Ready to Delete Your RedNote App? We Show You How [2025 Guide]

RedNote is a Chinese app that many U.S. TikTok users fled to when TikTok’s ban went briefly into effect. The app is like a combination of TikTok, the TikTok shop, and Instagram, with influencers able to post short, edited videos and images.

RedNote, however, has some security concerns. If you downloaded it to replace TikTok but now want it gone, learn how to remove it from your phone with a few easy steps. And if you’re concerned about your data being harvested from RedNote, consider one of the best data removal services to help clean up your online footprint.

We break it all down below.

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How to delete RedNote

If you want to delete your RedNote, you may need translation software. We used Google Lens to translate the Mandarin to English so we could delete our accounts. If you didn’t enter any personal information after downloading RedNote, you only need to delete the app from your phone.

But if you’ve created a RedNote account by entering your phone number, follow the steps below to delete your account data.

1. Open the RedNote app and select Settings.

To find Settings, click on the hamburger menu (three horizontal lines) in the upper left of the screen. The Settings icon (cog) will be in the bottom bar.

2. Go to the Account Security screen. There, select Account Cancellation.

Account Security is located at the top of the page. Once there, scroll down to Account Cancellation at the bottom of the next page.

3. Verify your phone number.

If you don’t want to translate this page, you can click the red text (Mandarin Chinese characters) to generate the verification code.

4. Enter the verification code (text or WhatsApp).

To the left of the red text, tap the gray text (Mandarin Chinese characters) to enter the code. On our iPhone, this came via text. On an Android, it came via WhatsApp.

5. Agree to the terms.

If you click the gray text (Mandarin Chinese characters) at the bottom next to the red text, you agree to the terms of deletion, which just warns you that all your data will be removed. Then tap the red button below it to proceed.

6. Note the reason why you’re canceling.

RedNote states that you may want to upload pictures. If you choose option 3, which states you don’t want to use the service anymore, you won’t need to upload images. After you’ve chosen a reason, tap the red button at the bottom.

7. Confirm account deletion.

A pop-up will appear. Just press the red lettering (Mandarin Chinese characters), and you’ll be done. RedNote may redirect you back to the interests page, but you can exit the app from there.

8. Delete the app from your device.

Once you’ve deleted your account data, you can remove the app from your phone. Congratulations! You deleted RedNote.

We tested this on an Android and an iPhone, and the process was the same for both.

How to translate the RedNote app using Google Lens

Translating RedNote’s Mandarin Chinese language pages via Google Lens is somewhat tedious. If you want to read all the terms and conditions for yourself while you’re canceling, you’ll need to switch back and forth between the RedNote app and the Google app. Here’s how you can use Google Lens to translate RedNote.

1. Download the Google Lens app.
2. Take a screenshot of the page you want to translate.
3. Open the Google Lens app.
4. Tap the camera icon in the lower right corner.
5. Tap the picture icon to the left of the shutter button at the bottom of the screen.
6. Upload the screenshot you took of the RedNote app.
7. Make sure the app is set to “Detect language” and translate to your preferred language.

You’ll need to do this individually for each page you can’t read, switching back and forth between apps as you do. If you don’t want to be bothered, we have a step-by-step walk-through with images above.

Is RedNote safe to use?

All apps, including RedNote, must adhere to the laws of the country where they’re based. Like TikTok, RedNote has Chinese roots. However, TikTok has an American version based in the U.S., while RedNote is solely based in China. The Chinese government does have laws about data collection and sharing, but so do many other governments, including the U.S.

If you’ve ever heard of the 14 Eyes countries, you’ll know that many governments — not just China and Russia — collect data on citizens. In fact, China, Russia, India, and Japan have their own intelligence network outside of these alliances. So, we want you to be aware that there’s a possibility your data is being harvested and kept in a Chinese database. If that makes you uncomfortable, you should delete your data and the RedNote app from any of your devices.

Can the U.S. ban RedNote?

Yes, the U.S. government could choose to ban RedNote, but we aren’t sure that’s a move the government is willing to make. The intense public backlash over TikTok and how people moved to new platforms to compensate in the wake of the TikTok ban “scare” spoke volumes to political leaders who backed off it quickly.

What data does RedNote collect?

RedNote states in its privacy policy that it collects the information you volunteer to give the app. While it’s not mandatory to give the app all of the information requested, some functions may not work if you don’t.

If you do volunteer the information, RedNote retains the right to share “it for legal, proper, necessary, specific and express purposes, and only the personal information necessary for the provision of the services.” [1]

More information on the data RedNote collects

RedNote claims that some information is collected only if you opt in to services like one-click login, facial recognition filters, image and video sharing, and third-party login details, to name a few.

• Mobile number: For one-click login authorization
• Gender: General collection information
• Interests: General collection information
• Age: General collection information
• Location: For location-based services
• Device information: From image and video sharing
• Browsing activity: For marketing or third-party purposes
• Messages: For notifications

These are some examples, but the more you interact with RedNote, the more information you give to the service.

What permissions does the RedNote app give you?

Like any social media app, you have to give RedNote permission to access functions on your device. This includes accessing your camera and microphone, storage, and more. Again, most of these sharing permissions are optional, and you don’t have to authorize it unless you plan on using the function.

However, if you want to post and interact, you’ll likely have to authorize it.

• Location: For location-based services like tagging images
• Storage: To store your videos, images, and other posts
• Camera and microphone: To record your videos, images, and sound
• Contacts: To suggest connections
• Network information: For login services
• Name: For recommendations and app functions
• Gender: For recommendations and app functions
• Birthday: For recommendations and app functions
• Avatar: For recommendations and app functions
• App activity: For recommendations and app functions

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Bottom line

If you became a TikTok refugee in the RedNote space, you may now want to delete the app. Whether you’re uncomfortable with yet another social media app having your data, worried RedNote may be banned in the future, or are simply just not that into it, you can delete RedNote using translation tools.

If you signed up for RedNote and are now concerned about data privacy, consider signing up for one of the best data broker removal services to help reduce your online footprint and delete all your personal information — and more — that may have been collected and shared.