AppMess Review: QQ Messenger

The most popular application of Chinese company Tencent has recently occupied the top spot in terms of the number of active users. Despite the fact that this rating raised many questions, such statistics does express volumes.

QQ is predominantly used in China. Many people from the Western world, as well as from the post-Soviet territory know almost nothing about this app, which is why we are going to break it down for you.

Messenger background:

• QQ was engineered and designed by Tencent
• The app was initially called QICQ because the app’s interface was virtually the same as that of ICQ
• According to Tencent company data, the app’s number of users is close to 317 million people. 167 million of them are actually citizens of China. This statistics is often criticized because many users are known to have two or more app accounts
• The official app’s source code is closed, but local developers decided to study the messenger’s protocol after all and began putting together unofficial clients. Their source code is open and, according to users, this is a sign of the client being more secure and functional. Moreover, the unofficial software hides ads. Experience has shown that these clients have some drawbacks of their own. Once QQ’s protocol is updated, many of the aforementioned clients stop working and require refining. To date, the following modifications of the app have proven their operating capabilities: Adium, Miranda IM, Pidgim, Kopete, Empathy
• Tencent has translated the app into English. The new version of the official client is called QQ International
• The messaging app has a web-version and is also available on iOS, Android, Blackberry and OS X
• With QQ you can exchange text messages, audio and video files, as well as other formats
• The app has its own data storage, which is why users can upload only small files to the server
• Make calls to other QQ users and landlines, but the call rates to regular phones can be a little steep
• QQ also lets users make video calls
• Create public chats and invite your friends to join them
• Enjoy a collection of emojis
• QQ’s communication style is texting. Users are welcome to use emojis, but their impact on the body of the text isn’t as significant as the case is with Snapchat, for example
• The app gives you quick camera access and the ability to transfer photos
• Photo editing is not supported in QQ
• QQ uses push notifications that can be configured or disabled in the settings menu
• The app displays advertisement. It cannot be disabled, but as we have said earlier, unofficial versions of the app can rid you of unwanted ads
• No message encryption. The messenger uses only one security protocol
• Use the app on smartphones, tablets and personal computers
• Each user gets a personal ID number upon registration, which can be used to access the app from any device.
• Fill out your profile page upon registration (optional)
• Set or select a status (network or profile) to convey your current condition
• Tencent has specifically designed a translator for QQ and QQ International
• Share your location with other users
• QQ highlights links posted in chats, but doesn’t provide a preview
• You can also invite friends via your social media accounts
• The messenger does not let you edit messages. In addition, they can only be deleted from a single client

App–related events:

• Antivirus software defines in-app ads as adware. To tell you the truth, the first unofficial client was developed with the specific goal of ridding users of annoying banners
• In 2004, one of Tencent’s services (QQ Games) started blocking all mentions of the Senkaku Islands (subject of a territorial dispute between Japan and China). Later on, these filters sparked a serious debate, as a result of which the company removed the restriction
• QQ and its developer are often accused of plagiarism, and rightly so. To recap, QQ’s first look was a lot like ICQ. The app’s current appearance is practically an exact copy of Windows Live Messenger
• Users often complain about bugs in both versions of the application. Users can’t delete group chats in QQ’s original version. The problem is that they receive incorrect security codes and, consequently, cannot delete their own groups. QQ International has an app-closing error. If you’re getting it too, it is because you first downloaded the app’s Chinese version and then you switched to the English one