Parents' Guide to

WeChat

By Patricia Monticello Kievlan, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Flexible network allows chat with strangers, shares locale.

WeChat Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this app.

Community Reviews

age 11+

Based on 3 parent reviews

age 18+

One of the best instant messaging platform in the world. And it is involving also very fast.

We use it for te3xt, voice, or video and social media. This is an all in one social media powerful tool.

This title has:

Easy to play/use
age 10+

Wechat First Timer

Download the app and it was a pain in the butt to sign up for it. When I was filling it out, I thought it was pretty easy, but you need a code to complete your sign in. Now wechat sends you a code through your phone like a text message. Did not receive anything so I click the option to resend me the code. Got nothing, so I tried 3 more times and I still got nothing. There is another option where a bot calls you the code. So, I tried that and it actually worked! Wrote down the number and typed it in. Turns out the code was incorrect. So tried again and got a new code and tried it and it also did not work.... THIS is very frustrating! I tried the app again the next day, Didn't receive a code again so I did the call option. Got a number and it finally worked! The numbers that were incorrect were 6 digit numbers and the number that worked was a 4 digit number. I do not know why the numbers were working. but I am glad I finally got this silly app to work.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3):
Kids say (1):

The best thing about this social network is that it's a super-simple way to connect with your friends -- but that connectivity can come at the cost of privacy and online safety. Overall, this app tries to be everything to everyone: It's a little like Skype or an instant-messaging app, but it also has a suite of built-in games, custom emojis, and the Friend Radar feature, which lets you connect with random users nearby or far away, similar to the myriad options within Kik Messenger. Some users online have reported stumbling upon some pretty gross interactions through the Friend Radar; however, to the developer's credit, there are lots of opportunities within the app to report abuse or inappropriate content. It's also pretty easy to turn off the location services on your device for this app, but if you don't turn off those sharing settings, people anywhere can instantly access any information -- such as your contacts and your photos -- that you've chosen to share. If a teen is using WeChat, parents will want to check the settings and have a conversation about online privacy and safety.

App Details

  • Devices: iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad, Mac, Android, Windows app
  • Pricing structure: Free (The app's free to download, but extra games and stickers are available for in-app purchase.)
  • Release date: December 29, 2015
  • Category: Social Networking
  • Publisher: Tencent
  • Version: 6.3.9
  • Minimum software requirements: iOS 7.0 or later; Android varies with device
  • Last updated: June 20, 2020

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