Continuing yesterday’s post about VPNs and YouTube TV, today’s will be a bit more simple. As the Chinese government is rather strict about what information they allow their citizens and residents to access (aka, censorship), certain apps just won’t work without a VPN: Facebook, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, Netflix, anything from Google, Microsoft’s OneDrive …
Even with a VPN, depending on your internet connection speed, trying to make VoIP calls (Voice over Internet Protocol) may be difficult as the audio may be choppy; video calling may be even worse!
Enter WeChat, an app from a Chinese company that works great for messaging and making voice or video calls without a VPN. The app is free for Android and iOS and is pretty easy to use, once you get it installed and configured. It’s been a while since I installed it so I don’t remember all the steps, but do be sure to connect WeChat with your mobile phone number as it’s required. Don’t worry, you can still do everything over WiFi!
In China is seems pretty normal to use WeChat for everything communications related. That can be from sendings personal txts, conducting business, or continuing a conversation with someone you just share in a Didi ride. The app, once configured, gives you the ability to show a QR code on your screen that someone can scan using their phone to add you to their contacts list. Pretty simple, huh?
There’s another way to add people to your contacts list if you’re not physically located next to them: Find them via their username. Your username acts similarly as your email address or phone number in this case. And, if you’re truly a friend of mine, shoot me a message through email, txt, or FB messenger and I’ll send you over my WeChat username so you can add me and we can chat! (I’m not going to post such personal information that can easily be spammed on such a public forum…)
So, friends, go ahead already and install WeChat, add my username to your contacts list, and let’s txt/talk/video chat away!
Today’s word of the day: 手机 (手机), meaning cellphone.