Tencent Applies for WeChat Input Method Trademarks

According to public information on Chinese business data platform Tianyancha, Tencent has recently applied for the registration of several trademarks related to input methods on its WeChat application. The international classifications cover scientific instruments, education and entertainment, communication services, and more. Currently, all trademark applications are pending.

Allen Zhang, Senior Executive Vice President of Tencent and President of WeChat Group, said last year that WeChat would soon have its own input method. Zhang added that WeChat initially did not intend to develop an input method, but it received many complaints from users that their chat records were being stolen because they would see the corresponding ads when they typed something. He explained that WeChat will not save chat records, and that WeChat also stipulates that whoever reads the user’s chat records will be fired. So, for the protection of users’ privacy, WeChat has decided to make its own input method.

Zhang said that the goal of the WeChat input method is not to obtain many users at once. The input method is the entrance of text expression, and new input forms may appear, so it is worth carrying out.

At the end of last year, some web users reported that WeChat had launched an exclusive input method function, and claimed that they had been qualified for internal testing. However, the WeChat input method has still not been officially launched so far.

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In January this year, the platform officially launched the WeChat keyboard in an update, but without a complete input method. Only the numeric keyboard input was available, and the WeChat keyboard was only automatically activated when the red envelope amount and number were entered in a corresponding sending interface.