A great social-messaging and calling app
WeChat is a free communication application that lets you connect with your friends and family. Designed for Windows, the program has many capabilities along with a social aspect that lets you discover and make new friends. WeChat supports one-on-one texting, group chats, multimedia sharing, and more. It also offers a few interesting features like LookAround and Moments, making it a mix of both social media and messaging platforms. The cross-platform app is also available on Android, IOS, and macOS devices.
What is WeChat used for?
Many applications let users connect with other people from around the world. However, these apps either focus on social media or on more convenient messaging. WeChat by Tencent offers a blend of both, bearing in mind not to overwhelm users. You can easily download the lightweight program on your PC, connect with family, friends, or even strangers, explore user profiles, share posts on the wall, and do much more!
Easy installation and setup
As soon as you complete the WeChat download, you can install it in a matter of minutes. From there, the setup is pretty straightforward and won’t take much time. However, to use the application on your PC, you need to install and login into your mobile application. Without it, you cannot authenticate the Windows app or get access to your media files or contact list.
To authenticate, you must open the QR scanner available within WeChat mobile and use it to scan the QR code visible on your desktop. The moment you log in, all information on WeChat mobile gets synced with your computer, and you can easily access all your messages, shared media, social pages, and more. You can also use the Windows app to create a backup and save all essential data on your computer.
Intuitive Interface
Once you get used to WeChat’s interface, you’ll find it to be quite efficient. The program opens to a home screen where all the contacts that use the application are listed. Tapping on their name will open up a window from where you can message or call them. In case you wish to add more people to the chat, you can do so by clicking on the face icon available on the top-right corner.
The inbuilt keyboard of the application also offers various functionalities. You can use it to record and send voice messages, add emoticons to your texts, and share images or videos. A great aspect of using WeChat from your Windows desktop is the program’s ability to let you send media, documents, and other files saved on your computer. Since all messages get mirrored on your phone, you can easily access them anywhere as well.
Multiple features
You can use the program for instant messaging with your contacts or use it to discover new people. When creating groups, you can connect with over 500 people in one go! Moreover, you can make chats more fun by sending stickers, GIFs, and emoticons. The program also lets you create posts and share them on other social media sites.
While WeChat offers various features, some of them are reserved for the mobile version. That said, these limitations don’t hamper the experience in any way. Features that are currently missing are video calls, WeChat Pay, real-time location, LookAround, and Shake (which connects you with people ‘shaking’ their phone at the same time as you).
Social media integration
When you download WeChat app on your Windows device, you can use it to create sharable posts for ‘Moments’ – a function similar to a Facebook wall. When posting images or videos, you can edit them from within the app using the filters category or available effects. Moreover, you have the option of sharing these posts on your other social accounts and deciding who in your contacts can or cannot view your posts.
Share media files from your PC
As mentioned earlier, the WeChat app lets you share files with your contacts directly from your computer. An addition to it is cloud storage, wherein you can drag and drop files on a chatbox from your phone and later download them on your computer. The software also offers a snapshot tool that lets you capture any part of your desktop screen, edit it, and send it to your contacts instantly!
Option to control your privacy
Though WeChat download offers various social media aspects that let you connect and talk with strangers, you can limit these capabilities easily from within the app. All you need to do is click on the Settings option and disable features that allow strangers to find and connect with you. In fact, you can disable any function of the app that you don’t like.
Is WeChat safe to use?
When you download WeChat on your Windows desktop, you can rest knowing that it’s completely safe. It works without any glitches and doesn’t slow down your computer either. The app is certified by TRUSTe, supports over 20 languages, including English, and can translate messages from your contacts as well as the posts available on Moments. However, to use the program, your phone, as well as your desktop, must have an active internet connection.
Are there any alternatives?
Since the world is more connected than ever before, many programs are similar to WeChat. Some of the alternatives that you can check out are WhatsApp, Telegram, Zoom, Skype, and Facebook Messenger. The latter is the only program that lets you play games with your contacts!
Should I download WeChat?
If you’re looking for either an instant messaging app that keeps your chats private or a social media application that lets you share posts and connect with strangers, you should download WeChat for Windows. However, to use the application, you will need to register and authenticate your login via your mobile phone. All in all, the program is an ideal choice to download.
