At the eleventh hour, bans on both WeChat and TikTok have been halted in U.S. court rooms following legal challenges. A group called the U.S. WeChat Users alliance has successfully persuaded a judge to stop President Trump banning the app from U.S. app stoers and cutting off its payment functions.

A hearing on Tiktok will be held on September 27 to decide the immediate fate of the app after the company took the administration to court. But what is being proposed, and what could it mean for users?

How did we get here?

Since late last year, there have been murmurings and warnings from U.S. officials over concerns about apps from Chinese companies being used in America. TikTok was specifically named by US Senators as a "potential counter-intelligence threat" as early as October 2019. Since then, TikTok's popularity has exploded thanks to the global pandemic. A lot of what's happening could also be seen as fallout from the US-China trade war, which has included sanctions on companies like Huawei.

In July Secretary Mike Pompeo said the U.S. was considering a ban on TikTok "and other Chinese social media apps", the first hint that apps other than TikTok, like WeChat, might be affected.

By August, reports from the administration stated that the government was ramping up its efforts to purge "untrusted" Chinese apps from digital networks. Both TikTok and WeChat were described as "significant threats." Soon after, the president signed two separate executive order banning "transactions" with both apps, with clarification as to what exactly that meant to come later.

Which apps are under threat?

As you might have guessed, TikTok and WeChat. TikTok is a worldwide phenomenon. A massively popular short-form video app where people share videos of skits, dances, music, and any else you can possibly think of. In March it peaked at around 2 billion downloads globally.

WeChat is a Chinese app that started life as a messaging service back in 2011. Now, it is used by more than a billion users in China for payments, e-commerce, utility bills, booking taxis, and more. It has more than 200 million users outside of China. From our previous explainer:

Why are they being banned?

Both TikTok and WeChat, rightly or wrongly, are seen by the Trump administration as threats to national security. From the executive order pertaining to tikTok:

The order also reports concerns about censorship of politically sensitive material like protests in Hong Kong or the treatment of Uyghur Muslims in China. The order says that it was also used to spread COVID-19 conspiracy theories.

Similarly, the order pertaining to WeChat says that it also collects "vast swaths of information" which allows the Chinese Communist Party access to Americans' personal and proprietary information." The order also claims the CCP uses WeChat to capture information and monitor Chinese citizens when they visit America.

When will the ban take effect?

Note: Edited following legal challenges to both bans.

Well, that depends on which app you're talking about, as the timelines for each app have now diverged. Here's what we know:

Restrictions on both apps were supposed to take effect on Sunday, September 20. The full force of all restrictions listed against WeChat were scheduled to go into effect from September 20 but a U.S. District court judge stayed the ban pending a lawsuit that argues that banning WeChat is unconstitutional because it infringes on U.S. citizen's freedom of speech by limiting their ability to choose how to communicate with friends and family that live in China.

A ban is due to take effect against TikTok from Sunday, September 27. It was stayed by one week over reports of a deal to sell TikTok to U.S. company Oracle. Like WeChat, this ban is also being challenged in court and may well end up being halted.

What happens to both apps in phase 1?

With regard to both TikTok and WeChat the Department of Commerce is explicitly clear. In the first phase of the ban, both WeChat and TikTok were supposed to be "de-platformed" in the U.S. This means that both apps will disappear from the iOS App Store and Google Play Store for Android, as both Apple and Google are not allowed to distribute these apps in the U.S.

This won't affect anyone who already has either app downloaded, but it will make it impossible to update these apps in the future to access new features or security updates.

What will happen to WeChat?

As noted, the full force of the ban was supposed to impact WeChat straight away, but we don't know when this will be now that it has been held up in court. Not only is WeChat due to be removed from app stores, but the provision of services through WeChat mobile for the purpose of transferring funds or processing payments will also be prohibited. This means that users will not be able to send money or make payments using WeChat in the U.S.

The Department of Commerce has also said that companies in the U.S. will be prohibited from providing the app with Internet hosting, content delivery network service, internet transit or peering services, and utilization of the mobile application's code, functions or services within the U.S.

So, will WeChat stop working if it is banned?

Not quite.

As noted by Forbes:

Johnson notes that the only way to stop WeChat working entirely in the U.S. would be to ban internet traffic to WeChat IP ranges. He did note that, as with TikTok, being unable to update the app would erode the user experience and security of WeChat over time.

WeChat's owner, Tencent, has also stated that it is seeking a long-term solution with U.S. officials, but did not give any indication as to how these restrictions would affect the app. It may be that we need to wait for the restrictions to take effect to understand their full extent.

So what about TikTok?

Like WeChat, the Department of Commerce has also targeted TikTok with the same set of restrictions laid out above. The only difference is the planned effective date, November 12. As with WeChat, it is unlikely that TikTok will stop working on November 12, save a change to the orders banning all internet traffic to TikTok IP ranges.

The change to TikTok as of September 27 if banned will be minimal, and will pass by unnoticed to those who already have the app installed on their phone. The only difference will be that new users (or users who have deleted the app) will not be able to download it onto their phones. If you want to keep using TikTok, you best be quick about it.

What can TikTok do?

Whilst the government has made no provision for WeChat to get around these orders. It does explicitly state that if TikTok can resolve the "national security concerns" it poses by November 12, these prohibitions may be lifted. This resolution would likely come in the form of a sale and acquisition, whereby parent company ByteDance would sell its U.S. TikTok operation to a U.S. company. Both Microsoft and Oracle have been tipped as potential buyers, however, a deal is yet to materialize. The ban was pushed back by a week after reports emerged that TikTok had agreed a deal with Oracle.

Will there be any challenges to these orders?

Yes, and there already are. A group called the U.S. WeChat Users Alliance has gone to court over the executive order. On September 20, a Judge said that there was "scant little evidence" that banning WeChat for all U.S. users would address national security concerns about China, and that there were "obvious alternatives" to a complete ban. A lengthy court battle is likely to follow.

TikTok has also taken the Trump administration to court, asking a judge to stop the proposed ban. The government has responded to this, and a hearing will take place September 27 to decide TikTok's immediate fate.

Summing up

Both TikTok and WeChat were supposed to disappear from app stores in the U.S. from September 20, but respectives orders banning both have now met legal challenges.

If they are enacted WeChat will no longer support sending money or making payments. Companies in the U.S. will also be barred from providing WeChat with Internet hosting services, content delivery, and internet transit to the app, however, this won't necessarily stop the app working.

The same set of internet hosting restrictions will be applied to TikTok later, however as with WeChat, timelines are now very unclear because of legal restrictions holding up the ban. TikTok may also be able to avert restrictions if it can secure an acquisition deal that would satisfy the administration's security concerns.

If banned, both would be removed from app stores in the U.S., and current users would see their experience erode over time without access to updates.

WeChat has officially made its popular messaging app available on the Windows Store for Windows 10 PC users. WeChat is widely used most in parts of Asia, including China.

Here's a quick look at the app's features

• Send text, photos, files messages and playback audio messages in chats.
• View Sight, animated stickers and real-time location shared by friends.
• Search articles from Official Accounts.
• Designed for the Windows 10 Universal Platform.

While WeChat is a Windows 10 UWP app, officially it does not yet support Windows 10 Mobile. Also, as noted by MSPU, the app doesn't as yet allow users to create new WeChat accounts.

Download WeChat from the Windows Store

A recently posted slide from a Microsoft presentation shows that Tencent might launch a Windows 10 Mobile UWP QQ or WeChat app after all, even though Tencent stated they had no such plans.

The news comes from Microsoft's Channel 9 site, which posted the slides from the company's WinHEC partner event in China that was held in late April. One presentation on Windows Ink (via Neowin) included a slide showing how Microsoft's pen solution for Windows 10 could be used on Tencent's QQ and WeChat messaging clients; those apps have yet to be released.

Tencent previously said QQ would be coming to Windows 10 Mobile but later backtracked, stating in January 2016 that those plans had been canceled due to what the company said was the declining use of the Windows Phone platform. Hopefully we will get a clearer picture on Tencent's plans for Windows 10 in the near future.

The popular messaging app WeChat for Windows Phone was updated today. Version 6.0.2.1 includes a way for users to record and send short video messages to friends. The app's last big update was in December, which revamped the user interface.

Here's what's new in this update, according to the store listing:

• Sight: Take a short video and share it with friends in a chat or via Moments
• Tags: Add tags to contacts and search them quickly

Both of these new features should be highly popular for the many users of WeChat for Windows Phone. Let us know your thoughts on the new release in the comments.

• Download WeChat from the Windows Phone Store

Razer has confirmed that its up and coming Nabu wearable will integrate with the WeChat messaging service. Not only that, but there's a mention of possible Windows Phone support. The wearable is attempting to bind together both the smartwatch and fitness band, offering consumers a single product to carry out multiple tasks. The band itself is set to debut in China, before heading to the US and other targeted markets. As previously touched on, the retail price is expected to be less than $100.

It remains to be seen just how good the Nabu will be, but it's an interesting concept, nonetheless. The added WeChat integration is just another feature which makes the product further stand out prior to its launch. The company is also exploring unique gestures like exchanging contact details by simply waving or through a handshake, not to mention offering an open platform and considering Windows Phone support.

Would you like to see the Razer Nabu be compatible with Windows Phone? Let us know your thoughts in the comments, as well as if you managed to get into the testing phase or not.

Source: Re/Code, via: The Next Web

It's a busy Friday in the world of Microsoft. We've just covered the finalization of Microsoft's acquisition of Nokia, but developers have also been busy pushing out updates to the Windows Phone Store. Today we'll be checking out what's new in Pepper, WeChat, among other apps.

Pepper

Pepper is a sweet app for music fans, available on both Windows Phone and Windows 8. The app for the mobile platform has just been bumped to version 1.7.8, introducing some new features to take advantage of Windows Phone 8.1, as well as some other bits and pieces.

Here's the full change log:

• Support for transparent tile in wp8.1 - Settings -> Device -> Tile
• Support for the UK app challenge.
• Support for links to instagram, pinterest, tumblr and bandcamp have been added to artist, venue and promoter profiles.

As well as the above list, there are also a handful of bug fixes included, mainly covering database synchronization and optimizing some features. Currently, Pepper supports the UK and the US.

• Download Pepper (3MB – free)

WeChat

WeChat is a popular communication and social networking app available for both Windows Phone 7 and 8. The service is generally seen to be more popular in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Southeast Asia and India, though boasts over 300 million users spread around the globe. Today, the Windows Phone app has been updated with some changes.

Here's what is new in version 5.1.3:

• Specify your exact location while sharing location data
• Be notified when you're mentioned in a group chat
• Save video message to your device

We recommend you check out WeChat if you're looking for a new messaging service to use.

• Download WeChat (25MB – free)

eBay

Wait, eBay has been updated again? That's right, folks. We covered a rather large bump to the official Windows Phone app only yesterday, but already we've seen a minor release be published to the store just hours later.

Here's what is new in version 1.21.0.0:

• Improved notifications
• Fixed a problem with special characters in passwords
• Other bug fixes

We'd strongly urge everyone to update if you haven't set everything up to auto-download.

• Download eBay (2MB – free)

Odds and ends

It's not just the major updates we cover in these roundups. Be sure to check out the following minor releases:

• 6sec (2.0.1.0)
• Baconit (3.0.0.215)
• Clock Hub (1.2.0.22)
• OneShot (4.0.1.0)
• Poki (1.1.5.0)

Head on over to our forum to share what updates you've discovered.

The popular Windows Phone app WeChat has been updated to version 4.5.2. So what's been added since we last looked at the app back in July? Quite a fair bit actually. You can chat with friends in a walkie talkie session, search through chat history and more. There's no groundbreaking functionality that will blow your mind away, but there's enough included to keep the experience feeling fresh and updated.

Joining the walkie talkie and history search, WeChat also now sports the ability to locate nearby friends with the new "Hold Together" feature, which also enables you to add new folks easily. Finally, double tapping a message will view said content in full screen for that added immersion. As noted above, we've covered WeChat in the past and strongly recommend you all check the Windows Phone version out.

Should you wish to add yet another messaging app to your collection, you can download WeChat from the Windows Phone Store for free (available for both Windows Phone 7 and 8). Thanks, afgzee, for the tip!

WeChat is a popular communication and social networking app that is available for both Windows Phone 7.x and 8 users. The platform is most popular in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and India boasting over 300 million users spread around the globe. The company started in China, but has recently been working hard to expand its international membership using brand ambassadors like Lionel Messi. The latest update for Windows Phone helps close the feature gap compared to Android and iOS. Let’s check it out.

The last big update for WeChat took place in early February. Back then we gained free HD calls, support for video messages, and the ability to play audio messages in handset mode to keep them private. That update was to version 4.0, so what do we get in 4.1? This is what:

• Invite your friends to a WeChat group chat via QR code
• Support sending multiple images
• Navigate to your friend’s location
• Easy to cancel voice messages sending
• Click “+” to send screenshots quickly
• Support setting font size on chat page
• Support for Thai and Portuguese

At this point in time there are more chat apps and messaging platforms than most of us can keep track of. You’ll of course be using the one where most of your friends are on. So for all you folk using WeChat what do you make of this latest update? Anything else it still needs? One advantage is that this app is available for nearly any platform you can think of – iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Symbian, Blackberry OS and yes, even BB10.

Grab WeChat for any Windows Phone by going to the Store, using the QR code below, or swiping to the right in our app. 

Thanks for the tip Er. Akshat and afgzee!

The popular mobile communication and social networking app WeChat has been updated to version 4.0. The Windows Phone client has been bumped to include further support for Windows Phone 8, Microsoft's latest mobile platform. Already available for Windows Phone 7.5, WeChat can now be utilised by those running new or legacy hardware.

The cross-platform service provides users with text, voice notes, images, videos, location data and more. WeChat also provides a private, group-based photo sharing network for images and more - think of Rooms in Windows Phone 8. All that's required to get going is a phone number and you're then able to use the service - pretty neat. 

So what's new in version 4.0 for Windows Phone 8? According to the app description:

• Free HD video calls.
• Support for video messages: record a video and share it with your friends or loved ones.
• Play audio messages in Handset Mode to keep your messages private.

You can download WeChat from the Windows Phone Store. There aren't any advertisements located within the app, which is a nice touch. Thanks, afgzee, for the tip!