From Doge Emojis to Item Recognition, WeChat is Awash With New Functionality

Everyone’s favorite productivity suck, WeChat, has rolled out a myriad of new features this past week, giving group-chat-addicted users plenty of new fodder to play around with. Some of these features will simply add a bit of fun to your online life, while others are complete game-changers.

Fancy new emojis

Ever the industry rebel, WeChat does not always conform to the Unicode Standard, the international protocol used for consistency in emojis across platforms. WeChat users have always had access to a few extra emojis that they can’t get anywhere else, and this exclusive platter of expression just got a little bit larger.

Handily, each emoji is given a name, which, with the exception of “doge,” can serve as an explanation of how to use it correctly. From left to right, the new emojis, pictured above, are called:

• Onlooker, GoForIt, Sweat, OMG, Emm, Respect, Doge, NoProb, MyBad, and Wow.

While most of these new emojis aren't specific to China, the Onlooker i.e. 吃瓜 chī guā or "eat melon" hails straight from Chinese online slang and is the online equivalent of rubbernecking – watching an argument or thread for kicks without wading into the flame war yourself.

Scan items to buy online

You will have to determine the true utility of this feature for yourself, but of all the new features, this one scores the most wow-points with us.

A previous update added the scan-to-translate function. Now you can scan to buy, too. Simply tap the plus sign in the top right corner of the app, and then tap "Scan." At the bottom of the screen, scroll over to "Item," then simply aim your camera at the object of your desire.

WeChat will recognize the item and show you where to buy it online (just don’t expect any results from Tencent’s competitor, Taobao, which has for some time now had its own version of the technology). While some of you may be using this to find an item cheaper online after seeing it in a store, we expect it will get the most use from people wondering just how much money people spend on the gifts they receive.

Make and manage lists

Taking note of the trend among users to create sign-up lists by copy-pasting the same list to a group chat with their name added, WeChat has decided to streamline the process using a “group note.” The new function is especially welcomed by iPhone users who are not able to hit the Enter key to start a new line.

To create a list, there seems to one sure-fire way that works:

• In a group chat, type "#接龙" (jiēlóng, list) and you will be presented with a "Group note" button. Tap through and edit the title, add an example, and begin the list.

Once the list has been created, other members of the group can add to the list by tapping "View Group Note" below it. By default, the app will assume you want to add your own name to the list, but you can type whatever you want into the text box. In addition, three icons above the keyboard will let you easily add your phone number, location, or a date and time to the list.

Note: This feature seems to be a bit finicky at present and may not work every time. It will also depend on what version of WeChat you're running. Moreover, you can't access lists via desktop, and lists may not respond well to removing items or creating multiple lists in one chat.

Quote other people’s messages

Quoting as a function has been available on WeChat's desktop Windows version for some time now, allowing users to easily copy-paste a message’s content into their own text box. With its addition to the mobile version, it has gotten a new update as well.

To quote a message, simply long-press it and then tap "Quote." You must then add your own message to the text box before sending, whereupon your message will appear with a link to the quoted message below.

Article paywalls

Boy, are you lucky – we’re letting you view this article for free! Some official accounts now have the option to paywall their content, with a pop-up price that users must pay to access the sweet, sweet information behind. Android users will be able to pay through WeChat pay but iPhone users will have to go through Apple’s own service in order to lay their eyes on what we can only assume will be some of the most provocative (or disappointing) content on the Chinese internet.

Got any more tips for navigating the new WeChat? Let us know in the comments section below!

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Images: Systweak, Joey Knotts, Anna Pellegrin Hartley