Home / Technology / Viral App Checks If You're Still Alive
Viral App Checks If You're Still Alive
14 Jan
Summary
- App checks on solo dwellers, sending alerts if they don't check in.
- Viral Chinese app Sileme, renamed Demumu globally, adds subscription.
- China has nearly 200 million one-person households, study shows.
A unique safety application designed for individuals living alone has achieved significant popularity in China, with downloads surging and extensive social media discussions. The app, known in Chinese as Sileme (translating to "Are you dead?"), is marketed as a crucial safety tool for those living independently, including students and professionals.
The development team announced that the app will soon be released globally under the new brand name Demumu. This rebranding follows its success on Apple's paid app chart, where it quickly climbed to the number two position. The developers, a small team founded by individuals born after 1995, expressed gratitude for the widespread support.
To cover increasing operational expenses, the company has implemented an eight yuan ($1.15) subscription scheme. The app's concept has sparked considerable online debate, with some netizens advocating to retain its provocative original name for its directness and safety implications, while others proposed alternative, less alarming titles.
