WeChat (English: WeChat) is an instant messaging software launched by China's Tencent on January 21, 2011 that supports mobile operating systems such as Android and iOS. It is targeted at smartphone users.

Users can share text, pictures and stickers with friends through the client, and support group chat and voice, video intercom function, broadcast (one-to-many) messages, photo/video sharing, Location sharing, message communication, WeChat payment, wealth management, games and other services, as well as a feed for sharing streaming content and location-based social plug-ins "Shake", "Friend Detector" and " "People Nearby" to quickly add friends.

WeChat supports multiple languages ??and mobile phone data networks. Users can take photos or videos and send them to "Moments". Users can select contacts in the contact list and use cloud services to back up and restore data to protect user address book data.

WeChat also has functions such as subscription accounts, service accounts, and enterprise accounts, which allow users to subscribe to their favorite public accounts. It also provides a good self-media platform where everyone can apply for a personal subscription account. To publish personal articles, etc., users can obtain articles from WeChat public accounts through subscription or search.

Extended information:

Function

1. Instant messaging

Instant messaging is the main social function of WeChat. Only mutual contact is through WeChat. Talent can communicate instantly. In the frame, there are text messages, voice messages, voice input, voice and video chat, photo and video sharing, location sharing, WeChat red envelopes, transfers and other functions.

Using Bluetooth and other near-field communications, WeChat can connect with people nearby and provide various functions to facilitate people to contact them at any time. At the same time, it is also integrated with social network service platforms such as Tencent QQ and Facebook. Filters and annotations can also be added to photos, and text messages can also be machine translated.

WeChat supports different types of instant messages, including text messages, videos, voice messages, real-time intercoms and emoticons. Users can send pre-saved or real-time pictures and videos, other users' business cards, coupons, red envelopes or current location. WeChat emoticons, such as Tuzki, are similar to the Japanese chat program Lianwo.

2. Moments (English: Moments)

Users can post text, post pictures, videos, post comments, and share internal or external links in Moments. External links include music (associated with QQ Music or other music services provided to web pages), news and other various APP contents, while internal links are mainly WeChat public account articles. Users who have linked Facebook and Twitter accounts will automatically synchronize their Moments updates to these two accounts. Other friends can comment and "like" the posted content.

The privacy of the Moments is extremely high. Unless the user enables non-friends to browse the last 10 Moments updates, only friends can browse the contents of the user's Moments. Only friends can comment and view likes and comments from users who are friends with each other. For example, user A posted a comment on user B’s Moments. B and C are friends, but if user C and user A are not friends, they will not be able to see A’s comments.

Before publishing the Moments, users can also set the visibility range to decide whether certain friends or groups can see the Moments updates. Pictures and videos posted by users can be set to "private" at any time for their own viewing only.

3. Public Accounts

WeChat supports users who wish to register as public accounts to push content to subscribers, interact with subscribers, and provide them with services. There are currently three types of public accounts: service accounts, subscription accounts, and enterprise accounts (already merged into Enterprise WeChat). Once a user has established an account of one type in the name of an individual or organization, the type of account cannot be changed.

As of the end of 2014, there were 8 million public accounts. To organize public account certification, you need to pay a fee of 300 yuan for review by a third-party certification company designated by Tencent. Once passed, it will become a certified public account. The validity period is one year after the certification is passed. You can submit for certification again before expiration.

The official account can be used as a platform for hospital registration, passport and visa renewal, or credit card services.

4. WeChat Pay

WeChat Pay supports bank card transfer, scan code payment, near field communication and other popular mobile payment methods, and is available in mainland China, Hong Kong and Malaysia. To achieve localization, users with bound bank cards can use WeChat to pay bills, purchase goods and services, transfer money to other users, and even make purchases in stores that support WeChat payment or make cross-border purchases.

Third parties known as "mini programs" provide some services by developing lightweight "applications within applications".

WeChat Pay imports WeChat’s electronic cash service, allowing users to make mobile payments and transfer money between users. Each WeChat user has his own WeChat payment account. Users can get change by binding their account to a bank card or collecting money from other users. Users who bind a credit card can only pay the supplier and cannot add change. WeChat Pay can be used for electronic cash as well as supplier payments.

5. Mini Program

In 2017, WeChat launched the “Mini Program” function. Users can use the QR code scanning function in WeChat to scan the mini program code or the mini program QR code to open the mini program, or they can search for the mini program in WeChat and open it. The used mini programs can be found on the "Discover" page - "Mini Programs". WeChat opens mini programs based on multiple service categories.

Users can take taxis, order food, takeaways, games, tools, etc. through mini programs. Most current mobile applications have been launched in the form of mini programs. Users do not need to install other applications on the mobile terminal, and business owners can create their own mini programs within the WeChat ecosystem.