Mini Programs: The apps inside apps that make WeChat so powerful

Mini programs are lightweight apps that run inside another app (like WeChat, Baidu or Alipay). They don’t need to be downloaded or upgraded through app stores. They make it possible for one app to perform the service of many apps add up.

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Mini Programs: The apps inside apps that make WeChat so powerful

Julianna Wu

Published: 7:11pm, 27 Feb 2019Updated: 8:09am, 20 Sep 2019

This article originally appeared on ABACUS

You’ll be amazed by how much a single app can do in China. WeChat, for instance, is supposed to be a messaging app. But you can also order food, pay bills, edit photos, play games or test the quality of your sleep.

It’s not because WeChat’s maker decided to program all of these things into the app. It’s because WeChat has “mini programs” -- little downloadable apps from other developers that live inside WeChat.

The idea isn’t entirely new. There’s Google’s Instant App, Facebook’s “Instant Games”, even the iMessage apps inside Apple’s iOS.

But it’s inside WeChat where the power of mini programs is truly seen. It began in late 2016, when WeChat creator Allen Zhang revealed that his team is testing a new function called mini programs. Zhang described these mini “apps” as highly accessible and efficient, allowing users to open them and leave them easily, without having to install or uninstall.

On January 9, 2017 (coincidentally, the tenth anniversary of the iPhone’s unveiling), WeChat’s mini programs were officially made available to users.

They can be found by scanning QR code or searching for keywords inside WeChat’s own mini program store -- effectively, an app store inside an app. Each is smaller than 10MB, allowing them to download and install quickly.