How is WeChat made?

-Development history of WeChat products

So far, WeChat has nearly 600 million monthly active users and is called the most commonly used application for every smartphone user. Everyone says that WeChat is a great product. Now, as a platform product, WeChat integrates many rich modules and tools, which can bring different functions and experiences to users and become the most important entrance of Tencent's mobile Internet. At the same time, as a product, WeChat has been integrated into our lives and gradually influenced our lifestyle. Then, how is such a product made, and what kind of product concept is hidden behind its product personnel? I read several articles introducing the development of WeChat products on the Internet, and try to sort them out here.

First, the era of 1.0, starting with mobile IM.

According to the products and developers who participated in WeChat R&D, WeChat was initially tested by a team of about 10 people in Tencent Guangzhou R&D Center (mainly responsible for Tencent's QQ email products) with a "try it" attitude. It was the second half of 20 10, just before the outbreak of mobile internet. At that time, there were few developers of new platforms, such as ios and android. In June+10/October, 5438, an application named kik messenger was released, which directly promoted the development of 20 1 1 thousands of kik-like applications, including whatapp, Mi Chat, line, kacao and so on.

Kik messenger's popularity stems from its extreme simplicity and cross-platform. This is a mobile application. It takes almost no effort to establish your own relationship chain based on mobile phone address book in a short time, which many SNS applications can't do in the web2.0 era. In a short time, it began to set off a revolution with a sweeping trend, and operators in various countries bore the brunt. This cross-platform and cross-border mobile communication tool can realize the message exchange of words and pictures in different mobile terminals, and kill the experience of SMS and MMS. Its experience was so extreme that it even made the then mobile phone giant-Blackberry-ban it on its own mobile phone platform.

When kik first came out, Zhang Xiaolong, the boss of Guangzhou R&D Center and QQ mailbox R&D team, foresaw its popularity. Xiaolong emailed Ma about it at that time and applied for a similar application to the team. Ma has also realized that QQ with a history of 10 is not the most needed mobile phone IM in this era. Need an IM that is more suitable for mobile phone usage scenarios, not only for users, but also for Tencent. He praised this and named the app WeChat after "Weibo".

Wechat was originally defined as a notification tool, which has three main functions:

1. If the contact sends you a message, I will inform you;

2. When there are new entries in QQ mailbox and QQ offline message, it will inform you;

3. When you receive a private letter in Tencent Weibo, it will inform you.

That's all.

In less than four months, the small team in Yan Guang completed the development of the version of WeChat ios 1.0, and officially released it on 20 1 1, 2 1. 1.0 version has a simple interface and simple functions, including instant messaging, photo sharing and changing the user's avatar. However, cross-platform communication, fast and brisk floor-level dialogue and convenient photo sharing function have brought users a very good experience. Ma Hua Teng gave the evaluation of "great experience" for the first time, but many other colleagues in Tencent were not optimistic about this simple or even elementary mobile phone application.

Second, the development of mobile social interaction since 2.0 and 3.0.

"The success of WeChat is not only the efforts of the team, but also the timing."

In March, two versions were released continuously, and the user data still did not improve.

Soon, in early April, we sent the fourth version, and the four tab positions of this version of WeChat were confirmed. The first four tabs are: WeChat, Address Book, Find Friends, and Settings. Among them, the tab page of finding friends shows the urgency of WeChat at that time. Here, the system recommends friends to you through various relationship chains such as address book contacts, qq friends, qq email contacts and even corporate domain name email contacts, in order to accumulate users in a short time.

However, user data has not improved.

At this time, the popularity of another application caught the attention of the WeChat product team: talkbox. The logic of this application for sending voice messages is similar to kik, but voice is undoubtedly the biggest highlight. A similar function of Tencent QQ was actually done a long time ago, but it has been tepid, but as soon as it was put on the mobile phone, it instantly captured a large number of users.

On the other hand, at this time, smart phones began to spread, especially the release of iphone4, which swept the whole mobile phone market with a revolutionary trend. Zhang Xiaolong judged at this time that smart phones and PCs are completely different, and the functions based on smart phone platforms are completely different from those on personal computers. That is, at this time, the WeChat R&D team began to realize that it is necessary to try to explore the possibility of a smart phone platform, and constantly try to use the natural capabilities of mobile phones to make simple and natural applications. In other words, until this time, the WeChat R&D team began to grasp the pulse of mobile Internet applications and took the lead in grasping the essence of mobile Internet.

As a result, with the efforts of the research and development personnel of WeChat team for more than a month, the voice version of WeChat 2.0 was finally released in early May of 1 1 (this is the official first version, and all previous versions have been added with beta). In version 2.5, WeChat also released an important way to increase users-people nearby. By looking for people nearby, users can easily find other people who are using WeChat around them. It is this function that makes the outside world feel the power of WeChat for the first time.

At that time, users had similar feelings about WeChat, Mi Chat and even talkbox. Everyone is talking about who copied these three applications. Later, Mi Chat made a graffiti function, and their colleagues published an article on Zhihu, saying that they would wait for WeChat to copy it.

The reply given by WeChat is version 2.5 in early August. Apart from the video function that I stayed up all night, the biggest surprise of that version was the people nearby. It can be said that the voice version laid the foundation of WeChat, but what really makes the outside world feel the power of WeChat is the nearby functions.

In this way, WeChat began to get rid of all competitors quickly. On June+10, 5438, WeChat released version 3.0, which includes two functions: shake and drift bottle. Since then, the status of WeChat seems unshakable.

The two functions of shaking and drifting bottle are equivalent to adding the function of socializing strangers to WeChat, a communication tool based on acquaintance relationship, and adding a new way of making friends based on mobile Internet, which makes the product interesting and fun, increases user interaction and maintains user stickiness.

Third, the platformization from 4.0.

20 12 in may, wechat released version 4.0. The main update of this version includes two aspects: adding friends circle and developing API interface. The first is the circle of friends, which is actually a social network (SNS) based on photo sharing. Trying to make every user participate in the original design intention of "shaping life by pictures" for themselves and others, taking the circle of friends as a selling point, attracting the interaction between familiar friends, increasing the activity of users and maintaining the stickiness of products through frequent interaction between UGC and friends. We can also see the scene of the WeChat team developing a circle of friends from the following story:

The whole R&D process in the circle of friends took four months and no more than ten people were involved. However, in this short period of four months, the team completed more than 30 complete development iterations. We call this development process a cyclic development process. Every morning, the development team starts development through the next version function point sorted by the product manager's email, and delivers the function to Xiaolong and the product manager at night. They discuss and analyze the current version in the evening, and then give new ideas and even directions in the middle of the night. Cycle after cycle.

When the team decided to publish a circle of friends, I felt that everyone had reached the limit, because there were still bugs unresolved at that time. Xiaolong said: bugs are also a kind of culture, so they were sent here.

In addition, the circle of friends can be said to be a creative invention of WeChat R&D team led by Zhang Xiaolong, and its experience has many details that reflect its product feelings. Different from social networking sites such as Facebook, Weibo and Blog (Space), the design of WeChat circle of friends continues the two-way friendship of WeChat. After using it, we all know that only when we are friends can we check each other's comments. This design prevents interpersonal relationships from spreading twice, which not only effectively protects users' privacy, but also highlights the characteristics of WeChat products compared with other social products.

Another point is that the version of the first circle of friends does not support sending plain text. When I first used the circle of friends, I didn't know how to send the dynamics of pure text. Later, I learned that to send plain text, I have to press the camera button for a long time. This function is designed to be obscure because the WeChat product team's positioning of friends circle is based on the acquaintance social platform of picture sharing.

Zhang Xiaolong said, "Looking back, WeChat friends circle was not allowed to send text, or it was not encouraged to send text. Not only afraid of flooding, but also a basic assumption that it is far more difficult for a person to write a paragraph than to send a picture. For an ordinary user, you have to let him write a paragraph every day, and this paragraph has to be seen by others. It's actually very difficult for him to write well. I hope that our products can be used by everyone, then pictures are the best medium, and everyone will send pictures. "

Later, some people in the product group suggested that the possibility of users sending plain text in the circle of friends could not be denied, so they later added the function of sending plain text by long pressing the camera key as an internal test. Although the design is obscure, this function has been discovered by users. However, until now, in the latest version, friends who open WeChat to send plain text for the first time will still be reminded to use it carefully, and the function of sending plain text may be cancelled in the future.

The second main function of WeChat version 4.0 is to open the API interface. After the API interface is opened, WeChat supports sharing the music, news, food, photography and other news of third-party applications to friends in WeChat address book, thus further increasing the interaction between users. At the same time, the opening of API interface may make WeChat a powerful mobile application platform in the future.

On July 20 12, the public platform of wechat began internal testing, which made wechat truly evolve from a successful product to a platform and also started the commercialization process of wechat. The official account of WeChat WeChat adopts subscription-push mode. As a function of the product, its original design intent is as follows:

Then, what you see in WeChat is your friend's information. How can I see more abundant content? This goes back to the proposition of reading. The solution given this time is the official account of WeChat.

Fourth, since 5.0, the WeChat platform has been upgraded.

On August 9th, 20 13, WeChat released version 5.0. In this version, the WeChat team upgraded the public platform of WeChat to the subscription number and service number. Among them, the subscription number mainly provides information and consultation for users, provides a new way of information dissemination for the media and individuals, and also solves the needs of users to read long articles on WeChat. The service number is designed to provide services for users. Enterprises can customize menus and obtain advanced interfaces such as payment, thus providing enterprises and organizations with stronger business service capabilities and user management capabilities. In order to avoid disturbing users with too much subscription number information, the WeChat product team also made special regulations and designs for two types of official WeChat accounts, such as the number of messages sent every day, and specially designed the folding of subscription number messages.

WeChat version 5.0 also adds functions such as emoticon store, sweep, game center, WeChat payment (and a very practical collection function). The first is the expression shop, where users can choose various expressions to meet their visual communication needs. Secondly, you can scan bar codes, book and CD covers, street views and translate English words. Scanning bar codes, books and CD covers has become the entrance for users to check the purchased goods, sweep the street view and increase the interest of products. The third is the game center, where you can play games with friends. Hit the plane, an ordinary game, because of the existence of the friend list, this game spread like a virus on the first day of online.

Game is the first commercial project, and it is also the most successful commercial project at present. The plane war of 20 13 started the first shot of WeChat commercialization.

At first, Xiaolong only intended to make an animation of tank battle as the start page of 5.0, but at that time, I was playing with the game engine and made a trial of the airplane war. Xiaolong felt good after reading it, so let's try to make it more complete and interesting, so I pulled a small team to start doing it. We fought for more than a week and made four different versions almost every day with an all-night rhythm. Art, sound effects and gameplay were quickly changed over and over again after fierce pk. We even made a business plan.

The stability of airplane warfare is very important, because every user will play this little game first when starting WeChat. If something goes wrong, all users can't enter WeChat. At that time, my leader even told me that if there is a problem with stability, you can pack up and leave.

After a month of hard work, the plane battle finally achieved good results. When I went home that year, listening to the gunfire that kept "chirping" all the way was quite enjoyable.

If the game "Aircraft Wars" started the first shot of the commercialization of WeChat, then the "WeChat Payment" function that first appeared in this version officially opened the door to the commercialization of WeChat. By binding the bank card, one-click payment can be realized in the official WeChat account, QR code scanning and App, which meets the fast, convenient and safe mobile payment needs of users. The appearance of this payment method makes the profit modes such as paid game download, mobile shopping sharing and purchase fee expression on the WeChat game platform clearly visible.

On the eve of the 20 14 Spring Festival, the version of WeChat 5.2 was released, and the "New Year Red Packet" in the WeChat group showed the trend of brushing the screen, which became more and more intense with the arrival of the Spring Festival holiday. Users rushing to grab red envelopes in the WeChat group is not only the success of a social product, but also the outbreak of WeChat payment. In order to grab the red envelope, many users bind the savings card to WeChat payment, which makes the user growth of WeChat payment reach a climax. In the past Spring Festival, WeChat Pay may win new users with geometric growth in a short time.

This is a very successful product operation activity. The popularity of WeChat payment has enabled WeChat to quickly seize a large market share of "mobile Internet payment" from Alipay. In addition, WeChat payment also provides users and businesses with various mobile payment scenarios such as credit card payment, code scanning payment, WeChat official account payment and APP payment, and provides new marketing tools such as corporate red envelopes, vouchers and discounts.

Verb (abbreviation of verb) WeChat Ecology connects everything.

So far, the latest version of WeChat has reached 6.2.5. Since the release of version 6.0 on 20 14, 10 and 14, the update iteration speed of WeChat has gradually slowed down. Version 6.2 launched in May this year, in addition to the function of WeChat small video, its new content also includes WeChat campaign and expression open platform. Wechat campaign is a formal test of the hardware platform of WeChat. As an open platform of WeChat, the emoticon open platform is an integral part of WeChat.

Zhang Xiaolong, senior executive vice president of Tencent and president of WeChat business group, stressed, "We want to build an ecosystem based on WeChat, but we don't do things in the ecosystem ourselves. To put it simply, we want to build a forest, not a palace of our own. We want to cultivate an environment where all animals and plants can grow freely in the forest, not to build it. "

The official WeChat open ecosystem has involved WeChat payment, hardware open platform, public platform and enterprise number. Wechat is gradually evolving from a tool for communication between people to an ecosystem that connects people, hardware and services. By "connecting everything", it brings the extension of the human body, the improvement of production efficiency and the convenience of daily life.

Since the official launch of 20 1 1, 1, 2 1 wechat has been like a big net, connecting everyone with others more closely. Wechat clients use basic service functions such as voice calls, shaking, nearby people, small videos, and friends circle, so that geographical distance is no longer an obstacle for people to communicate.

At the same time, the launch of the public subscription number allows even the smallest individual to have his own brand. The emergence of a large number of self-media makes the production, distribution and consumption of general information get rid of the shackles of traditional printing technology and PC Internet, and the efficiency is significantly improved.

WeChat hardware platform is an IOT solution that connects people, enterprises/services and people, and connects things with people and things with things. Through the WeChat hardware platform, WeChat further tries to connect people, devices and services, so that the user experience is no longer limited to the present. Interconnection with smart hardware such as bracelets, televisions, air conditioners, and access to offline services such as Didi taxis and public comments have enabled WeChat to penetrate into every aspect of people's daily lives like water and electricity. "Connect everything" is becoming a reality.

On 2013165438+10/8, Tencent wechat held the first "wechat WeChat official account" partner communication meeting in Guangzhou. At the meeting, WeChat put forward the concept of "platformization, openness and self-help", indicating that the open system of WeChat has initially formed a framework. So far, WeChat open platforms include WeChat public platform, WeChat game platform, WeChat hardware open platform and WeChat emoticon open platform. In addition, a large number of offline service interfaces integrated by WeChat make WeChat payment a fulcrum and an important traffic portal for the mobile Internet. Now, when we enter the WeChat wallet, we can easily participate in public welfare undertakings through credit card transfer, mobile phone recharge, wealth management services through Licaitong, credit card repayment and WeChat public welfare; You can buy movie tickets, shop through the entrance mentioned by JD.COM and Murray, take a taxi through the entrance of Didi Travel, buy plane tickets and train tickets through the entrance of Ctrip Travel, and get various life services through the entrance of public comment; In addition, we can also pay water, electricity, coal, broadband, fixed telephone and other fees through the life payment service, and obtain public services such as medical care, traffic control, industry and commerce, justice and so on through the city service module ... An application of WeChat connects various services related to people's lives, which has already shown us what "WeChat is a way of life".