Tencent, one of China's largest companies by market capitalization, launched the messaging platform WeChat in 2011.
Tencent released WeChat in January 2011 under the Chinese name Weixin. The service began as a mobile messaging application and expanded to include voice messaging, video calls, social feeds, payments, mini-programs, and other services.
WeChat became especially influential because it combined functions that are often spread across several apps in other markets. Businesses, public agencies, and individuals use its ecosystem for communication, commerce, reservations, identity-related services, and digital payments.
The app's international name, WeChat, was introduced as Tencent expanded beyond China. It is important not to confuse WeChat with QQ, another Tencent messaging service that predates it. QQ launched in the 1990s, while WeChat was designed for the smartphone era and quickly became Tencent's flagship social platform.