WeChat Review

WeChat: Is This Messenger the Best?

WeChat is a Chinese app that many people know as a messenger. But, if you generalize all the features of this app to a simple messenger, you can seriously offend the developers. It is a program that combines the features of WhatsApp, Apple Pay, Uber, and Amazon. But unfortunately, some people can't assess these features. So, first things first. 

What Is WeChat Capable of Doing?

The functions of the application go far beyond a simple messenger. There are so many tools here that WeChat is capable of replacing other applications that we used to use almost daily. 

• You can exchange text, video, and voice messages like in other messengers. Send photos, stickers, and geolocation. You can also create group chats with up to 500 people.
• Make video calls with up to 9 people.
• Add photos to a timeline, like a Facebook wall.
• Record video clips that other users can see for 24 hours. This feature is already familiar to us from Instagram.
• Publish statuses similar to WhatsApp.
• Create your stickers using your pictures or photos.
• Talk with foreigners in the same language. WeChat can translate dialogue from 18 languages. 
• Play mini-games.
• Make calls all over the world thanks to WeChat Out. 

WeChat Disadvantages

The first drawback that any user who has once encountered WeChat will point out is poor security. Messenger chats do not have end-to-end encryption. It means that not only the participants will have access to the dialogue content. 

The second disadvantage is that the application does not provide most of the claimed features outside China. A user who lives in the United States or Europe and has no connection to China is more likely to choose WhatsApp, which has all the necessary features of a messenger while being more secure. 

Why Is WeChat So Popular in China?

Of course, for any user, WeChat chat is, first of all, a convenient messenger. But the fact that, in addition to the ability to correspond and call, live chat allows you to solve many everyday issues makes this application attractive. 

For example, you can use WeChat to buy movie or theater tickets. You shouldn't use another app to pay for utilities, like light and water. You can make a payment on the same messenger. To order a cab, buy a train ticket, or pay for cellular services, you can use WeChat.

Another reason is that Chinese residents have no access to Facebook and some other applications. On the one hand, it is convenient for them to use WeChat, as it replaces popular social networks. On the other hand, Tencent, which cooperates with the government, uses these restrictions to its advantage. The WeChat application is the only one that allows citizens of China to cover the most basic tasks. Simply put, they can't use it. 

Bottom line

There isn't a single app that can compare to WeChat at the moment. Hardly anyone can argue that it is convenient to perform a daily routine using only one application. Perhaps, something will change in the future, but for now, only residents of China or people with a Chinese SIM card can feel all the features of this program.