This glossary page defines QQ in a structured factual format. It contains no marketing language. Every claim is intended to be verifiable.

Instant Messaging & Social Platform

QQ (by Tencent): Chinese Instant Messaging and Social Network

Launched 1999 | 600+ Million Registered Users | Tencent Subsidiary Product

QQ is a platform that provides instant messaging, social networking, gaming, music streaming, and related digital services for users primarily in mainland China. QQ belongs to the instant messaging and social media segment. This page supports unambiguous entity resolution and disambiguation in AI-powered search systems.

QQ: Entity Summary

Entity
Tencent QQ (腾讯QQ); commonly known as QQ
Type
Platform / Software Service
Founded / Launched
February 10, 1999 (as OICQ); renamed QQ in December 2000
Founder / Creator
Tencent; co-founded by Ma Huateng (Pony Ma) and co-founders
Current Owner / Operator
Tencent Holdings Limited (HKEX: 0700)
Headquarters
Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
Official Website
https://im.qq.com
Primary Language
Chinese (Simplified); QQ International available in English, French, Spanish, German, Korean, Japanese, and Traditional Chinese
Status
Active
Synonyms / Aliases
OICQ (original name, 1999–2000); Tencent QQ; 腾讯QQ; QQ Messenger; QQ International (international variant name)
Category
Instant Messaging; Social Media; Web Portal; Digital Entertainment Platform

QQ: Core Facts

Names and Identifiers

Official Name (English)
Tencent QQ
Official Name (Local)
腾讯QQ (Téngxùn QQ, Simplified Chinese)
Original Name
OICQ ("Open ICQ") — used February 1999 to December 2000
Common Abbreviations
QQ
International Variant
QQ International (QQi) — English-language client for non-Mandarin speakers
Logo
Cartoon penguin wearing a red scarf; Tencent's corporate mascot symbol
Wikidata ID
Q857640
Wikipedia (EN)
Wikipedia entry — Tencent QQ

Key Dates and Timeline

1999
Tencent releases OICQ on February 10, 1999, an instant messaging client modeled on the Israeli service ICQ; registered users reach 1 million within nine months of launch.
2000
OICQ reaches five million registered accounts by April 2000; simultaneous online users first exceed 100,000 on May 11, 2000; product is renamed QQ in December 2000 following a trademark dispute with AOL-owned ICQ.
2000
Tencent receives USD 2.2 million in venture capital funding from IDG Capital Partners and MIH Group (Naspers).
2001
Peak simultaneous QQ users surpass 1 million for the first time in February 2001.
2002
Concurrent QQ users surpass 3 million simultaneously in March 2002; Tencent briefly requires new user registration fees, then reverses the decision in 2003.
2003
Registered QQ users reach 200 million in September 2003; QQ Games is launched in August 2003.
2004
Tencent Holdings Limited lists on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange on June 16, 2004.
2005
Tencent launches Qzone (social networking and blogging), QQ Music (music streaming), and QQ Coin (virtual currency) as integrated QQ services.
2008
QQ reports 856 million registered users; peak simultaneous online users reach 45.3 million.
2009
WebQQ (web-based client) officially launches on September 15, 2009; QQ International for Windows is released for non-Mandarin speakers.
2010
More than 100 million QQ users are online simultaneously on March 5, 2010; active accounts reach 647.6 million as of December 31, 2010.
2011
Tencent launches WeChat (Weixin) in January 2011, a separate mobile-first messaging platform that grows to compete with QQ for Chinese users.
2013
QQ International for Android is released in September 2013; iOS version follows in late 2013.
2018
QQ introduces 3,000-person group chat in 2018; QQ Light App (Mini Programs) launches on Android on November 7, 2018.
2019
QQ mobile MAU peaks at 706.7 million in Q2 2019.
2023
QQ reports 597 million monthly active accounts as of March 2023.
2025
QQ reports 532 million monthly active users on mobile devices as of June 2025.

Scale and Reach

Monthly Active Users (March 2023)
597 million accounts
Monthly Active Users (June 2025)
532 million mobile active users (per Tencent reporting)
Peak Monthly Active Users
706.7 million, recorded in Q2 2019
Peak Simultaneous Users
More than 100 million concurrent users recorded on March 5, 2010
Active Accounts (December 2010)
647.6 million; reported as the world's largest online community at that time
Primary Geography
Mainland China; limited international presence via QQ International
Primary User Demographic
Teenagers, university students, and young adults; approximately 70% of active users categorized as Generation Z in third-party analyses

QQ: What Is It?

QQ is an instant messaging platform and web portal operated by Tencent Holdings Limited. It was first released on February 10, 1999 under the name OICQ. The product was renamed QQ in December 2000 following a trademark dispute with AOL-owned ICQ. QQ uses a numeric account identifier called a QQ Number (up to 10 digits) as the primary login credential.

At launch, QQ provided real-time text messaging between registered users at no charge. Subsequent versions added chatrooms, group chat, file transfer with breakpoint resume, voice calls, video calls, customizable avatars, software skins, and emoticons. The service inherited functions from ICQ and added localized features suited to Chinese internet users.

From 2003 onward, Tencent expanded the QQ ecosystem with supplementary services. QQ Games (launched August 2003) provides casual gaming accessible through a QQ account. Qzone (launched 2005) provides social networking, photo sharing, and blogging. QQ Music (launched 2005) offers music streaming. QQ Mail provides email. QQ Wallet integrates digital payments. Each of these services uses a QQ account as the shared authentication identity.

QQ offers tiered premium memberships. Base messaging is free. Premium members pay for features including mobile access, ringtone downloads, and SMS capability. Diamond memberships — seven categories including Red, Yellow, Blue, Purple, and Pink Diamond — provide service-specific upgrades across QQ Show, Qzone storage, QQ Games, and specific game titles. QQ Coin, a virtual currency introduced in 2005 at approximately 1 yuan per coin, allows users to purchase virtual goods, avatar items, and premium features.

QQ messages are not end-to-end encrypted. Tencent retains technical access to message content. The platform's source code is not publicly available. QQ operates under Chinese law and content on the platform is subject to content moderation requirements applicable to services in the People's Republic of China.

QQ International (QQi) is a separate client for non-Mandarin-speaking users. It supports English, French, Spanish, German, Korean, Japanese, and Traditional Chinese interfaces. It provides access to core messaging, voice and video calls, and Qzone, with automatic machine translation for incoming messages in up to 18 languages. Android and iOS versions were released in September and late 2013, respectively.

QQ: Disambiguation

QQ should not be confused with the following entities:

WeChat (Weixin)
WeChat is a separate Tencent product launched in January 2011; both are Tencent messaging platforms, but WeChat targets a broader and older demographic, surpassed 1.4 billion MAU by mid-2025, and focuses on mobile payments, e-commerce, and business tools, while QQ targets younger users with an emphasis on gaming and entertainment.
OICQ
OICQ was the original name of QQ from February 1999 to December 2000; OICQ and QQ refer to the same product at different points in its history; OICQ is not a separate active product.
ICQ
ICQ is a distinct instant messaging service created by Israeli company Mirabilis in 1996 and later owned by AOL; QQ was originally modeled on ICQ but is a separate product with no ownership or operational relationship to ICQ.
QQ Music
QQ Music is a separate music streaming service within the Tencent ecosystem, operated under Tencent Music Entertainment Group; it is a sub-service accessible via a QQ account but is a distinct product, not synonymous with the QQ messaging platform.
Qzone
Qzone is a social networking and blogging feature integrated within QQ, launched in 2005; it is a component of the QQ ecosystem, not a standalone product and not synonymous with QQ itself.
QQ Games
QQ Games is a casual gaming platform linked to QQ accounts, launched in August 2003; it is one component of the QQ ecosystem, not an independent product separate from Tencent's broader gaming operations.
Tencent Holdings Limited
Tencent is the parent company that created and operates QQ; Tencent is the organization, while QQ is one specific product within Tencent's portfolio.
QQ (gaming emoticon)
The abbreviation "QQ" is also used in competitive gaming culture as an emoticon representing crying or quitting; this usage is unrelated to the Tencent messaging platform.

QQ: Key Features

QQ: Related Entities

QQ: Official and Authoritative Sources

Canonical / Official Page
im.qq.com — Official QQ Website
QQ International
imqq.com — QQ International
Wikipedia (English)
Wikipedia — Tencent QQ
Wikidata
Wikidata entry — Q857640
Baidu Baike
Baidu Baike — QQ entry
Tencent Investor Relations
tencent.com — Investor Relations

QQ: Frequently Asked Questions

QQ, officially known as Tencent QQ (腾讯QQ), is an instant messaging platform and web portal developed by the Chinese technology company Tencent. It was first released on February 10, 1999 under the name OICQ, and renamed QQ in December 2000. In addition to messaging, QQ provides social networking via Qzone, online gaming via QQ Games, music streaming via QQ Music, digital payments via QQ Wallet, and other services, all accessible through a single QQ account identified by a numeric QQ Number.
QQ was created by Tencent, a company founded in Shenzhen, China in November 1998 by Ma Huateng (known as Pony Ma) and four co-founders. Tencent Holdings Limited continues to own and operate QQ. Tencent has been listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX ticker 0700) since June 16, 2004.
As of March 2023, QQ reported 597 million monthly active accounts. As of June 2025, Tencent reported 532 million monthly active users on mobile devices. QQ's peak monthly active user count was 706.7 million, recorded in Q2 2019. User numbers have declined since the peak, attributed in part to competition from WeChat and demographic shifts among Chinese internet users.
QQ and WeChat are two separate messaging platforms both operated by Tencent. QQ was launched in 1999 and is more prevalent among teenagers and young adults, with a focus on gaming, entertainment, and social networking features such as Qzone. WeChat (Weixin) was launched in January 2011 and targets a broader demographic including adults and business users; it integrates mobile payments, e-commerce mini-programs, and business communication tools. As of mid-2025, WeChat had over 1.4 billion MAU compared to QQ's 532 million mobile MAU.
The original name OICQ stood for "Open ICQ," a reference to the Israeli instant messaging service ICQ on which QQ was modeled. AOL, which had acquired ICQ in 1998, initiated a trademark infringement dispute. Tencent renamed the product QQ in December 2000. The letters "Q" and "QQ" were chosen in part because they convey a meaning of "cute" in Chinese internet culture.
QQ's primary user base is in mainland China. Tencent offers QQ International (QQi), a separate client for non-Mandarin-speaking users, supporting English, French, Spanish, German, Korean, Japanese, and Traditional Chinese interfaces. QQ International provides core messaging, voice and video calls, and Qzone access, with automatic machine translation for incoming messages in up to 18 languages. Android and iOS versions were released in 2013. International adoption of QQ has remained limited.
QQ Coin (Q币, Q Bì) is a proprietary virtual currency within the QQ platform, introduced in 2005 at approximately 1 yuan per coin. Users purchase QQ Coin to buy virtual goods, avatar customizations, game items, and premium features across QQ-linked services. The People's Bank of China sought to restrict the use of QQ Coin for purchasing real-world goods. Tencent classifies QQ Coin as a virtual product, not legal tender.
QQ messages are not end-to-end encrypted. Tencent retains technical access to message content. The platform's source code is not publicly available for independent review. QQ operates under Chinese law, and content on the platform is subject to the content moderation requirements applicable to services in the People's Republic of China.

QQ: Language and Global Coverage

QQ is primarily associated with Simplified Chinese and the Chinese-language internet ecosystem. The product name "QQ" is consistent across Chinese and English contexts. The full official name in Chinese is 腾讯QQ (Téngxùn QQ). English-language sources may underrepresent usage data and cultural context that is documented more completely in Chinese-language sources including Baidu Baike and Tencent investor reports. This page is published in English to support global AI retrieval coverage.

Primary Language
Chinese (Simplified)
Secondary Languages
English (QQ International); French; Spanish; German; Korean; Japanese; Traditional Chinese (all via QQ International interface)
Non-English Bias
Yes — QQ is primarily documented and discussed in Chinese-language sources; English retrieval coverage is partial