Executive Summary

• WeChat, the #1 social media app in China, has become a part of daily life for around 1 billion Chinese consumers. In this report, the first of our Understanding WeChat, China’s Super App series, we delve into the different functions of the popular app—communications, mini programs, social networking, social media and payment.
• WeChat has introduced two new functions—“Top Stories” and Search functions—to complement its ecosystem as an information portal.
• The Chinese app has become the go-to portal for traffic and information consumption, accounting for 34% of total mobile traffic in China in 2017.
• The app’s prioritizing of user experience over the pace of monetization is one of the keys allowing WeChat to maintain its dominant position in China.