History of WeChat in Timeline
WeChat, also known as Weixin in Chinese, is a multipurpose messaging, social media, and mobile payment app developed by Tencent. Launched in 2011, it became the world's largest standalone mobile app by 2018, exceeding 1 billion monthly active users. Its extensive functionality, encompassing text and voice messaging, video conferencing, mobile payments, and social media features, has earned it the nickname "China's app for everything" and the label "super-app."
October 2010: WeChat Project Initiated
The development of WeChat, initially named "Weixin," began as a project at Tencent's Guangzhou Research and Project center in October 2010.
2010: Tencent Anticipates Smartphone Disruption
By 2010, recognizing the potential of smartphones to disrupt the existing landscape of desktop messengers, Tencent's CEO Pony Ma made a strategic decision to invest in alternatives to their own QQ messenger app.
2011: "Weixin" Launched
"Weixin," the original version of the app, was launched in 2011 after its creation by Allen Zhang.
2011: China's 12th Five-Year Plan Supports E-Commerce
The Chinese government's 12th five-year plan, spanning from 2011 to 2015, placed a strong emphasis on e-commerce development, creating a favorable environment for platforms like WeChat to thrive.
2011: WeChat First Released
WeChat was first released to the public in 2011.
2012: "Weixin" Rebranded as "WeChat"
As "Weixin" reached 100 million users in 2012, it was strategically rebranded as "WeChat" by President Martin Lau, targeting the international market.
June 2013: India Raises Security Concerns over WeChat
India's Intelligence Bureau flagged WeChat in June 2013, expressing concerns about the app's potential security risks.
September 2013: WeChat Blocked in Iran Due to Concerns Over "Nearby" Feature and Content
In September 2013, Iranian authorities blocked access to WeChat, citing concerns over its "Nearby" feature and the spread of inappropriate content.
2013: WeChat Introduces Payment and Commerce Features
Capitalizing on the supportive e-commerce environment in 2013, WeChat introduced key features that enabled payments and commerce within the app.
2013: WeChat Implements Keyword Filtering and Blocking, Leading to Censorship Concerns
In 2013, reports emerged about WeChat's keyword filtering and blocking of messages containing specific terms, even in communications outside of China. This raised concerns about censorship, particularly after an incident involving the blocking of messages mentioning "Southern Weekly," a Guangzhou-based newspaper. WeChat attributed this to a "technical glitch" and eventually created separate platforms for mainland China (Weixin) and the rest of the world (WeChat) to address the issue.
2013: Launch of WeChat Payment
WeChat Payment was launched in 2013, marking a significant expansion of the platform's services.
December 2014: WeChat Announces ICP License Requirement for Shared Web Pages
In December 2014, WeChat announced that web pages shared on WeChat Moments would require an Internet Content Provider (ICP) license to avoid restrictions.
December 2014: WeChat Blocks Android Emulators
WeChat blocked access from Android emulators, and accounts used on such platforms risked being frozen after December 2014.
2014: WeChat Official Accounts Reach 8 Million
By the end of 2014, the number of WeChat official accounts had reached 8 million, highlighting the platform's growing popularity for businesses and organizations.
2014: Luxury Brands Leverage WeChat for Fashion Shows and Engagement
Fashion brands like Burberry and Michael Kors embraced WeChat in 2014 to enhance audience engagement. Burberry created dedicated WeChat apps for its Fall 2014 runway show, while Michael Kors provided live updates and launched a photo contest.
2014: WeChat's Red Envelope Promotion Boosts Adoption
WeChat's strategic virtual Red envelope promotion during Chinese New Year in 2014 led to a massive increase in the adoption of its payment and commerce features.
2015: WeChat Business Model Expands with Official Accounts
By 2015, WeChat Business had established a significant presence with over 100 million WeChat Official Accounts, offering businesses a B2C platform for advertising, services, and engagement.
2015: End of China's 12th Five-Year Plan
China's 12th five-year plan, which began in 2011, came to an end in 2015.
2015: WeChat for iOS Affected by XcodeGhost Malware
In 2015, WeChat's iOS app was found to be infected with the XcodeGhost malware, which was distributed through a counterfeit version of Apple's Xcode development tools.
January 2016: WeChat Debuts WeChat Out VOIP Service
January 2016 saw the launch of WeChat Out, a VOIP service that enabled users to make calls to mobile and landline numbers globally. Initially available in a few countries, its reach expanded over time.
March 2016: Weixin Pay Surpasses 300 Million Users
By March 2016, Weixin Pay, the payment service integrated within WeChat, had garnered a substantial user base of over 300 million.
2016: Amnesty International Criticizes WeChat's Encryption Practices
An Amnesty International report in 2016 gave Tencent a score of zero out of 100 for its lack of user privacy and encryption on WeChat and QQ.
2016: WeChat Reaches 889 Million Monthly Active Users
By 2016, WeChat had amassed a user base of over 889 million monthly active users.
2016: L'Oréal Partners with Influencer Papi Jiang for Marketing Campaign
In 2016, L'Oréal China partnered with influencer Papi Jiang for a promotional campaign. Her initial video promoting L'Oréal's beauty brand, MG, garnered over a million views.
2016: WeChat Experiments with Paid Photo Sharing
In 2016, WeChat experimented with a paid content model, allowing users to share photos on their "Moments" for a fee. Other users could pay to view these photos and leave comments.
2016: WeChat Partners with Italian Companies
In 2016, WeChat partnered with 60 Italian companies to sell their products and services in China without requiring a business license.
2016: Citizen Lab Report Reveals Different Censorship Policies on WeChat
In 2016, a report by Citizen Lab revealed that WeChat employed different censorship policies in mainland China compared to other regions.
2016: Launch of Enterprise WeChat
To cater to the specific needs of businesses and workplaces, a separate version of WeChat, called Enterprise WeChat, was launched in 2016.
March 2017: WeChat Index Launches to Track Keyword Popularity
March 2017 marked the release of WeChat Index, allowing users to track the popularity of search terms over time using data from WeChat Official Accounts.
May 2017: WeChat Introduces News Feed and Search Functions
In May 2017, WeChat launched news feed and search functionalities within its app, directly competing with the Chinese search giant Baidu.
May 2017: Russia Briefly Blocks WeChat
Russia temporarily blocked WeChat in May 2017 for failing to provide contact details to Roskomnadzor, the Russian communications watchdog.
September 2017: WeChat Ends Support for Windows Phone
WeChat stopped working on Windows Phones as of September 22, 2017, marking the end of their support for the platform.
September 2017: WeChat Updates Privacy Policy, Raising Concerns about Data Collection
WeChat's September 2017 privacy policy update revealed the app collects user data, including search terms, viewed content, and communication metadata, raising privacy concerns.
2017: Global Luxury Brands Embrace WeChat
By 2017, 95% of global luxury brands were reported to be using WeChat, as stated by Andrea Ghizzoni, Tencent's European director.
2017: Alipay Leads Chinese Mobile Online Payments Market
Despite Weixin Pay's growth, Alibaba's Alipay maintained a dominant share of the Chinese mobile online payments market in 2017, holding a 54% share compared to Weixin's 37%.
2017: WeChat Implements Advertisement Limit
In 2017, WeChat implemented a policy to limit the number of advertisements shown to users in their Moments feed, allowing a maximum of two advertisements per day.
2017: WeChat Launches "Mini Programs"
In 2017, WeChat introduced a new feature called "Mini Programs," which allowed businesses to create apps that operated within the WeChat ecosystem.
2017: WeChat's Advertising and Value-Added Services Revenue
In the second quarter of 2017, WeChat generated significant revenue, with approximately US$0.9 billion from social media advertising and US$5.5 billion from value-added services.
2017: WeChat Explores Augmented Reality (AR) for its Platform
Throughout 2017, WeChat was actively developing an augmented reality (AR) platform to diversify its offerings.
January 2018: WeChat Mini Programs Gain Momentum
By January 2018, WeChat Mini Programs had reached a significant milestone, with a record of 580,000 mini programs available within the platform.
January 2018: WeChat Unblocked in Iran
On January 4, 2018, WeChat was unblocked in Iran.
2018: WeChat Usage Pervasive Among Chinese Internet Users
By 2018, WeChat had become deeply integrated into the digital lives of Chinese internet users, with 93.5% of them using the app.
2018: WeChat Becomes World's Largest Standalone Mobile App
In 2018, WeChat reached a significant milestone by surpassing one billion monthly active users, making it the world's largest standalone mobile app.
December 2019: Chinese Courts Embrace WeChat for Legal Proceedings
By December 2019, Chinese courts had widely adopted WeChat, allowing parties involved in legal cases to communicate with courts, file documents, and participate in proceedings through the app. Over 3 million parties utilized this feature.
2019: Weixin Censors Messages and Disables Accounts Related to Hong Kong Elections
Following the 2019 Hong Kong local elections, where pro-democracy candidates secured a significant victory, Weixin, the Chinese version of WeChat, censored messages related to the election and disabled the accounts of users who posted about it, including those located outside of China.
2019: Weixin Pay Overtakes Alipay in Active Users, Expands Globally
In 2019, Weixin Pay surpassed Alibaba's Alipay in terms of active mobile payment users, boasting 800 million users compared to Alipay's 520 million. The same year, Weixin Pay expanded its reach, becoming available for use in 25 countries outside China.
2019: Chinese Citizen Imprisoned for Sharing Video on WeChat
In 2019, a Chinese citizen was imprisoned for sharing a video on WeChat, which was used as evidence for the conviction, raising concerns about surveillance and freedom of expression.
2019: WeChat's Monthly Active Users Reach One Billion
WeChat's monthly active users reached an estimated one billion in 2019.
May 2020: Citizen Lab Alleges WeChat Monitors Foreign Chats
A Citizen Lab study in May 2020 claimed that WeChat monitors chats of foreign users to refine its censorship algorithms.
June 2020: India Bans WeChat
Citing data and privacy concerns, the Indian government banned WeChat and 58 other Chinese apps in June 2020 following a border clash between the two countries.
June 2020: WeChat Banned in India
In June 2020, WeChat faced a ban in India along with other Chinese apps, a decision stemming from a border dispute between the two countries.
June 2020: WeChat Banned in India Amidst Border Dispute
In June 2020, WeChat was banned in India, along with other Chinese apps, as a consequence of a border dispute between the two countries.
June 2020: WeChat Introduces "WeChat Nudge" Feature
Similar to features previously seen in MSN Messenger and Yahoo! Messenger, WeChat released "WeChat Nudge" in June 2020. This function allows users to send a virtual nudge to their chat contacts.
August 6, 2020: U.S. President Trump Signs Executive Order to Ban WeChat
On August 6, 2020, U.S. President Donald Trump issued an executive order aiming to ban WeChat in the United States, citing national security concerns.
August 14, 2020: Report of WeChat Monitoring Leading to Imprisonment
Radio Free Asia reported on August 14, 2020, that a Chinese citizen was imprisoned for sharing a video on WeChat in 2019, highlighting concerns about the app's monitoring practices.
September 2020: U.S. Court Blocks Trump's Attempt to Ban WeChat Transactions
A U.S. District Court issued a preliminary injunction in September 2020, effectively blocking former President Donald Trump's attempt to ban U.S. transactions with WeChat through an executive order.
September 2020: Chevron Mandates WeChat Removal from Company Phones
Chevron Corporation ordered its employees to delete WeChat from company-issued phones in September 2020 due to security concerns.
September 2020: Trump's Attempted Ban on WeChat Blocked
Former U.S. president Donald Trump's attempt to ban WeChat in the U.S. through an executive order was blocked by a preliminary injunction issued by a U.S. District Court in September 2020.
September 18, 2020: U.S. Department of Commerce Issues Orders to Enact WeChat Ban
The U.S. Department of Commerce issued orders on September 18, 2020, to put the WeChat ban into effect, targeting financial transactions and service provision to the app.
September 20, 2020: U.S. WeChat Ban Takes Effect
The ban on WeChat in the United States took effect on September 20, 2020, restricting its operations and transactions within the country.
Nov 2020: Enterprise WeChat Renamed to WeCom
In November 2020, Enterprise WeChat, a specialized version of WeChat designed for work and business communication, underwent a name change and became WeCom.
December 2020: Weixin Blocks Australian Prime Minister's Post During Diplomatic Dispute
In December 2020, Weixin blocked a post by Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison during a period of diplomatic tension between Australia and China. Morrison's post criticized a doctored image shared by a Chinese diplomat and commended the Chinese-Australian community. WeChat claimed the post violated its regulations by "distorting historical events and confusing the public."
2020: Burberry and WeChat's Innovative Partnership
In 2020, Burberry collaborated with WeChat to create a digitally interactive shopping experience in their Shenzhen flagship store.
2020: Weixin Censors COVID-19 Pandemic Information
In 2020, Weixin began censoring messages related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
2020: WeChat Allows Annual WeChat ID Changes
In spring 2020, WeChat introduced a policy change enabling users to modify their WeChat ID once per year, a departure from the previous limitation of a single change.
2020: WeChat Launches Channels Short Video Platform
WeChat launched its own short-form video sharing platform, WeChat Channels, in 2020, allowing users to share videos, photos and more.
June 9, 2021: U.S. President Biden Revokes WeChat Ban
U.S. President Joe Biden revoked the executive order banning WeChat on June 9, 2021, opting for an investigation into foreign influence through apps instead.
June 2021: WeChat Channels Surpasses 200 Million Users
By June 2021, WeChat Channels had gained significant traction, amassing over 200 million users and hosting popular events like Westlife's online concert and the Shenzhou 12 spaceflight launch.
June 2021: Biden Drops Efforts to Ban WeChat in the U.S.
The efforts to ban WeChat in the United States, initiated by the Trump administration, were officially dropped by President Joe Biden in June 2021.
July 6, 2021: WeChat Accounts Associated with LGBTQ Movement in China Blocked and Deleted
On July 6, 2021, several WeChat accounts affiliated with LGBTQ groups on Chinese university campuses were blocked and deleted without explanation. These accounts, some operating for years, served as safe spaces for LGBTQ youth. WeChat stated the accounts violated internet regulations after receiving complaints. The U.S. State Department expressed concern, viewing the deletions as suppression of free expression. Despite the setback, affected groups expressed their intent to "start again" and continue their work on gender and societal issues.
September 2021: WeChat Enables Hour-Long Videos on Channels
In September 2021, WeChat Channels increased the maximum video length from 30 minutes to one hour.
September 2021: WeChat Introduces "Easy Mode" for Elderly Users
In September 2021, with the release of version 8.0.14, WeChat introduced "Easy Mode", improving app accessibility for seniors with features like larger fonts, enhanced colors, bigger buttons, and text message audio.
2021: WeChat Mini Programs See Surge in Daily Active Users
The daily active user count of WeChat Mini Programs experienced a substantial increase, rising from 160 million in 2017 to 450 million in 2021.
January 2022: WeChat Surpasses 1.2 Billion Users
In January 2022, reports indicated that WeChat had surpassed an impressive milestone of 1.2 billion users.
January 16, 2022: WeChat Releases Version 8.0.17 for iOS and 8.0.18 for Android
On January 16, 2022, WeChat released significant updates for iOS (version 8.0.17) and Android (version 8.0.18), introducing seven new features including enhanced privacy controls.
March 30, 2022: WeChat Implements Regulations for Digital Collectibles Sales
On March 30, 2022, WeChat took steps to address the growing concerns related to cryptocurrency speculation. The platform implemented regulations targeting official accounts and mini-programs involved in secondary sales of digital collectibles.
April 2022: WeChat to Display User Location for Public Posts
In April 2022, WeChat announced a policy change that would display the location of users in China every time they post on a public account, while overseas users would have their country displayed based on their IP address.
2022: WeChat Addresses Challenges with Counterfeit Goods and NFT Speculation
In early 2022, WeChat faced issues with counterfeit goods and NFT speculation within its ecosystem. The company took measures to combat these problems, suspending several NFT-related accounts and strengthening efforts to combat counterfeiting.
2022: WeChat's Ecommerce Ecosystem Added to USTR's Notorious Markets List
The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) included WeChat's ecommerce ecosystem in its list of Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy in 2022.
March 2023: Russia Bans Government Officials from Using WeChat
In March 2023, Russia prohibited government officials from using messaging apps operated by foreign companies, including WeChat.
June 1, 2023: Montana Bans WeChat on Government Devices
Montana implemented a ban on installing WeChat on government devices starting June 1, 2023.
August 2023: WeChat Shuts Down Accounts Related to LGBT Rights and Feminism Ahead of Qixi Festival
In August 2023, shortly before the Qixi Festival, WeChat initiated a widespread closure of accounts related to LGBT rights and feminism.
October 2023: Canada Bans WeChat on Government Devices
In October 2023, Canada banned the use of WeChat on all government devices.
2023: WeChat Criticized for Misleading Content and Anti-Indigenous Racism During Australian Referendum
In 2023, WeChat faced criticism from both sides of the Australian Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum for spreading misleading information and allegedly promoting anti-Indigenous racism. Research revealed that a large majority of WeChat posts related to the referendum opposed the proposal.
