Redbook SMS VERIFICATION Receive the Redbook code on a rented number.

Xiaohongshu, known in English as RED or Redbook, is China's lifestyle search and review platform. People use it to research products, restaurants, travel spots and skincare before buying, and brands watch it closely. Signing up needs a phone number and an SMS code. The app accepts numbers from many countries, so someone outside mainland China can register with a local number, and a rented one keeps a research or brand account separate from a personal line.

Mainland Chinese phone numbers are registered to a real name by law, and Chinese platforms treat a mainland number as proof of identity. An overseas number carries no such registration, so Xiaohongshu may ask an account on one for more verification before some features, such as posting commercial content or live streaming.

Signing up from outside China

On the sign-up screen, tap the country code and choose your country from the list. Xiaohongshu sends an SMS code, and after entering it you pick interests that shape the first feed. Sign-in through WeChat or Apple is also offered, but many people outside China have neither a WeChat account nor want one linked.

Numbers from Hong Kong and Singapore are common choices for overseas users, since both markets have large Chinese-speaking audiences. The numbers rented here come from real mobile carrier ranges.

Who registers an account

Marketing teams at brands selling to Chinese consumers read Xiaohongshu to see how their products are reviewed. Agencies set up accounts to track competitors and trends. Travellers heading to China save guides and restaurant lists. Researchers study consumer culture. None of these needs posting rights, so the basic account from the SMS step covers them. Most posts are written in Simplified Chinese, and the translation feature on a phone or browser makes them readable. The search box is where most people start, and results mix written notes, photos and short videos.

Brands that want to publish or run ads open a professional account, which asks for company documents. A phone number starts the account but does not replace that review.

Staying signed in

Xiaohongshu keeps the session on the device, and normal browsing does not ask for new codes. A new phone or a sign-in from a different region can trigger another SMS. Bind a second sign-in method in the account settings, such as Apple, while you still hold the number.

Xiaohongshu removes accounts that post fake reviews, run engagement schemes or impersonate brands. Our acceptable use policy forbids the same.