“Tencent, the $240 billion Chinese internet giant, introduced its take on mobile apps — apps within WeChat, its blockbuster chat app with 846 million monthly users. Tencent launched Mini Program in 2016, and they are essentially more-basic, stripped-down versions of iOS and Android apps that downloaded instantly, and run and can be stored within WeChat. Already, developers can use official accounts and bots to reach and interact with users away from mobile apps, but now the experience is all the richer. There’s no app store to house the programs, so instead they are found by searching inside WeChat or scanning a QR code, such as those printed on ads on the subway in cities or other places, as is popular in China.” — TechCrunch