WeChat App Comes To Mac OS X


WeChat is getting bigger every day. While most of the messaging app related headlines this past week understandably had to do with Facebook’s massive acquisition of Whatsapp, WeChat has been making some serious headway.

The texting, voice-calling, video-calling, push-to-talk, social media combo app has one major flaw, it lacks any kind of respectable desktop app. That is about to change, for Mac users at least.

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The app, like WeChat’s current web service, uses secondary verification to sign in. Users will need to scan a QR code using their phone or tablet in order to sign in. What one is supposed to do if a cell phone gets lost or stolen isn’t clear.

Once inside, users can send texts, photos and emojis (but not the large complicated ones). WeChat’s more advance functions, like push to talk and video conferencing, do not seem to be included as of yet.

One nice feature, noted by TechinAsia, is its ability to silence WeChat notifications on users’ phones and tablets while in the app. For anyone who has dealt with the three chime song that can be Google Hangout notifications, this is a big deal.

The app works for Mac OSX 10.7 and above. No word yet on a Windows release but it is sure to be coming soon. You can download it here.

[Photo Credit: WeChat FB]
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8 Comments

  1. Johann von Schadowitz
    February 28, 2014

    WeChat is just another insecure Messenger.
    Those who want private communication should use XMPP with OTR-encryption (e.g. Android: Xabber or ChatSecure; PC: Pidgin) or TextSecure (released for Android; iOS and Desktop will follow).

  2. FelBJ
    February 28, 2014

    just tried it and it doesnt install on my silver lion… damned

  3. KL Wong
    February 28, 2014

    You’ve been able to do this for the longest time already using the browser on a PC. Not sure why I would want a dedicated desktop app since it seems as if it still involves scanning a bar code anyway, the same as doing it via the browser.

    • Fred
      February 28, 2014

      You can? Care to share?

  4. Johann von Schadowitz
    February 28, 2014

    WeChat is just another insecure Messenger.
    Those who want private communication should use XMPP with OTR-encryption (e.g. Android: Xabber or ChatSecure; PC: Pidgin) or TextSecure (released for Android; iOS and Desktop will follow).

  5. Guest
    February 28, 2014

    just tried it and it doesnt install on my silver lion… damned

  6. KL Wong
    February 28, 2014

    You’ve been able to do this for the longest time already using the browser on a PC. Not sure why I would want a dedicated desktop app since it seems as if it still involves scanning a bar code anyway, the same as doing it via the browser.

    • Fred
      February 28, 2014

      You can? Care to share?