What Is Lemon8? The app suddenly flooding your TikTok notifications explained

If you’re an avid TikTok user, you’ve probably noticed the sudden flood of notifications about friends "joining Lemon8" – and maybe even picked up a mysterious new follower from the app, despite never manually signing up yourself.

Comments and confusion flooded social media, with one writing: "Can someone please tell me what Lemon8 is? Thank you in advance."

One person, seemingly fatigued by the onslaught of notifications, quipped: "I do not care about Lemon8. I do not care who is on Lemon8. I do not care who has posted on Lemon8. You can’t make me."

Seemingly out of nowhere, Lemon8 has exploded onto people's feeds, leading most to ask the same question:

What is Lemon8?

Lemon8 is a lifestyle-focused app from ByteDance, the same company behind TikTok.

Think of it as a cross between Instagram and Pinterest: a place to scroll through curated posts on fashion, beauty, food, travel, and wellness, while also sharing your own.

Although it might feel like a brand-new arrival, Lemon8 actually launched in Japan back in 2020 and has since expanded to other countries.

Now, it’s rapidly climbing the charts – currently sitting at #1 in the UK App Store’s Lifestyle category at the time of writing.

How to use Lemon8

1. Download the app – Grab Lemon8 from the App Store or Google Play.
2. Set up your profile – Sign up with your email or link an existing social account.
3. Choose your interests – Pick the topics you care about so the feed feels tailored to you.
4. Start exploring – Browse posts in fashion, beauty, food, travel, and more — or upload your own photos and videos to join the conversation.

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