(Yicai Global) Aug. 8 -- The latest app from Bytedance Technology, the name behind leading news aggregator Toutiao and short-video phenomenon Douyin, has proved a hit among China's online community in its first month in the country's app stores.

The Beijing-based media giant launched jokes app Pipixia, a clone of the previously banned Neihan Duanzi, in July and it has brought in close to 700,000 registered users in its first month on the market.

The previous iteration of the platform Neihan Duanzi, which allowed users to share comedic videos and pictures, ran afoul of regulators due to vulgar content and delisted from iOS and Android app stores in April.

Pipixia is very similar in appearance to Neihan Duanzi in terms of both logo and functions, though its operator has repeatedly stressed that it is a brand-new product featuring humorous content and that the company will strive to build it into a positive entertainment community featuring good content management.

The app has the potential to be another source of optimism for fast-growing Bytedance, which already enjoys a dominant position in China's news-fetching sector through Toutiao. With 150 million daily average users, the firm's short-video platform Douyin was the most-downloaded iOS app in the first quarter and it also has a strong presence overseas where it is known as TikTok.

200 Million Users Lost

Neihan Duanzi was previously China's most popular comedic content app with a peak of 200 million users prior to its closure. The strong membership figure suggests that the vast majority of former users have gone elsewhere for content since Neihan Duanzi went offline.

Bytedance realized the importance of reviving the comedic platform in some way to try to win back its large number of previously loyal users.

Pipixia's community software team is the same as that of Neihan Duanzi, a person close to Bytedance told Yicai Global, adding that it can also help users move content across from Neihan Duanzi to the new app.

Proceeding With Caution

Given the high-profile nature of Neihan Duanzi's shutdown, Bytedance is moving forward with the Pipixia project in a very cautious fashion.

For Pipixia, content orientation and reviews will remain a top priority. The operator has carried out a crackdown on vulgar content across its products this year after receiving repeated regulatory warnings.

The rollout of Pipixia is a smart move, said internet analyst Tang Xin, citing support from Toutiao where the app is heavily advertised. The platform also has a strong foundation for content from Neihan Duanzi, he added.

Editor: William Clegg