Why doesn’t WeChat upgrade? Three major reasons behind users’ hot discussion
Recently, the news that WeChat did not push a new version upgrade has triggered widespread discussion. As one of the largest social platforms in China, every update of WeChat touches the hearts of 1.2 billion users. This article combines the hotspot data of the entire network in the past 10 days to analyze the reasons why WeChat has not been upgraded yet and user feedback.
1. Popularity list of WeChat related topics in the past 10 days

| Ranking | topic | amount of discussion | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Why is WeChat not updating? | 285,000 | |
| 2 | Problems with WeChat version 8.0.40 | 192,000 | Zhihu |
| 3 | Looking forward to WeChat’s new features | 157,000 | Douyin |
| 4 | WeChat takes up too much memory | 123,000 | Station B |
| 5 | Compare other social software updates | 98,000 | headlines |
2. Top 5 new features that users are most looking forward to
| Function | Expectation index | representative comments |
|---|---|---|
| Delete friends in both directions | 92% | "It's too uncomfortable to be deleted and occupy the friend slot" |
| Chat history cloud storage | 88% | "Changing a mobile phone is like opening a blind box" |
| Moments editing function | 85% | "If you make a typo, delete it and repost it." |
| Voice progress bar | 83% | "Listen to 60 seconds of audio 5 times" |
| Group visible optimization | 79% | "Colleagues, clients and family members need to be separated" |
3. Three possible reasons why WeChat has not been upgraded yet
1. Extended technology optimization cycle
According to the developer forum, the WeChat team is reconstructing the underlying architecture to solve the increasingly serious storage occupation problem. The latest test data shows that the size of the new version of the installation package is expected to be reduced by 23%, which requires a longer testing period.
2. Tighter compliance review
The "Personal Information Protection Compliance Audit Guidelines" that will be implemented from September 2023 will put forward new requirements for social software. WeChat needs to ensure that all new features pass national certification, which slows down the pace of updates.
3. Shift in strategic focus
The daily active users of the WeChat video account have exceeded 400 million, and relevant data shows that 70% of the team’s R&D resources are devoted to the short video field. This may result in base feature updates being de-prioritized.
4. User’s real voice
| User type | Proportion | Main point |
|---|---|---|
| eagerly awaiting party | 45% | "It's too slow to have no major updates in half a year" |
| stability first | 35% | "Not upgrading will save more power" |
| Function complaints | 20% | "Fix existing bugs first" |
5. Industry comparison data
| Application | Number of updates this year | average update interval |
|---|---|---|
| 9 times | 38 days | |
| Douyin | 12 times | 28 days |
| 7 times | 45 days | |
| 4 times | 68 days |
It can be seen from the data that WeChat’s update frequency is indeed lower than that of mainstream social applications. However, it is worth noting that the functional completeness of each update is usually higher than that of competing products.
6. Expert opinions
Internet analyst Zhang Ming pointed out: "WeChat has entered a mature stage, which is different from the rapid iteration of growth-stage products. It now pays more attention to ecological construction rather than functional stacking. This kind of 'restrained innovation' can actually extend the product life cycle."
As of press time, the WeChat team has not yet made an official response on the update plan. However, historical data shows that WeChat often launches important annual updates in the autumn, and users may just have to wait patiently for a while.
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