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An everything app is the everything bagel of the app world. It contains a little bit of everything you need for everyday life, all wrapped up in a single (delicious?) package. These apps have numerous popular features and are indispensable in the daily lives of millions of users worldwide.
While they may not have caught on in North America yet, apps like WeChat, Line and KakaoTalk have millions (or even billions) of users across Asia who rely on them for everything from grocery shopping to stock portfolio management.
What exactly is an everything app and how can your business use these apps to its advantage? Let's get into it.
Bonus: Read the step-by-step guide to social media strategy with professional tips for expanding your social media presence.
What is an everything app?
An everything app (sometimes called a “super app”) is a mobile app that covers a wide range of digital needs, including messaging, social networking, e-commerce, delivery services, and even financial services like online banking. It's essentially a one-stop shop in app form.
Everything apps are extremely popular across Asia. WeChat, a popular platform in China, had 1.3 billion monthly active users as of June 2023. People use this super app for text and voice messages, video calls, gaming, mobile payments and more.
In 2022, Line reported 89 million monthly active users, about 70% of the Japanese population. Line has slightly more female users than WeChat (55% compared to 47.7% for WeChat).
Source: Line Business Guide 2022
Source: Hootsuite 2022 Digital Trends Report
How does an everything or super app work?
Imagine logging into a single app to make dinner plans with a friend, check the weather forecast, book a taxi ride to and from the restaurant, and then, after the fact, give your friend money for your share of the bill to send for dinner.
An everything app brings multiple services together in one place, so users can access everything they need to manage their lives in a single app.
After a user logs in to a super app, several options appear in the app's dashboard. For example, on WeChat these are:
- Instant messaging in multiple formats (text, voice, video calls)
- momentsa social feed where users can post images, text and short videos
- Newsa curated news feed that allows users to subscribe to different channels
- Travel servicea ride sharing mini-program within the app
- Paywhich more than 250 million WeChat users use to pay for everything from groceries to utility bills
WeChat can be used in different modes, such as: B. “Easy” (designed for better readability, with larger fonts and larger buttons) or “Guardian” (designed to protect users under 14 by removing some features).
What are everything apps used for?
News
Super apps like WeChat, KakaoTalk, and Line all started as messaging apps. While all of them have been enhanced with various other features, messaging is at the heart of these super apps.
Used by over a billion users in China, WeChat allows users to send and receive messages and other media, make voice calls and video chat. 78% of 16-64 year olds in the country rely on WeChat to stay connected with their friends and family.
Source: Hootsuite
In South Korea, KakaoTalk is the leading messaging app with 47.8 million monthly active users at the end of 2022. 97.5% of South Koreans rely on KakaoTalk for messaging, with Instagram a distant second at 29.5%.
Source: KakaoTalk
The Line messaging app was launched in Japan in 2011 following a devastating earthquake and tsunami. The goal was to create a reliable means of communication for emergencies. A few years later, Line has grown into a super app with over 86 million monthly active users in Japan.
Source: Line
Payments and banking transactions
Another important function of super apps is banking and online payments. These apps use a digital wallet system to simplify everyday transactions.
Line Pay “blurred[s] “the line between online and offline” with their mobile wallet system that can be used for in-app and in-person payments. Because users sign up with a credit card, these accounts do not require banking information.
WeChat Pay can either be used with a credit card or linked to a user's bank account. There's even a Red Packets feature that allows users to send digital cash gifts for special occasions or holidays like Lunar New Year.
Source: WeChat
KakaoTalk's payment app, Kakao Pay, allows users to send money transfers and pay bills. South Korean residents can also sign up with Kakao Bank to manage investments, request loans, and purchase insurance.
Social media and microblogging
What would an everything app be without a social media component? WeChat Moments, Line Timeline, and KakaoTalk all include various timeline features that allow users to post photos, videos, text updates, and more.
Depending on the app, this feature may be reminiscent of popular social media apps like Facebook or TikTok.
Source: WeChat blog
Source: Hootsuite
News
Super app users turn to WeChat, KakaoTalk, Line and others to stay informed. These platforms have a high degree of control over what users see, especially in countries where other news outlets are unavailable due to existing internet censorship policies.
Shopping
Everything apps integrate their shopping and payment services to make it easier for users to make purchases directly in the app. This allows users to purchase everything from groceries to luxury bags.
Source: KakaoTalk
Travel
Most super apps include car or taxi booking services like Line Taxi or Kakao T.
Grab, a popular everything app in Singapore, started as a ride-hailing app and has since expanded into food delivery, e-commerce and more.
Source: Grave
How to use an everything app for your business
Connect with customers
Everything apps provide a direct line of communication with your customers. You can use these apps for sales and customer support. According to Line, people are more likely to interact with the business accounts they follow.
Source: Industry Leader
Don't you speak the language? No problem! Apps like WeChat, Line, and KakaoTalk can be used in other languages, such as English.
If you're a Hootsuite enterprise customer, you can manage WeChat messages through Sparkcentral and Line messages through Streamchat.
Offer a membership or loyalty program
Incentivize users to follow your Everything App account by offering coupons, promotions, or a loyalty program where users can earn points and access rewards.
Use ads
Super apps have access to an incredible amount of data about their users. Advertisers can target audiences based on interest, age group, gender, region and even operating system (OS).
Are you ready to use all apps for your business? Check out the Hootsuite blog for our guides to using WeChat, Line, and KakaoTalk for business.
FAQs for all apps
What are super apps used for?
Super apps are used for a range of digital needs including messaging, social networking, e-commerce, delivery services and even online banking.
Are there super apps in the US?
There are currently no super apps or everything apps in the US. Major players like Meta and X have expressed interest in developing a WeChat-like super app, but have yet to launch a super app product in North America.
Why are there no super apps in the West?
There are currently no super apps in the West. There are several reasons for this: concerns about slow app load times, evidence that American customers are not interested in a mobile wallet app ecosystem, and challenges with antitrust and competition laws, particularly in the US.
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Create your very own Auto Publish News/Blog Site and Earn Passive Income in Just 4 Easy Steps
