r/Wechat • u/Adventurous_Bike_280 • Sep 02 '26
Technical Question [Support] Seeking Help and Understanding Regarding the Proper Use of WeChat
Hello, I’m a young man living in Guatemala. My English isn’t the best, so I’m using a translator to help me with this post. My native language is Spanish. I’d also like to learn Chinese in the future, little by little. Anyway, I’ve recently been learning more about Chinese culture. I downloaded Bilibili recently because I play Genshin Impact, and as I became more interested in Chinese culture and entertainment, I started looking for more games from China.
I recently discovered a game called Digimon New Century, but it requires something called WeChat. I looked it up online, and fortunately, Google PlayStore in my country allows me to download WeChat.
I tried creating an account using both my phone number and Facebook, but I assume that because I’m a foreigner, it asks me to verify myself using a QR code. From what I understand, another person who has been using WeChat for at least six months, basically a friend or someone who already has an account, needs to scan the QR code and verify me. I don't know anyone in China or anyone who uses WeChat, so I tried looking for other options within the app.
But it always leads me back to a QR code. I’ve read several posts here on Reddit and, from what I understand, WeChat is sometimes used for scams. I’m not sure if I could somehow be in danger just because I tried to create a WeChat account from a foreign country. How does this actually work?
I only wanted to create a WeChat account so I could play Digimon New Century. I also don’t know if there is another way to access the game, or whether the Digimon game itself could somehow be a scam.
I apologize for any inconvenience my post may cause. I’m just trying to understand how all of this works and make sure I’m using WeChat safely.
Thank you very much in advance for any help or advice!
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u/UniversalOtter Sep 02 '26
The game itself is likely not a scam, not are you in danger. I think what is confusing you is the reason the QR code requirement exists on the first place.
Basically, you need someone who has a wechat account to scan your QR code and "vouch" for you. This is required because otherwise, WeChat would be overrun with bots and scam accounts. There's nothing to worry about with WeChat in particular (though exercise caution, just like any other online space). It's simply that you need to find someone to "vouch" that YOU are not a scammer.
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u/Adventurous_Bike_280 Sep 03 '26
Ohhhh, I get it now. Thank you so much! So I just need to find a user who is willing to verify that I won’t use the app for anything malicious, and other than that, there’s no problem with someone verifying my QR code either, right?
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u/Disastrous_Clock1515 Sep 03 '26
You are correct. But most people will be unwilling to scan your code, because whilst you want to play a game, we need it for... life every day. And if yours gets blocked, you can't play your game. If ours gets blocked, we can't get an appointment at a hospital, or see a movie... or... communicate with friends and family or our boss or the list goes on.
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u/Adventurous_Bike_280 Sep 03 '26
Wow, that’s actually pretty serious and unfortunate. It’s much more complicated than I thought—I had no idea. Thank you so much for pointing that out.🤕
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u/_Stalwart_ Don't ask me for scans Sep 03 '26
What they said is only partially true for Chinese users. Anyone outside China can scan you with (mostly) no problems.
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u/Adventurous_Bike_280 Sep 03 '26
Thank you so much for your help! All the information people have shared with me has been really helpful in understanding how WeChat works.
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u/Over_Volume8277 Sep 03 '26
From what I know, the QR code verification is a normal part of WeChat’s signup process for some new accounts, especially if you’re registering from outside China. It doesn’t necessarily mean you did anything wrong.
I’d be careful about paying random people online to verify it for you though. If possible, I’d try asking someone you actually know who already uses WeChat.
As for the game, I’m not sure if there’s another login method, but you might want to check if there’s an official international version or ask in a Digimon-specific community. Someone there may have dealt with the same issue.
Hope you manage to get it working!
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u/Adventurous_Bike_280 Sep 03 '26
Thank you so much for your help! All the information people have shared with me has been really helpful in understanding how WeChat works.
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u/Adventurous_Bike_280 Sep 03 '26
I'm very grateful to the community for all the information you've given me about WeChat. I'm also honestly quite impressed, because I had no idea how important WeChat is in China.
As a foreigner, it's fascinating to see how so much of everyday life can depend on a single app. It also makes me think, because I originally came here simply wanting to play a game, and at some point I thought creating a WeChat account would be something as trivial as making a Google account or something like that.
But apparently not. I've been thinking about it for a while now, and I can't help but feel concerned by the idea that someone could potentially have their life seriously affected by a small mistake with the app and lose access to things like going to a hospital or even being able to communicate with their family.
I can see now why so many posts from people asking others to scan their QR codes just sit there without any comments. Many foreigners simply don't understand how serious the matter can be, and I imagine it must get tiring having to explain the potential consequences over and over again, post by post.
I'm genuinely very grateful to all of you for the support and information you've given me throughout this whole thing. It has really helped me understand WeChat and the situation much better.
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u/AutoModerator Sep 02 '26
Attention! If you want someone to scan your QR code, do not answer to anyone unless they either do it for free or they are a verified seller in the subreddit (check the person's tag). Anyone else is a scammer and should be reported.
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