WeChat - help a boomer

[Big boneR]

Righto so I notice a lot of shops on here have a WeChat account or ID, but stuffed if I know how to find them. Is it just for calls or is there a page so to speak. I type the name in search, get lots of suggestions but nothing matching the name exactly, and most are in Chinese so no good to me.
Help this old boomer out please

[jake_h]

Sometimes they have a QR code that you can scan, heres a quick tutorial. It adds them as a friend, and then you chat with them about bookings etc
https://barcodelive.org/wechat-qr-code-scanner

[aussiegaigin]

You can make voice calls on We Chat, but they cost and you need to have a funds balance

[Staggerlee71]

Go the search bar and type in the WeChat ID and should come up.

[11Bravo]

Righto so I notice a lot of shops on here have a WeChat account or ID, but stuffed if I know how to find them. Is it just for calls or is there a page so to speak. I type the name in search, get lots of suggestions but nothing matching the name exactly, and most are in Chinese so no good to me.
Help this old boomer out please

Will assume you do have a WeChat account. If not, get one. (Likewise Line for travel to Thailand).

At the bottom of the WeChat screen, [Chats Contacts Discover Me]. Press Chats.
Top of WeChat screen [Magnifying-glass =search, +in-circle ]

The +in circle: [New-Chat Add-Contacts Scan Money]

Add Contacts: You can either search for the Account (WeChat ID - often different than the shop name, or try a mobile number)
For mobile numbers, you can try the shop's mobile number. But try various combinations (with leading 0, without leading zero, country code and mobile number without leading zero). As I recall, all without spaces.

The easiest way is to use Scan to scan her/the QR code, either in the Add Contacts, or more directly in the Scan top level icon.
The other person has to show you hers (in the shop, probably already done so, but here I'm talking QR code). Then just scan the code on your phone using either Scan method.

In ALL cases, one important step to eliminate BS. Once you've found the contact, or added the contact via QR code, you have to send a friend request, which the other person has to accept. When you first try to add the contact to YOUR contact list, pressing "Add to Contacts" will bring up the "Send Friend Request" (with the first field ("Send Friend Request") already partially filled. For a shop, I just send "for future business"). The other person/shop has to accept your friend request, ONLY THEN can you start chatting.

OTHERWISE, you can show her yours (which again, you've probably already done so, but again, I'm talking QR code).

At the bottom of the Add Contacts page, is YOUR QR code with your WeChat ID. She can scan that. Or, in ME (bottom of screen), pressing that, then at the very top right, there is a square of squares, which represents a QR. Pressing that icon will bring up a full screen QR code for her to scan.

The only gotchas are 1)getting the WeChat account, and 2)sending the friend request (or if she has scanned your QR), making sure she sends you a friend request which you accept). Then you're "IN".

Clicking on a shop's contact Icon will bring up Moments, where some shops post their rosters.


You can make voice calls on We Chat, but they cost and you need to have a funds balance

WeChat to WeChat calls, video or voice, are free. I've never bothered with using WeChat to call a mobile number.

I do use video calls for PRC friends - very useful. For business, I chat. Very useful for making bookings. For any individual provider who shows potential, I get her WeChat. Makes it very easy to find how where/when the shop hoppers are working, and goes a long way in eliminating the plaintive whinings of "Has anybody seen her". Some providers will make bookings for you, but I don't try and bypass a shop. It's very useful to determine if they're (or you) are running late, or if she is limited duty. It also gives her a head's up/warning so she can anticipate/dread your arrival, which also helps to eliminate double bookings.

Not all providers will provide their WeChat, but much more likely if you're seen as "future business". Trolls, probably not.

This screed no doubt disjointed, but should get you out of the starting blocks. Personally, I've found WeChat/Line apps invaluable.

BTW: WeChat chats have a built in translation capability. I can type English, she Mandarin, and each can translate the other within the app itself. Within the room itself, can also act in place of a translation app, though most providers have that on their mobiles.

[GoldfishMan]

You can make voice calls on We Chat, but they cost and you need to have a funds balance

You can make voice or video calls to other WeChat accounts for free. Not sure about making calls to a landline though.

[pleasehelp]

Will assume you do have a WeChat account. If not, get one. (Likewise Line for travel to Thailand).

At the bottom of the WeChat screen, [Chats Contacts Discover Me]. Press Chats.
Top of WeChat screen [Magnifying-glass =search, +in-circle ]

The +in circle: [New-Chat Add-Contacts Scan Money]

Add Contacts: You can either search for the Account (WeChat ID - often different than the shop name, or try a mobile number)
For mobile numbers, you can try the shop's mobile number. But try various combinations (with leading 0, without leading zero, country code and mobile number without leading zero). As I recall, all without spaces.

The easiest way is to use Scan to scan her/the QR code, either in the Add Contacts, or more directly in the Scan top level icon.
The other person has to show you hers (in the shop, probably already done so, but here I'm talking QR code). Then just scan the code on your phone using either Scan method.

In ALL cases, one important step to eliminate BS. Once you've found the contact, or added the contact via QR code, you have to send a friend request, which the other person has to accept. When you first try to add the contact to YOUR contact list, pressing "Add to Contacts" will bring up the "Send Friend Request" (with the first field ("Send Friend Request") already partially filled. For a shop, I just send "for future business"). The other person/shop has to accept your friend request, ONLY THEN can you start chatting.

OTHERWISE, you can show her yours (which again, you've probably already done so, but again, I'm talking QR code).

At the bottom of the Add Contacts page, is YOUR QR code with your WeChat ID. She can scan that. Or, in ME (bottom of screen), pressing that, then at the very top right, there is a square of squares, which represents a QR. Pressing that icon will bring up a full screen QR code for her to scan.

The only gotchas are 1)getting the WeChat account, and 2)sending the friend request (or if she has scanned your QR), making sure she sends you a friend request which you accept). Then you're "IN".

Clicking on a shop's contact Icon will bring up Moments, where some shops post their rosters.



WeChat to WeChat calls, video or voice, are free. I've never bothered with using WeChat to call a mobile number.

I do use video calls for PRC friends - very useful. For business, I chat. Very useful for making bookings. For any individual provider who shows potential, I get her WeChat. Makes it very easy to find how where/when the shop hoppers are working, and goes a long way in eliminating the plaintive whinings of "Has anybody seen her". Some providers will make bookings for you, but I don't try and bypass a shop. It's very useful to determine if they're (or you) are running late, or if she is limited duty. It also gives her a head's up/warning so she can anticipate/dread your arrival, which also helps to eliminate double bookings.

Not all providers will provide their WeChat, but much more likely if you're seen as "future business". Trolls, probably not.

This screed no doubt disjointed, but should get you out of the starting blocks. Personally, I've found WeChat/Line apps invaluable.

BTW: WeChat chats have a built in translation capability. I can type English, she Mandarin, and each can translate the other within the app itself. Within the room itself, can also act in place of a translation app, though most providers have that on their mobiles.

Wow that is such a kind detailed explanation

[Big boneR]

Bravo 11Bravo, great tutorial. I'll give it a go, thanks.

[11Bravo]

Bravo 11Bravo, great tutorial. I'll give it a go, thanks.

No problem. DM if you hit a snag.

Myself, I'm still amazed at how technology has improved the game. Of course, I come from the dark ages, before smart phones, before mobiles, before the internet. Finding a girl again was so hit and miss. Go to her last place of employment, hope she was there. If not, MAYBE one of her coworkers would recognize you and provide intel on where she'd moved to. Best you could hope for was a frayed call to a landline in, at best a room, or maybe a corridor, then ask for the girl AND someone who spoke sufficient English. Maybe your message got through. MAJOR upgrade when they started carrying simple mobiles - you could sms and she'd have a friend who could read/write enough English for meetings. Now, with WeChat, Line... built in translations... trivial to maintain contacts.