China’s Vine-esque video app for WeChat takes selfies to a whole new level

A few months back we got word that Tencent (HKG: 0700) – the maker of WeChat – was set to release a social video-sharing (think Vine) app by the name of Weishi. It hit China’s iOS App Store late September, and since then, it’s been slowly picking up steam – this it week hit the number two spot in the social category, and it currently ranks 18 overall, according to App Annie.

Now that it’s had two months to marinate and climb the rankings, we decided we’d take the app for a test drive to see how it might contribute to the overall social networking landscape in China. We wanted to find out how it compares to Vine, and how it might complement the mammoth WeChat.

How does it work?

If you’ve toyed around with Vine or Instagram Video, Weishi will seem familiar – users can record 8-second video clips and share them with followers, who can then like, re-share, or comment on them.

There are four buttons at the bottom which determine what’s on the screen – “homepage”, which shows a feed of posts from followed accounts, “trending”, which shows posts that have been retweeted by people you follow, “discover”, which lets you parse through categories like “humor”, “animals”, “babies”, and “beautiful women”; and an “about me” page where you can track new followers and change the app settings.

The camera button, meanwhile, is situated right in the bottom of the screen, which makes it a little more readily accessible than the one in the Vine app, which is tucked away in the top-right corner of the app.

Recording a video clip is a cinch – just touch the camera button and you’ll be taken to a page with the live camera lens. Pushing and holding on the lens starts the recording, and releasing stops the recording.

Once you’ve reached the 8-second limit, you can post the video with a short message. Posts can be specified as public or private (followers only), and can be sent out simultaneously to one’s WeChat Friends Circle. If you want to send to WeChat, Sina Weibo, or a QQ social network, you’ll still have to post to Weishi first.

(See also: Ready for your close-up? Here are 10 great selfie apps)

What will I find on it?

Ultra-short point-and-shoot video clips seem to be particularly well-suited for goofs and inside jokes, so it’s not surprising that Weishi contains its fair share of cute stunts. Scrolling through the “trending” category as I write this, I see beatboxers, karate masters, and a prank involving rolling chairs.

Does it matter?