The Chinese conglomerate Tencent created the app in 2011. The platform originally received the name Weixin from its creator, Allen Zhang, a Chinese computer programmer. It was only last year that an English version of the app called WeChat was generated. In this way, Tencent tried to adapt to the regulations of different regions of the world. When it comes to WeChat app development, one has to face the fact that information is not allowed to come out of the country. On the other hand, the provider is in danger in the West of encountering bans related to the app. Thus, two versions of the app were developed unnoticed: one for China and the East (Weixin) and one for the West (WeChat).
From Chat to Payment, an App for Everything
WeChat is a free app that not only enables messaging, but also offers many other features. Mainly, messages are sent in the form of text and languages. It is also possible to send photos and videos, make video calls, and play games. In addition, you can pay with WeChat Pay. In China, you can also book taxis, order food or pay bills through the payment function. By sharing your place of residence, you can discover people nearby. However, there are even more exceptional features in WeChat, such as applying for a foreign visa or booking doctor’s appointments, but currently only in China.
WeChat is available for Android and iPhone devices. There is also a PC version, which can be used either through the browser or as a downloadable programme. By scanning a QR code to log in to the app, the PC version can only be used with the smartphone app, and thus the identity can be verified.
Rise to a strong Company
In the first quarter of 2023, WeChat’s news app had a total of 1.32 billion active monthly users worldwide. Tencent Holdings Ltd., the developer of WeChat, founded in 1998, markets a wide range of Internet-related products and services, such as entertainment, AI, and other technologies. As of April 2022, Tencent had a market value of $414.3 billion, making it the largest Internet company in China and one of the largest in the world. The enterprise was able to achieve a turnover of almost 554.6 billion yuan (approximately 70 billion euros) in 2021 and, in the same year, a profit of approximately 238.8 billion yuan (approximately 30 billion euros).
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On closer inspection, WeChat is almost identical to a mobile operating system. It is likely that WeChat’s dominance in China will remain unchanged. Large companies like Facebook (WhatsApp), Google, and Apple are dealing with similar concepts and striving to implement them in the Western world.
