Tencent launched WeChat in 2011.
The service was developed by a team at Tencent led by Allen Zhang and first released in January 2011. It began as a mobile messaging application, offering text and voice communication at a time when smartphones were rapidly changing how people connected.
WeChat later expanded into a broad platform with voice and video calls, social feeds, official accounts, payments, mini programs, and location-based services. In mainland China it became part of everyday digital life rather than remaining only a chat application.
WeChat was initially known in China as Weixin. The international branding became WeChat, and the two names reflect different market strategies rather than two unrelated applications. Tencent also operates major gaming, entertainment, and online-service businesses.