Lemon8 safe?

It’s natural to feel unsure about a new app or software on your device. Is Lemon8 legit? Yep, it is, but like other social media platforms, it shares your information with third parties.

Personal information such as your location, personal info, photos and videos, app activity, devices, and more may be stored and shared. ‌Lemon8 does this to curate your in-app experience and tailor content to your interests.

Just like WhatsApp, your data is encrypted, meaning it’s transferred over a secure connection. If that’s still not your cup of tea and you want out, you can ask Lemon8 to delete your data.

Lemon8 also features a standard Terms of Service agreement, preventing harmful imagery and bad behavior. If people sign up for the platform and start breaking the rules, they’ll be banned.  

How do you use Lemon8?

Now that you know all the basics, let’s run through how to use Lemon8.

Sign up

1. Install the app, then open it on your device
2. Enter your date of birth and preferred pronouns
3. Select your interests from the available categories
4. Create your account using your phone and email, Facebook, Apple, Google or Twitter
5. Enter your desired username and select a profile photo
6. Got to Lemon8!

Browse content

• Browse the ‘For You’ page as you would on something like Pinterest, scrolling up and down.
• Click on a piece of content to view it. Videos are distinguished by the handy ‘Play’ button, which you’ll be able to spot on the right-hand side of the thumbnail.
• Save, like, comment, share, and more once you’re viewing your chosen content.
• Filter by specific categories toward the top of the screen.
• Search for specific content by clicking the ‘Search’ icon in the top right-hand corner of the ‘For You’ page.

Create a post

1. Click the yellow ‘+’ button at the bottom of the ‘For You’ page. This will open your device’s camera reel.
2. Select up to 10 different photos or videos. Pick them from your device, or hit the ‘Camera’ button at the bottom of the screen to shoot new footage.
3. You unfortunately can’t mix photo and video within the same post. If you’ve chosen photos, you can click the ‘Collage’ option at the bottom to arrange them into one ‘mood board’-style image.
4. Once you’re happy with your choices, press ‘Next’. Now you can add templates, tags, text, stickers, and retouch and cutout effects to enhance your content. You can also brighten and crop your selections.
5. Click ‘Next’ again to add the finishing touches. Write a catchy headline, captions, hashtags and location information here – Lemon8 even suggests caption ideas for each category.
6. Tap the ‘View’ button in the top right of the screen to preview how your post looks. If something seems off, you can go back and alter it.
7. Leave the ‘Download all photos’ option checked if you’d like to save your content locally, and then press ‘Post’. That’s it. You’ve just posted on Lemon8!

Lemon8 is an exciting prospect, and we can’t wait to see how it develops. We’ll see you back here when we know more!

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