Bangalore : Tencent, the largest internet company in Asia Pacific and the third largest in the world, has announced the launch of its most popular global mobile product in India, WeChat – a free mobile voice and text messaging application. Globally, WeChat already has over 100 million registered users making it one of the most popular mobile chat applications in the world.

With text messaging, hold-to-talk voice messaging, broadcast messaging, photo/video sharing, location sharing, and contact information exchange, WeChat becomes the first of its kind text communication platform with unique multimedia features. A secure, robust, and fast-performing app, WeChat comes with innovative social friend-discovery features and an option to stream photo feeds from friends’ personal photo albums.

Commenting on Tencent’s foray into the Indian apps market Dennis Hau, Head of International Product Center, Tencent International Business Group said “We are excited to launch WeChat in India at a time when data based messaging services are on the surge and with the increased proliferation of smartphones, Instant Messaging/Chat Platforms are becoming the preferred mode of communication among youth. WeChat is not just a simple instant messenger mobile app but it is actually a platform that intends to introduce a new communication style where users can connect with each other via interesting push-to talk voice messaging, video call, sharing precious moments (image/text/content) and more, soon to be evolved, features based on users’ needs.”

“We are committed to the Indian market and going forward there will be addition of more social elements in WeChat, with localised content and functions to develop the local community. This is Tencent’s first mobile social product offering in India and we are expecting massive adoption in sync with our global success,” he added.

WeChat’s user interface includes features that aim to break away from the conventional elements of other messaging applications. It is the first application in the communication space to offer ‘Hold-to-Talk’ voice messaging service which enables users to send voice messages at the touch of a button. ‘Moments’ is another key differentiating feature of WeChat where users can post their special ‘Moments (pics/text)’ and share the same only with their selected friends such that the content will be secure. Functions like ‘Shake’, and ‘Drift Bottle’ enable users from any part of the world to build new connections.

“WeChat app stands out for its innovative mobile social sharing features and a more secure communication platform. Our immediate focus is on building the user base, enhancing the experience and eco-system of WeChat in India. We are aiming to become one of the most popular mobile social apps in India over the next 6 months. Globally, WeChat has witnessed enormous success with over 100 million users. India being one of the fastest growing markets for mobile apps and smartphone adoption, we are confident about the success of WeChat here. We will be adding newer features to WeChat on a regular basis,” said Rahul Razdan, President – ibibo Mobile & Gaming.

WeChat offers engaging one-on-one and group chat sessions with an extensive range of animated and custom emoticon and emoji art, customizable backgrounds, and a Rock-Paper-Scissors mini-game. The app also encourages creative expression by allowing users to apply artistic filters to their photos, create a personal photo journal, and share photos with friends. WeChat allows users to seamlessly connect with their social circles from phone contacts and Facebook.  People can also use location-based social (LBS) features to discover other members of the WeChat community. These features include ‘Shake’, ‘Look Around’ and ‘Drift Bottle’.

WeChat is available for free download on Android, iOS, Windows and Symbian mobile platforms. The iOS version of WeChat is already available in Hindi; in addition to several other global languages.

Download link: http://www.wechatapp.com