The messaging giant is now able to track footfall in China's largest cities.
WeChat heatmap Image: WeChat |
WeChat rolled its new service out over National Day and provided subscribers with real time heatmaps of the region's busiest locations.
Details from the areas such as Tiananmen Square, Wangfunjing Market and Nanjing Road, helped users avoid the Golden Week crowds.
Although the vastly popular service didn't reveal exactly how it produces these maps, with over 600m monthly active users, it most likely calculates the location of individuals using the WeChat mobile app to create the detailed maps.
Alongside the birdseye view heatmap comes a handy chart that records historic footfall in certain areas throughout the day, allowing users to avoid busy periods. The new functionality is being piloted across the country for the app's Mandarin users only.
The app is a milestone in using Big Data for public services as well as smartphone functionalities. Even the head of Facebook's popular Messenger app has looked to the company for inspiration.