WeChat 8.0 Updates: Features that You Should Not Miss

The total monthly active users of WeChat (China and international users) in the first quarter of 2020 has reached 1.2 billion and the number keeps growing.

In 2020, WeChat traffic led the way:

• 1.09 billion users opened WeChat and 330 million users made video calls;
• 780 million users opened Moments and 120 million users posted in Moments;
• 360 million users read articles in public accounts and 400 million users use Mini Programs.

As WeChat already has great traffic source, it will try its very best to develop WeChat Channel. And WeChat Channel will be one of the strong competitors of Douyin and Kuaishou shortly.

What's the update on WeChat Channel with WeChat 8.0 version?

Swipe Left to Archive the Unfinished Articles and Videos

The unfinished articles and videos on the WeChat Official Account and Channel can be temporarily stored in the archive, and you just have to swipe to the left when you are at Chats page.

In addition, in the original drop-down list of Mini Programs, it also gave way to recently watched live broadcasts, unfinished videos, articles, etc. It is more convenient for users to enter Channel and Live Streaming videos.

You can give “Private Like” on Channel

The number of likes in a particular video now can hide to friends. When you press longer on the heart icon, you can choose who can see your likes (see image below). Users freely show their likes because they no longer have to be judged secretly of what they like on Channel. Higher privacy.

Original Audio extraction of Channel

In the [...] menu at the upper right corner of Channel, there is an additional option called [Original Audio].

You can use the audio in your video and those have used the audio will appear under this original audio.

More Flexible When You Comment a Post

Besides, in the WeChat Channel, WeChat accounts and WeChat Channel’s owners are also divided into two identities. You can pick either one to comment on the post. This feature is quite similar to Facebook that you can choose your identity from Business Page owner or Personal Account user.

Something you may not notice in WeChat 8.0 update

"Status" Supports Video and Is Not as Simple as It Seems

A new feature has been introduced in the latest version of WeChat. You can see there is a "+Status" button under your WeChat ID. Additional attributes include content (with max. 32 characters), photo, video, location, activities, etc. Many people take this new feature as a mood expression, and some users think this feature is quite similar to QQ.

You can like your friends’ status and records are shown in a way similar to the “likes” in Moments. The difference is that if you want to see the list of likes, by clicking the “Like” in Moments, you will enter the page of your Moments, however, clicking on the “like” button, you will enter the user’s profile page.

You Can Have 5000+ Friends in WeChat Contacts

There was a limit before in adding friends (around 5,000 contacts) in WeChat, but now you can add more than that! That means you can have more connections now, however, there is still a defect. For those exceed contacts, you have no choice but only can set as “Chats Only”. The funny thing is, some testing shows that users with 5,000 or more friends can view Moments, WeRun and some information on newly added friends, but not vice versa. Let’s see if the APP would solve this issue in the future.

"In-App Notification" is added to the system

When Mini Program was first launched, some people already said that WeChat is not just an App, it is more like a system.

If you set a reminder on a live streaming or book other services through a Mini Program, when you open WeChat, you will receive an in-app push notification which is very similar to those alerts made by your mobile phone. Remember, it is an App, but it can perform what a device does, we should be amazed, shouldn’t we?

WeChat Channel Will Dominate the Market in the Coming Decade

It is no doubt that video is now the trend and will be dominant in the coming decade. With the launch of the Channel last year and a year of observations and trials, the market eventually proved the value and effect of the WeChat Channel.

Your Second "WeChat Moments”

From the "Discovery" of WeChat, click on the main page of WeChat Channel, you can see that the top main menu bar has 3 buttons, "Following", "Friends" and "Hot". And “Friends” page will be shown once you enter WeChat Channel. The videos you see in the “Friends” page are usually liked or saved by at least one of your friends. At the bottom of each video post, you can see who gave likes to the post. You will know what top hits are in your virtual society, similar to what you see in WeChat Moments.

WeChat Online Meeting Is Just Around the Corner

Because of the pandemic, lots of business make the meeting into a virtual one. It is a time to add a feature to WeChat Channel Live Streaming and only allows users access to the meeting room through Whitelisting, hoping to make some businesses run smooth through having virtual meetings. Sooner or later, it is expected that WeChat could act as the main platform of virtual meeting just like what Zoom is now.

Even in the post-epidemic era, virtual meetings will still be an essential means of communication among businesses. This is also one of the reasons why Zoom became a necessity in people's lives in 2020.

In the past few years, with the expansion of the social market, many corporate activities rely on WeChat. However, WeChat is still yet to develop functions for meetings. It will make good use of Channel to increase the number of live streaming videos in private domains to serve corporate annual meetings and conferences.

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