WeChat’s “easy mode” now allows its users to click a text message to hear a voice reading, to improve the usability of WeChat for elders or those who are visually impaired. The function is available on Android and iOS on the latest WeChat update.
Why it matters
With the rapid development of digital society, issues surrounding the elderly being left behind are becoming more prominent. ln December 2020, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of China required 43 of the most used applications to take the lead in adapting to the needs of elderly users, including WeChat, Taobao, Douyin (China’s TikTok), and Tencent Maps. The audio function for text messages is just one aspect of WeChat’s ongoing age-friendly transformation plan.
Context
WeChat launched the “easy mode” in September 2021. Compared to the normal mode, users can have access to larger font sizes, sharper colors and bigger buttons.
WeChat Pay has also launched priority connection and one-to-one specialized service for elderly users aged 60 and above in order to fully implement the age-friendly transformation plan, which has served elderly users over one million times to date.
