Here’s everything to know about WeChat – China’s billion-user answer to WhatsApp
The app reaches over a billion monthly active users, and over 902 million daily users
WITH over a BILLION active users, WeChat is prospering within the tech world and seems to show no signs of stopping.
But what exactly is the app and what services does it provide? Here's the lowdown...
What is WeChat?
The Chinese instant messaging app was first released in 2011, and became one of the world's largest downloadable apps in 2018.
The app reaches over a billion monthly active users, and over 902 million daily users.
described WeChat as one of the world's most powerful apps.
It's known as China's "app for everything", as well as a "super app" because of its wide range of functions and platforms.
The app's functions include text messaging, hold-to-talk voice messaging, broadcast messaging, video calls and conferencing, video games, sharing of photographs and videos, and location sharing.
Originally, the app was called Weixin, but when the number of users reached 100 million, the name was changed to WeChat to reach an international audience.
The official website lists the following features the app has:
- Video call
- Voice chat
- M-commerce
- QR code
- Games
- Blogging
- Geo-location
- Emoticons
- Voice recording
- Advertising options
- Interest groups
- Official company accounts
- Shopping
- Book appointments
MOST READ IN NEWS
Another feature is WeChat Pay, a digital wallet which allows users to pay with their mobile device and send money to contacts.
In China, users can pay bills, transfer money and pay in stores.
The company's vision is to: “Connect people to people, people to services, people to businesses, and people to objects.”