WeChat, China’s leading social media platform, introduced its Live Photo feature in Moments, allowing users to share dynamic images with sound. Many users are digging into their albums for the perfect shots to post. This feature aims to enhance user engagement and support creative expression, making interactions more lively.

The Live Photo function enables users to select moving images from their photo albums, creating posts that are visually striking and rich in context. Users can also choose to disable the live effect if they prefer a mix of static and dynamic images. Once shared, Live Photos display a live circle effect, making them easily identifiable in feeds. This addition is expected to encourage greater creativity and variety in content shared on the platform.

Announced on September 19, this update is significant for younger users, who prioritize visually engaging content and dynamic storytelling. Many are excited to fill their Moments with Live Photos, reflecting a broader trend in social media where interactive and multimedia posts are becoming the norm. 

However, the feature is currently available only to iOS users with version 8.0.51 or later, leaving many Android users frustrated as they await access. This sentiment is reflected in online discussions, where Android users refer to themselves as “Android Girl” (“安卓妹”) and Apple users as “Apple Sister” (“苹果姐”), highlighting the disparity in updates.

The WeChat Pai (微信派) official account reassured Android users, stating, “Promise me, wait a little longer” (“答应我，再等等”). Despite this promise, the feature has yet to appear in the 8.0.53 beta version, leaving many Android users feeling excluded.

Unlike platforms like Weibo and Douyin, which have long enabled live photo posting, WeChat users have eagerly awaited this feature. It quickly became a hot topic on social media with many views and discussions, especially among younger users reviving old Live Photos. Captions for these Moments have gone viral on platforms like Douyin and Xiaohongshu, with phrases like “It’s live and it’s life” (“是live也是life”) capturing users’ enthusiasm.

The release of this new feature has also led to an increase in downloads for Wink, a video editing app by Meitu. Wink, with its AI-driven video beautification tools and the ability to convert images and videos into Live Photos, jumped to the third spot on the App Store in China. Its “Convert to Live” and “AI Animated Image” features have resonated with users eager to make their Moments posts more dynamic and visually engaging.

As WeChat rolled out the Live Photo feature, anticipation grows for Android users eager to join in. This update revitalizes the WeChat Moments function, transforming how users connect and share experiences. The impact of this innovation on social media interactions will be crucial to watch as the trend unfolds.

Banner image via Douyin.