WeChat
WeChat is the largest messaging app in China, developed by tech behemoth Tencent and launched in 2011. As of 2020, the app has over 1.2 billion active monthly users across the globe. Often compared to Facebook Messenger or Whatsapp, Wechat is a veritable socioeconomic phenomenon, and is a major part of daily life for Chinese residents.
WeChat has many other services (and is thus often referred to as a “Swiss army knife” app):
- Microblogs, or posts with texts and/or images appearing in a newsfeed where users can follow one another
- Audio and video calls
- Payment via mobile device (meals, taxis, bills, etc.)
- Geotagging
- QR code reader
- Third-party apps (mini-apps)
- Access to related e-commerce sites (H5 shops)
Read more about everything WeChat can do.
