There are so many mobile apps up there, however, there is one super-app that our fingertips love the most, the “WeChat”. The reason for the nickname “super-app” is its wide range of functions. To make it short, the first thing I say in my lectures about WeChat is that too many people that WeChat equal life! Without it people are half paralyzed. In this article we will go over everything you need to know about WeChat supper app.
WeChat is a one-stop app, it plays a big role in a Chinese person’s life as it gives all the service users need in one place. WeChat originally created as a free messaging app, social media platform that lets you share your private moments with your closest friends. Eventually, it became a “lifestyle” app which plays a big role in over 1 billion users’ life. They use it so often and everywhere that without exaggerating, I would go further and call it “a third hand”.
How does WeChat work?
Basically, you download it, upload and it works. Just kidding!
WeChat in Chinese is: micro-chat. You can chat and connect with your friends. however, you can also pay with your WeChat wallet almost everywhere and find new friends and information. Its best advantage since 2017 is mini-apps, which are lightweight apps within it and includes official accounts to follow and verity of apps.
Let’s speak about its great functions: circle of friends, payment and discovering new content.
Circle of friends Moments
WeChat is a friend-based platform, meaning if I’m not your friend you could not see my posts.
WeChat Moments is a feature in WeChat where you can upload your posts, it’s called in Chinese 朋友圈 which means circle of friends. This feature greatest advantage compared to other social media platforms is the high level of privacy.
You can use the basic functions within the contact and chat tabs to chat with your friends and call them with or without videos.
Adding WeChat friends can be made by searching WeChat id, by mobile number or by scanning a QR code. The QR code function makes it much more fun and breaks the ice in a meeting, conferences, just ask “will I scan yours? Or you will scan mine”? 扫一扫 Sao Yi so, to scan it.
Payment
WeChat is first of all a lifestyle app, but e-wallet play a big role here. Tencent used a creative way to make millions of users to install and link their bank account to WeChat. Back then in 2014 during the Chinese New Year show they said that if you download the app you will get red-envelope money in your WeChat wallet for free! This promotion went very well and the WeChat pay wallet gained many new users. Why do they call Tencent? According to the joke they make 10 cents from evert click you make!
There are many payment options here
- You can make a quick pay by present your QR code to merchants.
- Can scan a code and make payment after security check.
- You may pay for goods or services in mini programs within WeChat.
- Can pay in official accounts mini-stores.
- It is also possible to scan a payment code in webpages.
- The last option is to pay within a merchant app.
A time and arguing saving are the option to split the bill. You can easily create a split between the WeChat contacts when you are sitting to eat in a restaurant. Next time you are eating with your friends, do not fight over who will pay the bill, split it and send among you.
Not only that you can pay for flights, hotels and restaurants. You can also pay for rent and gas bills by a simple click! WeChat is a powerful social media platform; we will explore all the opportunities here.
WeChat Discover Tab
Discover tab is the place to see your contact’s activity and search for new content inside and outside WeChat. So many options here, we will explain one by one:
- You can see what your friends are up to by viewing their WeChat moments.
- Find new video content which is not related to your WeChat friends by pressing on “channels”.
- Scan codes, items or letters and translate it easily. You could get rate of those items and according to WeChat website “WeChat’s powerful AI scan technology can now recognize over 300,000 famous artworks around the world covering both classic and contemporary works. You can also do an image search within WeChat to learn more about an art piece’s name, artist, origin and more”.
- Shake your mobile and find who just shake it at the same time as you did anywhere around the world!
- Read new articles recommended by your friends or by WeChat algorithm in “Top Stories” tab.
- Look for people nearby and meet for a beer.
- Download any mini-program you want it can be related to music, games, calendar, search for it and find your dreamy app.
Speaking about searching, the new search function is the place that indicates that WeChat hold the future of e-commerce and social networking. In short, here you can find official accounts you can follow which are the most important apps within WeChat a data within and outside of WeChat due to cooperation with the giant tech search engine Sogou. For full details, check our post here.
Basics about WeChat
The app belongs to Chinese tech and gaming giant Tencent. When Tencent created QQ in 2008 it was its first try to create a social media platform but was molded into computers. WeChat goal was to be molded directly to mobile phones which turned to be an innovative decision.
While the world was still focused on working from office computer and laptops, the Chinese people skipped this phase and jumped into their mobile (well not literally).
What is next?
WeChat considered as milestone for social media world. It is a pioneer in the digital payment field and turning online socializing into offline by special AI and IBEACON Bluetooth Low energy (BLE) transition technology. We learn that its power is from the embedded light apps within it and the combination of fun, payment, learning and exploring.
What the future holds, then? We promise to talk about trends and changes happening right now so stay tuned