China’s top metaverse app removes itself from app stores, citing online attacks
- Jelly, which became China’s most popular free iOS app three weeks after launch, says it has been experiencing malicious rumours and system crashes
- Some users claim they have run into data leaks after signing up for the app – allegations that Jelly has denied
A metaverse app that topped the download charts in Chinese app stores last week said it has taken itself off the shelves because of online attacks and the need to improve user experiences.
In a statement posted on its official Weibo account, Jelly – a social app built around the metaverse concept – said it suffered from “continuous and organised attacks in recent days”, including malicious rumours circulating on various online platforms, as well as a spate of bad reviews in its app store listings.
The app said it needs to suspend the registration of new users, and undergo a “large-scale system upgrade” after spotting problems, including system crashes and spotty or delayed connections.
Jelly, which became a hit in China soon after its launch, underscores the potential of a consumer-based metaverse in the country. The app jumped to the top of the iOS free app rankings in China last Wednesday – just three weeks after it was officially released – rendering it the first social networking app to overtake Tencent Holdings’ ubiquitous WeChat since 2019.
Jelly, which was developed by Beijing-based mobile news aggregator Yidian Shuyu, lets users share snippets of their daily lives using images of their avatars, according to the app’s official introduction. Each user can connect with no more than 50 people.
“There are no groups, no user blocking, and no function to make updates only viewable for three days,” said Yidian Shuyu, referring to some of WeChat’s most iconic features.
Amid rising popularity, however, Jelly also became mired in controversies.
02:17
Tech companies in China chase metaverse opportunities in immersive virtual online world