Top 10 most popular social networking platforms in China

Tantan

Tantan is a social networking application based on big data with smart recommendation and a new mode of interaction. It calculates and matches people in accordance with users' personal information, location and hobbies to help them meet new friends who have favorable impressions on each other.

Tantan was launched in June 2014. As of February 2015, it registered more than one million users. On February 23, 2018, MOMO announced that it had finalized an agreement with Tantan and its shareholders were to acquire 100 percent of the shares of Tantan Limited through the issuance of stocks and cash.

Weibo

Weibo, short for Micro Blog in Chinese, is a type of a blog, a broadcast-style social networking platform that shares short and live information through the mechanism of subscription. Users can set up a personal community through various clients such as WEB and WAP, and then they can update information, thus realizing instant sharing. Weibo's subscription mechanism is divided into one-way and two-way. As a sharing and communication platform, Weibo attaches great attention to timeliness and randomness. Micro blog service providers (in China) are generally Sina, Tencent, Netease, and Sohu. If not otherwise specified, Weibo refers to Sina Weibo.

Weixin/WeChat

Launched in 2011, WeChat has been enhancing the lives of hundreds of millions users with its innovative features. The platform integrates instant messaging and social entertainment, bringing about a mobile digital lifestyle on an easy-to-use app. Users get to engage in real-time communications via free text and multimedia messages, make video calls or share photos on their “Moments”. Other lifestyle recreational functions include “Games”, “Sticker Gallery”, and convenient friend-adding services such as “Shake” and “People Nearby”. Continuously evolving around users' needs, WeChat also offers enterprises “Official Accounts” to create original consumer experiences through its open platform and extended services such as WeChat Pay for a truly mobile digital lifestyle.

WeChat reached more than 938 million monthly active user accounts as of the first quarter of 2017. WeChat has evolved into a connector and open platform across industries, connecting users with one another, with smart devices and business services.

QQ

QQ is an instant messaging (IM) platform for PC and mobile, and has become the one of the most popular social platforms for young Chinese users with its diversified functions and services. QQ allows its users to communicate with each other through text, video, pictures and stickers, as well as decorate their personalized avatars, chatting bubbles and profile photo widgets. QQ also introduces CM Show, which delivers tailor-made interactive experience for youngsters, in addition to comics, literature and games. Additionally, users can access QQ wallet and experience innovative mobile payment including mobile top-up, online shopping and bank transfer. As of the first quarter of 2017, QQ had 861 million monthly active user accounts and more than 266 million people were using QQ simultaneously.

Qzone

Launched in 2005, Qzone is the largest social networking platform in China. It allows users to upload photos, post videos and live streaming, write blogs, keep diaries, play games, and decorate their own space. “Canary Yellow Diamond” users can, among other privileges, change the background of their own space for free. As one of the core features, Qzone Album records peak daily uploads of 650 million photos and total uploads of 2 trillion photos. As of the first quarter of 2017, Qzone had 632 million monthly active user accounts.