WeChat has released a new application to allow users to share with their friends.
One of the top mobile communication apps in India, WeChat, has announced that it is now giving its users the ability to use QR codes to share their digital identities through that program, as well as through email and Facebook.
This works as a kind of calling or business card that will let users share their data with others.
For example, by scanning the unique QR codes, the user’s entire identity – as created by them on their profile – can be shared in a much faster, easier, and more convenient way than the traditional exchange of user names, email addresses and mobile phone numbers. Scanning the barcode provides all of the information that the user wants to share in a single snap.
These QR codes can share a WeChat identity on iPhone, Android, and Windows devices.
To help to promote the use of these QR codes among users in India, WeChat has been using contests to spread the word and make the use of the barcodes more fun. The most recent promotion encouraged users of the app to post their barcodes on their Facebook profiles, and to scan those that have been posted by their friends on that social network.
The users who scanned the largest number of QR codes were entered into a contest to win an iPhone 5, an iPad 3, a Google Nexus 7, or one of a number of other gift vouchers. So far, the response to the contest has been considerable, as over 10,000 users had already added their unique barcodes onto their social network pages.
Some users were even seen to have made their QR codes the profile pics on their Facebook accounts. This was done in the hopes that they would achieve a maximum number of scans, to increase their odds of winning a prize. The technique provides a hassle free way to exchange information without having to remember or type any data.
According to the Head of International Product Center for the company, Dennis Hau, “At WeChat, we believe in offering our users innovative and fun ways to connect with the world. The concept of personal customized QR codes has found huge popularity globally.”