QQ was once the most popular instant messaging service in China. Launched in 1999 by Tencent, it quickly gained widespread popularity due to its free messaging and social features. At QQ’s peak in the early 2000s, it had over 1 billion registered users. However, with the rise of WeChat and other newer messaging apps, QQ’s user base has declined in recent years. So do people still use QQ in 2023? Let’s take a closer look.
QQ’s History and Popularity
QQ began life as OICQ in 1999. The name stood for Open ICQ, reflecting the service’s origins as a clone of the popular ICQ instant messaging app. In 2001, the service was rebranded as QQ. Some key milestones in QQ’s growth include:
| Year | User Milestone |
|---|---|
| 2001 | 100 million registered users |
| 2004 | 400 million registered users |
| 2005 | 717 million active user accounts |
| 2008 | Over 1 billion registered users |
As these figures show, QQ experienced tremendous growth in its early years, becoming the dominant instant messaging service in China within less than a decade of its launch.
Several factors contributed to QQ’s widespread adoption during this period:
– It was one of the first free messaging services in China. This allowed it to tap into a massive market of internet users who previously had limited online communication options.
– It offered social features like custom avatars, online games, music, and virtual items – making it more engaging than basic messaging services.
– Tencent bundled QQ with other popular software and offerings to drive installation and sign-ups.
– Network effects – people used it because their friends used it. This self-reinforcing cycle led to exponential growth.
By the late 2000s, QQ had achieved an over 80% share of China’s instant messaging market. It had become deeply ingrained in Chinese digital culture and everyday life.
The Rise of WeChat
QQ’s dominance started to erode with the launch of WeChat by Tencent in 2011. WeChat (known as Weixin in China) offered messaging and social media features similar to WhatsApp and Facebook. It quickly caught on with bothmessaging and social media features similar to WhatsApp and Facebook. It quickly caught on with both a younger demographic.
Some key developments in WeChat’s rise include:
| Year | WeChat Milestone |
|---|---|
| 2012 | 100 million registered users |
| 2013 | 300 million registered users |
| 2014 | 500 million monthly active users |
| 2017 | Nearly 1 billion monthly active users |
WeChat surpassed QQ in monthly active users in 2013. By 2017, it had become the dominant messaging app in China. Some of the factors behind WeChat’s successful takeover from QQ include:
– Broader platform offering, including social media, payments, e-commerce etc. This increased engagement and made WeChat a “super app”.
– Greater appeal to younger internet users in China, who preferred WeChat’s modern featureset.
– Superior mobile experience compared to the aging QQ platform.
– Integration with other popular Tencent services and brands like JD.com.
While QQ lost its leadership position, it still retained a large user base. But the tide had clearly shifted in favor of WeChat.
QQ’s User Base Today
So what is the size of QQ’s current active user base in 2023? Tencent has stopped reporting detailed user figures, but third-party estimates suggest:
– There are around 300 million active QQ accounts today.
– Monthly active users are likely around 200 million.
– About 50-80 million users log into QQ daily.
So while QQ is no longer dominant, it still boasts a sizeable user base. Some characteristics of QQ’s current users include:
| User Group | Details |
|---|---|
| Middle-aged and older users | Many users above age 30 have used QQ for over a decade and remain active, especially outside China’s urban centers. |
| Nostalgic younger users | Some younger Chinese maintain a QQ account for nostalgic reasons or to connect with older relatives. |
| Corporate accounts | Many Chinese companies maintain corporate QQ accounts for internal communication. |
| Gamers | QQ has an integrated gaming platform with millions of users. |
While WeChat dominates messaging and social media, QQ still retains niches in the gaming, corporate, and older demographics. Tencent continues updating it with new features and content integrations to serve this loyal user base.
Reasons People Still Use QQ
Here are some of the main reasons why QQ retains a large base of active users even with the rise of WeChat:
– **Nostalgia**: QQ was the messaging app for an entire generation of Chinese internet users. They have fond memories from years of using it to keep in touch with friends and family. While they may use WeChat more now, they can’t bring themselves to quit QQ entirely.
– **Gaming and entertainment**: QQ has a big gaming user base and also integrates streaming, anime, manga and other entertainment options that some users still like.
– **Corporate use**: Many companies maintain internal QQ groups for communication and collaboration. Employees may use WeChat in their personal lives but still be required to use QQ at work.
– **Connections with older demographics**: Young people often maintain QQ accounts to stay in touch with older relatives who use QQ but haven’t transitioned to WeChat.
– **Greater anonymity**: QQ allows more anonymity than WeChat, since it doesn’t require real name or phone number verification. Some users value this aspect.
– **Lightweight app**: The QQ app has lower memory and performance requirements than feature-rich WeChat. This makes it popular on lower-end smartphones and in rural areas.
So in essence, nostalgia, entertainment integrations, corporate use, connections with older groups, anonymity, and a lightweight app allow QQ to still serve niches not fully met by WeChat.
QQ’s Future Prospects
What does the future look like for QQ in light of WeChat’s dominance? Some projections include:
– **Declining user base**: QQ’s user base will likely continue declining gradually in coming years as older generations migrate to WeChat. But Tencent will fight to retain users through new features.
– **Demographic shift**: QQ’s audience will keep skewing towards older, rural and niche demographics as younger urban users prefer WeChat.
– **Gaming focus**: Gaming and entertainment integrations will become an even bigger focus area and potential growth opportunity.
– **International expansion**: Tencent may promote QQ’s lighter app abroad to compete with WhatsApp and Messenger in developing markets.
– **Monetization**: QQ will aim to generate more revenue from premium entertainment offerings, in-app purchases, and advertising. Messaging will take a backseat.
So while QQ has passed its peak, reports of its death are greatly exaggerated. Tencent will aim to maximize its value by extracting revenue from niche demographics. QQ is unlikely to reclaim messaging leadership in China, but it still commands a sizeable legacy audience. The iconic brand retains nostalgia and value for Tencent, even as WeChat leads the future.
Conclusion
QQ was once undisputed king of China’s messaging and social media world. But the rise of WeChat in recent years displaced QQ from that leadership position. Despite this decline, QQ still boasts around 200 million monthly active users in China – a substantial base.
Key demographics like older generations, corporate users, gamers, entertainment seekers, and those valuing anonymity continue to use QQ actively today. Nostalgia, lighter app size, and entertainment integrations also work in QQ’s favor.
While QQ is unlikely to reclaim the dominance it once enjoyed, Tencent seems committed to maximizing its value. It will aim to extract revenue from QQ’s legacy user base through premium content and advertising, even as overall user numbers gradually decline. By focusing the product more narrowly on entertainment and gaming, Tencent can keep QQ relevant even in WeChat’s shadow.
So in summary – yes, hundreds of millions still actively use QQ in 2023. It retains a niche in the Chinese internet landscape due to its strong brand legacy and audience loyalty. But its glory days as China’s top messaging app have faded in WeChat’s wake. QQ is now a secondary product focused on monetizing older and entertainment-oriented demographics. Its continued usage reflects both Tencent’s marketing efforts and Chinese internet users’ fondness for this historic brand.