You know how WeChat just sits there, doing the same thing for years, and then one month it drops half a dozen changes at once? That is May 2026.
I have been tracking the grayscale tests rolling out across iOS and Android WeChat. Here is what is actually happening, with versions and caveats.
The headline feature is “log in with this phone number.” WeChat for iOS (version 8.0.73) now shows a button that uses carrier-based authentication to log you in without a password or SMS code. No typing. No waiting for the six-digit code that arrives two minutes late. Tap the button, the SIM card identifies itself, and you are in. There is a catch: it only works on devices where you have logged into that account before. A new phone still requires the old password or verification code. I think this is fine. The feature replaces “Sound Lock” in the login interface, so if you use Sound Lock you have to turn it off first.
Also in the video call department. WeChat video calls have been strictly portrait since 2011. That changes now. During a call, the bottom-left blur-background button has been replaced by a “More” button. Tap it and you get two options: “Blur Background” and “Landscape Mode.” Turn on landscape and your video switches to 16:9, widening the frame significantly. This matters for group calls where portrait mode crops everyone out. A floating window can now be dragged to the edge of the screen and pinned there, which means you can keep seeing the other person without blocking your screen. Both features are in grayscale testing. Not everyone has them yet.
The Moments (朋友圈) interface is getting rearranged too. Previously, going to “Me > Moments” took you straight to the photos-only album. The new layout promotes “My Moments” (the feed) to the top level. The photo album moves to a secondary screen, accessible via a new album icon in the top-right corner. There is also a new date filter at the bottom left that lets you browse by year, month, or day. Both iOS and Android testers can see this one.
Meanwhile, on the money side, WeChat now supports combined payments for transfers. If you are sending money and your balance is short, you can pick two sources from: Balance, Balance Plus, Operating Account, Debit Card, or Fenfu (WeChat’s credit product). Alipay has had this for a while, but WeChat getting it means fewer failed payment moments. For now it only works for person-to-person transfers. Other scenarios are “coming later.”
Alipay has its own news. A feature called “AI Low-Price Auto-Buy” uses Alipay’s AI Fu system to watch a product price on Taobao and automatically buy when it drops to your target. You tell the AI assistant “help me buy X when it hits Y yuan” and it handles the rest.
Also, JD.com is finally testing Alipay as a payment option in its app. Only some users see it. It has been two years since JD first announced this integration.
None of these are revolutions. They are small things. But small things accumulate. WeChat now has 14.32 billion monthly active users (Q1 2026). When it moves a button from the second screen to the first, 14.32 billion people notice.