All the WeChat Group Personalities You'll Encounter

Life in Beijing means surviving WeChat groups ... and their cast of unforgettable characters. From the relentless self-promoter to the mysterious lurker, these chats are a wild mix of personalities.

Are you the link-dropping ninja? The drama queen? Or the sticker-obsessed emoji wizard? One thing’s certain: If you’ve been in a group chat, you’ve met them all. Speaking of WeChat groups, if you want to find the perfect one for you, check out this link!

The Self-Promoter 

There's always that one person who always seems to have a random wine tour, a yoga studio gig, or some self-help seminar, and they can't help but post it everywhere. Every time you open the group, it's them with a cheeky poster and their face plastered all over it with a few pseudo-artsy stock pictures. Their studio doesn't actually look as good as the pictures, nor is the experience as feng shui as they promise to be, but there's promotion wherever you look. 

The Link and Vanish Ninja

This is the person with the link. They'll always have a link, a pin location, a Taobao product, a Dianping listing… Always a link. Whatever you ask for, they'll have a link for it. They are well-connected around the city and will probably give you the best recommendations, but there's one catch: You'll never catch them alive! They drop that link and vanish as if the air engulfed them. 

The Voice Note Vocalist

Sometimes we thank the Lord that WeChat only has a one-minute voice note feature, but that doesn't stop our beloved vocalist. They will speak novels and you'll be stuck clambering for the details. They are unhinged and unleashed; they spew it all out like nobody's business, and you are left floundering for the meaning of it in ten voice notes, each of them 56 seconds. 

The Drama Queen

This one lives for the violence. They don't even try much, but their words are arson! They drop one controversial hot take in the group and watch the world burn. That new restaurant everyone's been gushing about? They hate it. That latest exhibition that opened up in 798? They'll say it's overrated. No matter the topic, they'll disagree and then rest back in their dramatic throne. One sentence from them ends up with a triggered phone and the rubble of 67 unread messages for you to rummage through. 

The Sticker Fanatic

This is the person who embraced signs and symbols like our ancestors. They don't type; they emoji. Fluent in stickers and adding them daily to their repertoire, this sticker fanatic replies with only those. Someone died? Sad sleeping beauty sticker. Someone's hungry? Hungry panda sticker. Someone's getting married? Twirling sleeping beauty sticker. 

The Event Enthusiast

This person wants to go everywhere, every time, all at the same time; they want to be at 14 events in one night. They post all the events happening in Beijing like they have 30 hours in their day. They will want to be at the Bird's Nest in the late evening and later meet you by the club in Sanlitun. They are the ones to go to when you've got nothing planned for the weekend. 

The Lurker

This person, like days gone by, doesn't come back. They have been in the group since 2018, but no one has ever heard a word from them. They are lurking, watching, hawk like, but never participating. This person is too cool for the rest of you; they've got their life sorted, and they like it soft. Don't even try to bring them back. They're beyond your realm. 

The Roman Admin

These ones have their noses up so high. They run the show, they clap back at the unsolicited adverts people send in, they keep that check so hard! They're like the slick CEOs but in slacks and reading glasses instead of suits and Raybans. They call the shots, they make the rules, they are in their groove, and they are unstoppable. Don't mess with them, or you'll be removed. 

Random Auntie/Uncle Nobody Added

No one knows when or how, but there is always that one random auntie or uncle who made it to the group, and they send the cutest over-the-top blessing stickers every holiday. They tickle you sometimes, and other times they send something to the group that even the greatest translator apps fail to decipher. 

So, which WeChat personality are you? (Or which one drives you crazy?) Let us know in the comments – we might’ve missed a few! 

READ: WeChat Groups 101: Finding Your Beijing Crew

Images: Canva, Free Pik, Giphy