Tencent, ByteDance roll out new apps as China’s Big Tech firms return to quest for growth

  • Tencent has launched a social media app targeting online gamers, while ByteDance has introduced a medium- and long-form video app
  • The new apps reflect efforts by Chinese internet companies to strengthen their grip on their respective fields after a major regulatory crackdown

Iris Dengin Shenzhen
A man holding a phone walks past a sign of Chinese company ByteDance’s app TikTok, known locally as Douyin. Photo: Reuters

ByteDance and Tencent Holdings both released new apps recently, as China’s Big Tech firms gun for new growth after nearly two years of business retreat and consolidation under Beijing’s tightened regulatory scrutiny.

Social media and video gaming giant Tencent earlier this month launched Xiaoe Yuyin, a social media app that includes a voice chat function for users to play video games as teams.

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