The concept of “mini-apps” or “small applications” is not unique to China. They are being adopted by various platforms worldwide.
- Snap Minis: Snapchat, a popular social media platform in many countries, introduced Snap Minis in 2020. Snap Minis are small applications within Snapchat that allow users to do things like order food, study with friends, or even meditate. They’re built with HTML5 so they can run on many different devices without needing to be downloaded separately.
- App Clips: Introduced with iOS 14, Apple’s App Clips is a similar concept. App Clips are small parts of apps that are designed to be discovered and used exactly when needed. For example, if a user wants to rent a scooter, they might see an App Clip that allows them to complete the payment and unlock the scooter without having to install the full app.
- Google’s Instant Apps: Google introduced Android Instant Apps, which allow users to try apps instantly without installation. It enables Android apps to run instantly, without requiring installation. Users just tap on a URL.
- Facebook Instant Games: Facebook has also implemented a similar feature with its Instant Games platform, which allows users to play games directly in the Facebook app or Messenger without installing new software.
However, none of these has the same level of integration, usage, and range of services as WeChat’s mini-programs, mainly due to the super app nature of WeChat in China.