Back in February 2016, longtime blog author Chanye gave a brief introduction to WeChat Out on 101. That article is quite old now, and it has since been moved over here to KUKU, where it was ready to be updated at any time.
Unexpectedly, before we even had a chance to update it, it now appears that WeChat Out tied to a US phone number may no longer be reloadable in the future.
Top-ups for WeChat Out linked to a US number must go through the US iTunes or Google Play store. Once WeChat is removed from those stores, you may no longer be able to reload your balance.
KUKU has always liked WeChat Out. I used the Small Balance Credit from multiple credit cards each month to add quite a bit of balance, and I also used WeChat Out to make many calls within the US.
Any balance you have already loaded can still be used, so it may make sense to top up a little while you still can. Even $10 can last a long time.
WeChat accounts tied to other non-US mobile numbers should not be affected. For example, a Hong Kong mobile number should still be able to reload normally through the Hong Kong Apple Store/Google Play, etc.
[The following is Chanye’s old article and has not been updated.]
What Is WeChat Out?
WeChat Out is a VoIP service launched by WeChat. At the moment, it is available only to users in certain overseas markets, including the US. Built on the WeChat platform, it works similarly to VoIP services such as Google Voice, Skype, Localphone, and Rebtel.
Why Use WeChat Out?
- Low cost: calls to mainland China currently cost only 0.9 cents per minute
- Convenient: everything is handled within WeChat, so there is no need to download another app
- You can use Google Play credit to reload your balance (on Android)
- The person you call does not need to install any software. For them, it looks just like receiving a regular phone call. Based on user feedback, call quality is decent
- When the other party receives the call, your phone number linked to WeChat can be displayed, making it easier for them to recognize the caller
How to Use WeChat Out
Currently, WeChat Out is available only to users in certain overseas regions. For overseas users, here is how it works:
- Link your overseas phone number to your WeChat account to enable WeChat Out.
- At the bottom of the “Discover” page, you can find the WeChat Out entry
- After opening WeChat Out, it will read your phone’s contacts. Tap a contact to enter that contact’s subpage, then tap the contact’s phone number to place the call. Note: it is best to add the international country code before the phone number (Mainland China: +86)
- If you want to dial a number directly, tap the nine-dot icon in the upper right corner of the screenshot above. This will take you to the dial pad. Then tap the “+x” symbol at the top, choose the international country code for the country/region you want to call, and enter the number directly
- If you need to reload, go to the “Contacts” screen, tap “Account,” and then tap reload
- Select the amount you want to add and confirm the reload. You will then be taken to your Google Play account, and any existing balance will be used first. Once the reload is successful, the amount will be added to your account
