Tencent Holdings launched the messaging service WeChat in 2011.
Tencent released WeChat in January 2011 under the Chinese name Weixin. The mobile service began with messaging and voice features and later added social feeds, payments, mini programs, games, and business tools. Its international brand became WeChat, while Weixin remains the name used for the mainland Chinese version and ecosystem.
WeChat is not simply another name for Tencent’s older QQ service. QQ was Tencent’s earlier major instant-messaging platform, launched in the 1990s. WeChat’s smartphone-first design helped it become a multipurpose platform, particularly in China. Tencent, founded in 1998, owns or operates major businesses in social media, games, digital content, and financial technology.