WeChat is kissing Windows Phones goodbye for now

WeChat, China’s biggest social media app, is one of the most used standalone messaging apps and boasts almost 950 million monthly users.

Today, users in China are depending on the app for everything from hailing a cab to paying their utility bills. But, bad news for Windows phone users as it looks like the app will no longer be available on those phones.  News reports suggest the removal is underway with users reporting error screen upon login urging them to download via iOS or Android stores.

Introduced back in 2011 by Internet VAS provider Tencent as a mobile messaging app, WeChat has grown in with new features and add-ons like mobile payments, video and stickers were introduced.

Bye-bye WeChat

This latest news doesn’t come as a surprise as Microsoft phones aren’t performing as well as other brands in terms of market share. App developers will be less likely to waste their time building availability of an additional store that users aren’t going to use.

What’s more worrisome is that more and more developers are ending support for Windows phones. Well Fargo and T-Mobile are only two of the company that recently announced they stopped supporting their Windows 10 Mobile apps.

Time will tell if Microsoft picks back up with its mobile business if plans to at least include gaming options will be enough to get app developers interested in offering builds for their platform again.

The good news on that front is that the Universal Windows Platform (UWP) is available for Windows 10. This core API will ensure functionality across devices should it become available.

Perhaps the upcoming Surface Phone and the new Windows 10 Mobile phones that will reportedly launch next year will reverse the decline in the number of Windows phone apps.

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• Will Tencent bring a UWP QQ or WeChat app to Windows 10?
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