In China, WeChat is a part of everyday life, taking on a role that combines Facebook, LinkedIn, iMessage, Slack and Skype

Those who are trying to understand WeChat’s role in Chinese life may ask questions like, is WeChat the Facebook of China? But Zara Zhang says that’s the wrong question to ask. WeChat takes on a combination of tools that Americans use, and Zhang writes that its role in Chinese life offers important lessons for technology in the U.S. Zhang writes: “There is simply no U.S. equivalent of WeChat, which is really more of a lifestyle app centered around chat than merely a messaging app. … It will take more than adding a new features to get the kind of loyalty that WeChat has. WeChat should be understood as less of an app and more as a way of life.”