Lai Lin Thomala
Research expert covering Greater China
WeChat - statistics & facts
Tencent’s WeChat has become the king of apps in China where the global internet heavyweights are absent. In just a decade, the Chinese mega app doubled its monthly active users to 1,385 million — proof not just of growth, but of staying power in one of the world’s most dynamic tech markets. Its dominance is not accidental. It is a case study in product strategy, platform thinking, and relentless feature evolution. With its latest expansions into short-form video, mini-games, and AI, WeChat has further cemented its trendsetter status in China's digital life.
From a business standpoint, WeChat is equally indispensable. Brands use WeChat Moments for social advertising, leverage QR codes for offline-to-online conversion, and rely on Mini Programs to offer full e-commerce experiences without developing standalone apps.
More recently, WeChat has been integrating AI into its core, rolling out Yuanbao, its in-app chatbot assistant, alongside gift-giving and AI-powered search features. As China’s digital economy evolves, WeChat faces pressure to innovate in areas like generative AI and decentralized services. Yet its ability to continuously reinvent itself makes it far more than just another app.
From a messenger to an all-around app
WeChat was launched by the Chinese tech behemoth Tencent in 2011. In essence, its purpose was to serve as an equivalent to WhatsApp. The hallmark that takes it beyond just basic messaging is its underlying product philosophy: "connecting everything in one app". Through WeChat Mini Programs — lightweight third-party apps that run within the platform — users can do everything without ever leaving the app.A universe in the pocket
This seamless integration has transformed WeChat into a daily essential. For many Chinese smartphone users, this flagship product of Tencent is more like a survival tool than just a social media. It is the home screen for money exchange, shopping, ride-hailing, food delivery, dating, and so much more. With such versatility, WeChat achieved a whopping 88 percent of daily usage rate in 2020 and a penetration rate of 89 percent in its mini-programs in 2022.From a business standpoint, WeChat is equally indispensable. Brands use WeChat Moments for social advertising, leverage QR codes for offline-to-online conversion, and rely on Mini Programs to offer full e-commerce experiences without developing standalone apps.
Innovation on its way
To stay ahead, WeChat continues to borrow the best of China’s booming internet culture — and build on it. In response to Douyin’s meteoric rise, WeChat launched Channels, its short video platform, now seeing high e-commerce conversion rates. It has also added features like bullet comments, a staple of video platform Bilibili, to engage users in real time.More recently, WeChat has been integrating AI into its core, rolling out Yuanbao, its in-app chatbot assistant, alongside gift-giving and AI-powered search features. As China’s digital economy evolves, WeChat faces pressure to innovate in areas like generative AI and decentralized services. Yet its ability to continuously reinvent itself makes it far more than just another app.
