Tencent launched WeChat in 2011.
Tencent released WeChat, known in China as Weixin, in January 2011. The product was developed by a team led by Allen Zhang and began as a mobile messaging application. It later expanded with voice messages, social feeds, payments, mini programs, and other services.
WeChat became a major part of daily digital life in China because it combined functions that are often spread across several separate apps elsewhere. Its ecosystem supports communication, commerce, public accounts, bookings, and digital payments. Tencent operates WeChat internationally under the WeChat name, while Weixin is the Chinese-market name.
The launch date is sometimes confused with later milestones, such as the introduction of WeChat Pay or the service's international expansion. WeChat is also distinct from QQ, another Tencent messaging platform that predates it and remains an important Tencent product.