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How to sign up for a WeChat personal account

This article shows you how to sign up for a WeChat personal account.

You can also learn how to set up an official WeChat account for your brand.

Before you start: One of the security verification steps requires you to find a WeChat user who:  

  • Has signed up for WeChat over a month ago if they are an international user or 6 months ago if they are a China mainland user
  • Hasn’t completed ‘Help Friend Register’ for other users in the past month
  • Hasn’t been blocked from WeChat in the past month
  • Has activated WeChat Pay if they are a China mainland user

This user has to scan a QR code on your phone using WeChat within 10 minutes in order to complete the sign-up process..

That’s why it is important that, before you begin the sign-up process, you ensure you are in the physical presence of a WeChat user who fulfills the criteria above. 

Here’s a step-by-step account of how to sign up to WeChat.

1. Download the WeChat app from the Apple App Store or Google Play

Search ‘wechat’ on your preferred app store and download the app to your mobile phone.

Note, it is not possible to sign up for WeChat via a computer – it must be done on your mobile phone.

WeChat in app store

2. Open the WeChat app and select ‘Sign Up’

WeChat home screen

When you select Sign Up, you will be given two options: ‘Sign up via mobile’ and ‘Sign up via Facebook’.

WeChat sign up

We strongly recommend selecting ‘Sign up via Mobile’, as signing up via Facebook is far more complicated, and you will still need to provide your mobile phone number even if you select this option.

3. Insert your personal information

Insert your full name, region (if not already filled in), mobile phone number and password – these fields must be completed before you can proceed.

Note: only one account can be registered to a mobile phone number.

There is also an option to add a profile picture at this point, but this is not necessary to complete the process.

Check the box next to ‘I have read and accept the Terms of Service’, then click ‘Next.’

Sign up page

The next screen is WeChat’s Privacy Protection Summary. You are not required to read this in its entirety before accepting, but we would recommend at least giving it a quick scan.

Check the box next to ‘I have read and agree to the above terms’, then click ‘Next’.

Privacy Policy

5. Complete the first part of the security verification process  

In order to ensure you are a genuine user (and not a bot), WeChat requires users to complete a three-part security verification process. Click ‘Start’.

security verification

The first part of the security verification process simply requires you to drag the slider in order to fit the puzzle piece into the image. Ensure you do this in a timely manner, as the length of time it takes you to complete this process is part of how they check the user is human.

Picture security verification

6. Verify your phone number

The next step requires you to verify your mobile phone number. At this stage, an SMS will automatically be sent to your phone containing a 6-digit verification code. Enter this code, then select ‘Submit’.

phone verification

7. Ask a WeChat user to scan the QR code on your phone

This is the hardest step of the sign-up process. As noted above, we strongly recommend you find a WeChat user that fulfills the criteria listed at the begin of the article before starting this process, as it may be difficult to find an eligible user, and this step is time sensitive.

Assuming you have managed to find such a user, ask them to scan the QR code provided using WeChat.

QR code scan

This is the final security verification step – once you’ve completed this, you will be taken to your WeChat ‘Chats’ screen, where you will see a welcome message from WeChat.

WeChat Welcome