Step-by-step guidance! Let's use WeChat like a local! (EP.01)
Upon arriving in China, you'll quickly notice an interesting phenomenon: some of the commonly used apps in your daily life become less effective. Meanwhile, WeChat will become your best partner for traveling, living and working in China. It has long transcended the definition of a mere messaging app and is deeply integrated into Chinese society. From daily chats with friends to paying bills, hailing rides, ordering food delivery, booking hotels, shopping online, and even buying movie tickets, WeChat handles almost everything for you. It's like a digital Swiss Army knife - powerful and all-encompassing. So, let's learn how to get started with this "super-app" quickly!
Basic Using Method
1. Download the WeChat app from your app store
Enter “WeChat” in the search bar of your app store and download it.
2. Create an account and register
Click “Sign Up” to create a new username and password, and fill out your personal information according to the app guidance. Foreigners are required to scan the passport ID page to verify their identity.
3. Add contacts to your list
You can begin sending and receiving friend requests from people that will show up as a notification in the bottom of the “Contacts”.
If you want to send a friend request, click "+" and "Add Contacts" at the top right corner, then you’ll see various adding method.
You can scan your friends’ QR code, or just add them via mobile, or even open the radar to search friends who stand nearby you. If you find the correct person, you can send a request.
4. Start chatting with your friends!
Now you can begin chatting with your friends! To start communication, open your contact list and select the person you want to text or send an audio message. If you don’t understand the language of your friends, you can use WeChat’s automatic translation. Click and hold the message and select "Translate" to translate the message into your preferred language.
Go to “Me” - ”Settings” - ”General” - ”Translate” and select your preferred language! No worries about communicate with foreign friends.
WeChat is available in multiple languages. You can click "General" - "Language" and choose your preferred language.
Congratulations! You've now mastered the basics of WeChat, and this "key" to convenient living in China is in your hands. Now you can try to chat with more people!
In my next blog, I’ll introduce how to use it to scan a code and pay for milk tea at a street corner, book tickets for an ancient garden via a Mini Program, or use the "People Nearby" feature to meet interesting souls on your journey. Let WeChat be your capable companion as you explore this amazing land, helping you dive deeper into the local culture and create your own unique China story. Your real adventure starts now!