What is this?
Electronic WeChat was a free, open-source desktop WeChat client for macOS and Linux, built with Electron to make Web WeChat feel like a native app. It is now archived and no longer maintained.
Electronic WeChat was a free, open-source desktop WeChat client for macOS and Linux, built with Electron to make Web WeChat feel like a native app. It is now archived and no longer maintained.Is this an official WeChat app from Tencent?No. It is a community-built Electron app that presents the Web WeChat interface as a desktop application; the author stresses it is not an official WeChat release.
No. It is a community-built Electron app that presents the Web WeChat interface as a desktop application; the author stresses it is not an official WeChat release.How do I get it running?Download a prebuilt release, or install through Homebrew or your Linux package manager from community-maintained images. You can also clone the repo and start it directly with npm start.
Download a prebuilt release, or install through Homebrew or your Linux package manager from community-maintained images. You can also clone the repo and start it directly with npm start.Can I still use it, or is it dead?It is archived and explicitly no longer in active development after roughly 1000 days since February 2016. It may still run, but expect no updates, fixes, or support going forward.
It is archived and explicitly no longer in active development after roughly 1000 days since February 2016. It may still run, but expect no updates, fixes, or support going forward.Does it work on Windows too?It targets macOS and Linux, which is what the releases, Homebrew option, and package-manager images cover. The repo does contain a Windows build script, but Windows was never an advertised target.
It targets macOS and Linux, which is what the releases, Homebrew option, and package-manager images cover. The repo does contain a Windows build script, but Windows was never an advertised target.Is it open source, and can I fork it?Yes, MIT-licensed. When archiving the project, the author explicitly welcomed forks and copies with attribution.
Yes, MIT-licensed. When archiving the project, the author explicitly welcomed forks and copies with attribution.Why was this built in the first place?Official WeChat support on macOS was missing or stagnant back in 2016, so the author set out to make a better Mac WeChat client on top of the web version.
Official WeChat support on macOS was missing or stagnant back in 2016, so the author set out to make a better Mac WeChat client on top of the web version.What did it offer over plain Web WeChat in a browser?Blocking message recalls, sticker support, @-mentions in group chats, drag-and-drop photo sending, sharing articles to Weibo, Qzone, Facebook, Twitter, Evernote, and email, removing URL redirect hops, and generally behaving like a native app.
Blocking message recalls, sticker support, @-mentions in group chats, drag-and-drop photo sending, sharing articles to Weibo, Qzone, Facebook, Twitter, Evernote, and email, removing URL redirect hops, and generally behaving like a native app.Why did the author stop working on it?Once Tencent started updating its own WeChat regularly and began blocking third-party clients, keeping the wrapper alive stopped being worthwhile. The repo was archived as a learning resource after about 1000 days.
Once Tencent started updating its own WeChat regularly and began blocking third-party clients, keeping the wrapper alive stopped being worthwhile. The repo was archived as a learning resource after about 1000 days.Where can I still get the app today?The README still points to prebuilt GitHub releases, a Homebrew cask, and community package-manager images for Linux — but nothing has been updated since the project was archived.
The README still points to prebuilt GitHub releases, a Homebrew cask, and community package-manager images for Linux — but nothing has been updated since the project was archived.What are similar projects?element-web, zapfast, Signal-Desktop, Kap, Signal-Android, ChatALL, tdesktop, chat
element-web, zapfast, Signal-Desktop, Kap, Signal-Android, ChatALL, tdesktop, chatWhich topics is it in?tencent, messenger, communication, electron-app, messaging, wechat, chat, app, electron, deprecated, desktop-app, nodejs
tencent, messenger, communication, electron-app, messaging, wechat, chat, app, electron, deprecated, desktop-app, nodejs