Because you set up automatic updates.

WeChat is a free application launched by Tencent on January 21, 2011 to provide instant messaging services for smart terminals [1]. The product team of Tencent Guangzhou R&D Center led by Zhang Xiaolong Build[2]. WeChat supports cross-communication operators and cross-operating system platforms to quickly send free (requiring a small amount of network traffic) voice text messages, videos, pictures and text through the network. At the same time, you can also use the data and location-based sharing of streaming media content through *** Social plug-ins such as "Shake", "Moments", "Public Platform", "Voice Notepad" and other service plug-ins.

As of the second quarter of 2016, WeChat has covered more than 94% of smartphones in China, with monthly active users reaching 806 million, [3] with users covering more than 200 countries and more than 20 languages ??[4] . In addition, the total number of WeChat public accounts of various brands has exceeded 8 million, the number of mobile application dockings has exceeded 85,000, advertising revenue has increased to 3.679 billion yuan [3], and WeChat payment users have reached about 400 million [4].

WeChat provides public platform, friend circle, message push and other functions. Users can add friends and follow the public through "shake", "search number", "people nearby" and scan QR code platform, while WeChat shares content with friends and the exciting content users see to WeChat Moments.

In December 2020, WeChat on iOS was updated to version 7.0.20. At the same time, a "WeChat Bean" was added to the personal profile page [5] . On January 21, 2021, WeChat was updated to version 8.0 [6] . In July 2021, in the latest version 8.0.8, WeChat can not only log in to mobile phones and PC/Mac devices at the same time, but also added the simultaneous login function of tablet devices. This also means that the logic of using tablet devices in WeChat It is already on the same level as mobile phones and computers, and the number of devices that users can log in to at the same time has reached as many as three [110] News on November 7. The WeChat user complaint page has added the item "Fans' bottomless star-chasing behavior"

WeChat was planned and launched by Shenzhen Tencent Holdings Limited in October 2010 and built by the product team of Tencent Guangzhou R&D Center. The team led by the team manager Zhang Xiaolong has successfully developed Internet projects such as Foxmail and QQ mailbox. Tencent President Ma Huateng confirmed the name of this product in the product planning email as "WeChat".

2011

On January 17, 2011, a cultural communication company in Beijing applied to register the WeChat trademark. Tencent’s WeChat trademark applied for registration on January 24, 2011. It was only late. One week[8].

On January 21, 2011, WeChat released the 1.0 beta version for iPhone users. This version supports importing existing contact information through QQ numbers, but only has simple functions such as instant messaging, sharing photos, and changing avatars [9].

In the subsequent three beta versions of 1.1, 1.2 and 1.3, WeChat gradually added support for reading mobile phone address books, interoperability with Tencent Weibo private messages, and multi-person conversation functions. As of 2011 At the end of April, Tencent WeChat gained four to five million registered users[9].

On May 10, 2011, WeChat released version 2.0, which added voice intercom functions like Talkbox, making WeChat’s user base grow significantly for the first time.

In August 2011, WeChat added the stranger dating function of "View nearby people", and the number of users reached 15 million. By the end of 2011, WeChat had more than 50 million users.

On October 1, 2011, WeChat released version 3.0. This version added the "Shake" and drift bottle functions, added support for the Traditional Chinese language interface, and added Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan Users in five regions, the United States and Japan are bound to mobile phone numbers [9].

2012

In March 2012, the number of WeChat users exceeded 100 million. On April 19, WeChat released version 4.0. This version adds a photo album function similar to Path and Instagram, and can share the photo album to the circle of friends [9].

In April 2012, Tencent began to make an attempt to promote WeChat to the international market. In order to make WeChat European and American, it renamed its 4.0 English version "Wechat" and later launched multiple language support [ 9].

On July 19, 2012, WeChat version 4.2 added a video chat plug-in and released a web version of WeChat interface [9].

On September 5, 2012, WeChat version 4.3 added a shake to transfer function, which can easily transfer pictures from a computer to a mobile phone. This version also adds a new voice search function and supports unbinding mobile phone numbers and QQ numbers, further enhancing users' control of personal information [9].

On September 17, 2012, Tencent’s WeChat team announced that the number of registered WeChat users had exceeded 200 million [10] .

2013

Late at night on January 15, 2013, the Tencent WeChat team announced on Weibo that the number of WeChat users exceeded 300 million, making it the communication software with the most downloads and users in the world. , its influence spreads throughout mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, overseas Chinese gathering places and a small number of Westerners [9] .

On February 5, 2013, WeChat released version 4.5. This version supports real-time intercom and multi-person real-time voice chat, and further enriches the functions of "Shake" and QR codes, and supports the search, saving and migration of chat records. At the same time, WeChat 4.5 also adds voice reminders and navigation functions based on the location sent by the other party [9] [11] .

On April 11, 2013, the Tencent WeChat team officially issued a statement to some users through WeChat, saying that the rumors circulating on the Internet that "WeChat wants to charge users" were malicious rumors, and emphasized that WeChat would never charge users. [12].

At 7:30 a.m. on July 22, 2013, a large number of users reported that WeChat suffered a comprehensive failure. The failures included the inability to send WeChat messages, the inability to refresh Moments, the inability to log in to the public account platform, and the inability to connect to the WeChat web version. . The incident lasted until about 2 p.m., when the WeChat development team was on Tencent Weibo. It was announced that WeChat can be used again, but some users still left messages, saying that after entering WeChat, some functions were not restored, or they could not connect at all.

On August 5, 2013, WeChat 5.0 for ios was launched, adding an emoticon store and a game center. The scan (referred to as 313) function was newly upgraded and can scan street views, scan barcodes, and scan 2D Code, scan word translation, scan cover, on August 9 of the same year, WeChat 5.0 Android was launched.

On August 15, 2013, the number of registered users of the overseas version of WeChat (WeChat) exceeded 100 million, with 30 million new users added within one month.

On October 13, 2013, Citywide Search aims to help those individuals or companies who do not understand technology to establish their own interface programs, so that individuals or companies who do not understand technology at all can use simple configuration, that is, Can have powerful functions. Enterprises can use city-wide search to implement intelligent customer service robot functions at low cost. Stores can easily associate and interact with store products and fans. It will also soon provide WeChat local account operation and maintenance personnel with powerful local operation and maintenance management function modules.

On October 19, 2013, the WeChat LBS graphic reply allowed the merchant to set the store location. After the user submits their current location, they can find the nearest merchant store, and perform one-click navigation and one-click dialing. If the store currently has activities (such as coupons, scratch cards), the activities can also be displayed.

On October 24, 2013, the number of Tencent WeChat users exceeded 600 million, with 100 million daily active users.

On December 31, 2013, WeChat 5.0 for Windows Phone was launched, adding functions such as an emoticon store, binding bank cards, collection functions, binding email addresses, and sharing information to Moments.

2014

On January 4, 2014, WeChat added a taxi-hailing function provided by “Didi Taxi” to its product [13].

On January 28, 2014, WeChat was upgraded to version 5.2, and the Android version interface was completely redesigned.

In March 2014, the WeChat payment function was opened.

On March 24, 2014, Computer Manager joined hands with WeChat to launch a chat history backup function.

On August 28, 2014, WeChat Pay officially announced the “WeChat Smart Life” industry-wide solution. Specifically, it is based on the WeChat public account and WeChat payment, helping traditional industries to "transplant" their original business models to the WeChat platform.

In the closed-loop mobile Internet business solutions provided by WeChat, the service capabilities involved include: mobile e-commerce portal, user identification, data analysis, payment and settlement, customer relationship maintenance, after-sales service and rights protection, social networking Promotion etc. This also indicates that WeChat will once again increase the pace of commercial opening, provide partners with connectivity capabilities, and promote the mobile Internet transformation of enterprise users' business models.

By providing partners with the ability to “connect everything”, WeChat is forming a new “smart” lifestyle. It has penetrated into the following traditional industries, such as WeChat taxi hailing, WeChat electricity bill payment, WeChat shopping, WeChat medical care, WeChat hotel, etc. It provides standard solutions for dozens of industries such as medical care, hotels, retail, department stores, catering, ticketing, express delivery, universities, e-commerce, and people's livelihood [14].

2015

On January 21, 2015, WeChat took the lead in launching version 6.1 on the App Store. The new version added "send WeChat red envelopes in the attachment column" and "automatically change the phone number when changing the phone." Defined expressions will not be lost" and "you can search the contents of Moments and nearby restaurants". There is also an opening slide after installation - counting the likes you have sent and the likes you have received in the past year.

2016

On January 11, 2016, Zhang Xiaolong, the father of WeChat, made his first public appearance in many years and explained the four major values ??of WeChat. Zhang Xiaolong pointed out that more and more products are produced through public accounts because the costs of development, user acquisition and dissemination are lower here. The split service account did not provide better services, so WeChat is internally researching a new form called "WeChat Mini Program" [15].

Starting from March 1, 2016, WeChat Pay will stop charging fees for the transfer function. From the same day, handling fees will be charged for the withdrawal function [16]. On March 10, WeChat officially announced the relevant details of "Enterprise WeChat" for the first time, and officially released the Android version through App Store on April 18. In August, WeChat and Alipay both obtained the first batch of payment licenses in Hong Kong [17] .

On September 21, 2016, the WeChat mini program officially launched internal testing. In the WeChat ecosystem, WeChat mini programs that are easily accessible and ready to go have attracted widespread attention. Tencent Cloud officially launched the WeChat mini program solution, providing technical solutions for mini programs on cloud servers [18].

2017

At 0:00 on January 9, 2017, the much-anticipated first batch of WeChat mini programs were officially launched in a low-key manner. Users can experience the various functions provided by mini programs. service[19].

In February 2017, Brand Finance released the list of the top 500 global brands in 2017, with WeChat ranking 100th [20] .

On the evening of March 23, 2017, WeChat officially launched the "WeChat Index" function, which Tencent defined as a mobile index provided by WeChat official based on WeChat big data analysis [21].

On April 19, 2017, WeChat announced that due to Apple’s new regulations, in-app payment rules have been changed. The iOS version of WeChat public platform and emoticon platform appreciation functions will be disabled from 17:00 on that day. If turned off, the WeChat appreciation function of other versions such as Android will not be affected. In addition, relevant people from Tencent said that red envelopes are not included in this category and will not be affected.

The reason why WeChat adjusted the appreciation function of the public platform and emoticon platform this time is that Apple updated clause 3.1.1 on June 13, 2016, which more strictly requires that Apps must not include instructions for customers to use non-IAP mechanisms. Buy buttons, external links, or other calls to action.

WeChat also stated that after the appreciation function is turned off, WeChat public account operators can display QR codes in articles and obtain support through personal transfers. In order to protect user funds, such transfer funds will adopt a T7 settlement cycle. If funds are frozen or refunded, the relevant flow can be viewed in the WeChat public platform background [22].

On May 4, 2017, WeChat Pay announced that it would officially enter the United States together with CITCON. After WeChat Pay officially enters the United States, people traveling to the United States can enjoy the convenience of cashless payment in the United States. Through WeChat payment, all basic necessities of life in the United States can be settled directly in RMB [23].

Since the morning of May 5, 2017, some WeChat users in Russia have been restricted from using WeChat, and the web version functions cannot be used. The Russian government requires service providers to provide the country's industrial and commercial registration information, server address, software function description and other information. Russia guaranteed that the ban on WeChat would be lifted after providing the above information [24] .

On May 18, 2017, WeChat received an update, adding the "WeChat Lab" function. Currently, the enabled experiments have two functions: "Take a look" and "Search" [25].

On the afternoon of August 21, 2017, WeChat experienced a large-scale failure, and other app content could not be shared with friends and Moments; the WeChat transfer function was also temporarily disabled, but the red envelope function was normal.

In the four days from 17:00 on September 25, 2017 to 17:00 on September 28, 2017, the picture of the earth displayed on the mobile phone WeChat startup page will also be changed from the former NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) around the world. The first complete photo of the Earth released was replaced by the imaging image of Fengyun-4. This is also the first change of the WeChat startup page in 6 years [26].

On November 8, 2017, WeChat was selected into the TOP30 list of Chinese business cases [27] .

On December 28, 2017, the updated 6.6.1 version of WeChat suddenly opened mini-games, and the WeChat startup page also highlighted the mini-game "Jump" [28].

2018

On January 10, 2018, on the occasion of the 32nd National 110 Publicity Day, Yantai Municipal Public Security Bureau and Tencent jointly developed a new live interactive alarm method ——"@110" was first launched nationwide[29].

On January 31, 2018, WeChat released a new version 6.6.2 for iOS, which supports one-click switch login between two accounts, as well as discovery page management functions [30] .

On February 9, 2018, the WeChat team announced that it would adhere to zero tolerance for online gambling. The WeChat team used user reporting data and verified and obtained evidence to restrict more than 2,300 gambling-related WeChat groups. Group function processing, imposing step-by-step penalties on more than 30,000 accounts such as restricting function use or restricting login[31].

On the evening of February 10, 2018, the WeChat team issued a major announcement [32] in response to malicious violations and confrontational behaviors in WeChat Moments.

In February 2018, the number of global monthly active users of WeChat exceeded the 1 billion mark for the first time [33] .

Starting from April 1, 2018, Alipay and WeChat static barcode payments have a daily limit of 500 yuan [34] .

Starting from April 9, 2018, the Tianjin Municipal Market Supervision Commission has established offices in the Dongjiang Port area of ??the China (Tianjin) Free Trade Pilot Zone, and the Jiangsu Provincial Administration for Industry and Commerce has established offices in the four cities of Nanjing, Zhenjiang, Suqian, and Lianyungang. Launch the service for “enterprises to download and use electronic business licenses through the WeChat applet”[35].

In May 2018, in order to protect user privacy and security and optimize the WeChat external link experience, the WeChat team further upgraded the relevant rules of the "WeChat External Link Content Management Specifications". The new rules will be effective on May 29 It will officially take effect[36].

On August 7, 2018, in order to ensure the healthy operation of the platform, WeChat will eliminate false data caused by unnatural reading by machines [37] from the article reading data in the background of the official account.

From September 30, 2018 to the end of December, users can participate if they successfully use WeChat Pay at WeChat Pay partner stores in South Korea, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand and other places. During the Shake Shake event, you have the opportunity to get free orders or WeChat payment in-store red envelopes[38].

Starting from November 30, 2018, WeChat and the drift bottle service have been temporarily offline to clean up pornographic content [39].

2019

On January 7, 2019, Chen Ping, Vice President of Tencent Cloud, said at the IPv6 (Internet Protocol Version 6, Internet Protocol Version 6) Intelligent Link upgrade conference, Tencent Cloud will implement IPv6 in all in 2019, which will promote the IPv6 strategy for the entire ecosystem [40].

On October 10, 2019, WeChat Pay stated that it does not support virtual currency transactions [41] .

In October 2019, WeChat launched the "transfer via mobile phone number" function, which allows others to remotely transfer money to WeChat Change without adding friends [42] .

On October 18, 2019, WeChat announced an upgrade to the "WeChat External Link Content Management Specifications" and clarified new types of violations. The new regulations will be officially implemented on October 28 [43] .

In November 2019, WeChat began grayscale testing to add a “related reading” function at the bottom of public account articles. That is, a “related reading” module will appear at the bottom of some articles posted by public accounts to recommend that the article be relevant. Extended reading content to help users understand related events or content that may be of interest [44].

2020

On March 21, 2020, WeChat iOS 7.0.12 version was launched. The new version provides the function of using WeChat in dark mode [45] .

On the evening of June 3, 2020, WeChat finally officially launched the WeChat payment sub-function [46] .

According to news on June 5, 2020, Android users have updated to the latest version of WeChat and can modify their WeChat ID. The entrance is "Me" - "Personal Information" - "WeChat ID". Qualified users support one The WeChat account is modified once a year [47].

On June 17, 2020, WeChat launched the “Clap” function [48] .

On July 26, 2020, WeChat stopped serving Indian users. The affected WeChat users are all registered with local Indian numbers, while those registered with Chinese mobile phone numbers can still be used normally. There are various indications that WeChat’s deactivation of Indian mobile phone users’ WeChat accounts should be a proactive technical measure to avoid legal risks. When the account is logged out, the user will receive a message from the WeChat team saying: "In accordance with Indian law, we are currently unable to provide you with WeChat services.

We value every user, and data security and privacy are the most important to us. We are in contact with the relevant authorities and hope to restore service in the future [49] . "

On September 9, 2020, WeChat Souyisou launched the "fingertip search" function[50].

On September 18, 2020, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced on its official website According to the release, in response to the executive order signed by President Trump on August 6, 2020, the U.S. Department of Commerce announced a ban on transactions related to the mobile applications (apps) WeChat and TikTok to safeguard the national security of the United States; September 20 Starting from today, TikTok and WeChat will be removed from the shelves in the United States [51]

In December 2020, WeChat on iOS was updated to version 7.0.20. At the same time, a "WeChat Bean" was added to the profile page. ". It is reported that "WeChat Bean" is a prop used to pay for virtual items in WeChat, and virtual gifts can be purchased during the live broadcast of the video account [5].

2021

2021 On the afternoon of January 21st, WeChat iOS underwent a major update. WeChat V8.0.0 was launched, with an update of about 400M. WeChat emoticons were dynamically played. Version 8.0 launched a series of new emoticons, the most highlighted of which were "bomb" and "fireworks". "[52]. The nearby live broadcasts of the video account have been updated. You can find the live broadcasts that the user is interested in according to the classification. Add a new status bar, click on the new status bar under Me-WeChat ID, and you can edit the personal status. The status is divided into three types. Major categories: mood and thoughts, work and study, activities. The status can truly show the user's current situation, such as "busy", "fishing", etc. People who also set "busy" can also see ***. Friends’ status. The floating window page has been revised. In the latest WeChat version 8.0, the floating window that originally floated in the conversation flow on the homepage is hidden in the upper left corner of the homepage, ensuring the simplicity of the homepage. Click on the floating window in the upper left corner of the homepage. Unread articles will be displayed in the form of tabs, and users can click on the corresponding article to continue reading [53]

On April 14, 2021, WeChat launched a small function, "Public Account 2D". The code can be converted into a public account business card with one click" [106].

On May 28, 2021, WeChat Circle issued an announcement stating that due to adjustments in business development direction, it will be officially suspended on December 28, 2021 [107] .

On July 2, 2021, WeChat 8.0.7 for Android was released. [109] In the latest version 8.0.8, WeChat can not only log in to mobile phones and PC/Mac devices at the same time. , and also added the simultaneous login function for tablet devices. [110]

On September 17, 2021, Tencent issued an adjustment statement for the "WeChat External Link Content Management Specifications" saying that after users upgrade to the latest version of WeChat, they can Access external links in one-on-one chat scenarios [113]

Care Mode

Care Mode [114]

Message on September 28, 2021. Recently, a new version was released to officially launch the “Care Mode”. Compared with the normal mode, the text in WeChat Care Mode is larger and clearer, the colors are stronger and more recognizable, and the buttons are larger and easier to use, which helps to improve the convenience of using WeChat for the elderly, visually impaired groups and other groups. [114]

On October 11, 2021, WeChat released a new version of iOS 8.0.15, which upgraded the WeChat youth mode and added the new function of “guardian authorization”. Parents can manage their children's use of WeChat through this function. After turning on this function, teenagers can remotely apply for guardian authorization to access public account articles, mini programs, links and extend the use time of the video account. Guardians can remotely authorize the application through their personal WeChat account. [115] Through this feature, guardians can decide what to show teenagers and for how long.

[118]

In October 2021, WeChat issued a statement stating that WeChat Pay and UnionPay Cloud QuickPass have achieved mutual recognition and mutual scanning of offline barcodes, and UnionPay Cloud QuickPass fully supports Q Coin, QQ Music and Tencent For video recharge services, WeChat mini programs also gradually support Cloud QuickPass payment. [119]

On November 7, 2021, WeChat added a new item of "fans' bottomless star-chasing behavior" on the user complaint page. Users can complain about personal accounts and group chat members through this reason . [120]

On November 15, 2021, WeChat launched a self-developed input method. [125]

In 2021, WeChat released updated instructions on the "WeChat External Link Content Management Specifications": External links will be directly accessible in peer-to-peer chat scenarios; open e-commerce will be trialled in group chat scenarios Class external links directly access functionality. [127]

On November 30, 2021, the official version of WeChat macOS version 3.2.2 was released. This update mainly supports two folding group chat functions and fixes some known issues. [130]

In December 2021, the WeChat team released "WeChat's Compliance Guidelines for Regulating the Release and Dissemination of Off-Campus Training Content" on the WeChat public platform. Among them are the requirements: Promotional and inductive content of subject and non-subject off-campus training institutions for primary and secondary school students (including kindergarten and preschool children) must not be published on the WeChat platform, and the WeChat platform must not be used to target primary and secondary school students (including kindergarten and preschool children). Conduct subject-based and non-disciplinary off-campus training in violation of regulations. [131]

In 2021, after upgrading to the latest version, the WeChat PC client, including Windows and macOS versions, already supports automatic login to the device, and you can choose not to require mobile phone confirmation after logging in with commonly used devices. Currently, WeChat supports simultaneous login to computers, tablets, watches and other devices. [132]

In December 2021, Galaxy Kirin desktop operating system V10 including V10 SP1 completed the migration and adaptation with Tencent’s native WeChat and was put on the Kirin store. [134]

2022

On January 6, 2022, the 2022 WeChat Open Class Pro was held in Guangzhou. Zeng Ming, the lecturer of the WeChat Open Class, revealed that the daily activity of WeChat mini programs in 2021 will exceed 450 million, the average number of daily uses increased by 32% compared with 2020, and active mini programs increased by 41%. [136]

In January 2022, the digital RMB App was upgraded and updated, the WeBank (WeChat Pay) digital RMB wallet was launched, and Tencent accessed the digital RMB and began to provide services. [137]

On January 15, 2022, the WeChat iOS version received an update, and the version number was upgraded to 8.0.17. This update adds the much-anticipated "Voice Pause" function, which supports voice pause and resume playback. [139] For long voices, press and hold during playback to pause the voice. A "Continue Play" button will appear on the right. Click the button and the voice will continue to play. Generally speaking, it avoids the situation where someone interrupts and the voice cannot be paused, and then the voice needs to be listened to again. [141]

In January 2022, the official version of WeChat for Mac 3.3.0 was updated, adding a video account function. In addition, you can search WeChat ID to add friends. [142]

In January 2022, the iOS version of WeChat received an update to version 8.0.17. [143]

On January 20, 2022, WeChat officially announced: The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s “Special Action for Aging-Adapted and Accessible Transformation of Internet Applications” announced the first batch of products that passed the age-appropriate and barrier-free level Of the more than 200 websites and apps reviewed, WeChat and WeChat Pay (built into the WeChat App) were among the first to pass the review. [145]

In January 2022, WeChat version 8.0.18 for iOS was officially updated. After the update, 20 pictures can be selected for WeChat Moments.

[147] Modify the ringtone interface from the original list form to a video stream form. "I" - "Payment" in the WeChat iOS version have all been turned into "services" [148].

On February 14, 2022, WeChat updated the "WeChat Car Version" introduction page, showing that WeChat Car Version has currently been connected to 15 automobile manufacturers, including Audi, BMW, Beijing, Changan, Great Wall, etc. . [152]

In February 2022, WeChat ushered in a major upgrade to the iOS version 8.0.18, which supports sending more than 9 pictures to Moments. When the user selects more than 9 pictures, a new video will be displayed. In addition, the ringtone interface has been modified from the original list form to a video streaming form. "Payment" in the "Me" page has been completely changed to "Service". [154]

In February 2022, WeChat App has supported sending 4K original videos with almost no compression. [156]

On March 4, 2022, the WeChat payment platform issued the "Notice on Further Reducing Payment Handling Fees for Small and Micro Merchants" to customers. The notice stated that from September 1, 2021, to September 30, 2024, payment processing fee discounts will be implemented for small and micro merchants that meet the standards. [158]

As of March 15, 2022, WeChat has launched an algorithm shutdown key, allowing users to turn off "personalized recommendations" with one click in the background. [160]

On March 25, 2022, the WeChat Android platform ushered in the 8.0.21 internal beta update. The official update log optimizes some known issues. After logging in, the web version of File Transfer Assistant opens the "File Transfer Assistant"; the status supports double-clicking to like; the chat picture search function allows you to "search" pictures