Monthly active users of leading messaging apps in China 2024
China’s telecommunications market houses a variety of domestic messaging apps such as WeChat, QQ, and Momo that cater to its diverse population of smartphone users. As of September 2024, Tencent’s WeChat remained the most popular messaging app with over one billion monthly active users in the country.
How competitive is the app landscape in China?
Instant messaging was the most popular app category in China with a massive user base. When it comes to app usage time, video apps have attracted more attention from Chinese mobile users than any other app category. Apart from the well-established video-sharing platforms such as Youku, Tencent Video, and iQIYI, various short video apps - especially Douyin and Kuaishou (Kwai) - have been gaining traction rapidly in the app market. At the same time, online payment apps like Alipay and e-commerce apps such as Taobao and Pinduoduo have trailed closely behind in terms of monthly active user numbers.
App usage trends
China has one of the most engaged app user markets in the world, this is reflected in the high app installations, daily usage numbers, and consumer spending. However, data privacy awareness has been growing among Chinese consumers. An annual online survey found that a significant amount of users doubted the data privacy and security policies of internet companies. Besides, checking app permissions and partial granting personal data access on smartphones have become more common. It is important for app developers and publishers to avoid undesirable user permissions in order to gain the initial trust of Chinese users.
