With a figure of a billion monthly active users as of the second half of 2017, and undoubtedly increasing, WeChat is clearly doing something right. From WePay to mini-programs, WeChat has become a program brimming with functionality. In 2018, what more is there for WeChat to add? Over the next few days, we will be looking at several of WeChat’s newest features and how your brand can make the most out of them.

 

Digital ID

Finally, WeChat has also launched a new pilot program for a digital ID, initially rolled out in the Nansha district in Guangzhou before expanding elsewhere. It means that citizens will be able to link their national identity to WeChat via facial recognition, which users can then display on their smartphones.

Why This Benefits Consumers and Even Brands

With ID cards typically required for everything from buying train tickets to booking a hotel in China, the option of a digital version takes away the need to carry around physical cards.

 

With the acceptance of digital IDs, brands have an even greater opportunity to capitalise off simple things and provide their consumers with more ease-of-access through different avenues (be it purchasing, memberships, etc.)

 

Finally, it is likely to further integrate WeChat into the habits of users’ everyday lives – further cementing its status as the ultimate ‘app for everything’.