It's fast enough! WeChat has launched a new feature.
Recently, WeChat's update action has been continuous, and the update some time ago enabled users to directly open the link to Taobao with WeChat, and increased the upper limit of the number of pictures shared in the circle of friends. Just when some users have not yet used these functions, WeChat has quietly launched a rather practical new function.
On February 17, some users found a new "chat image search" function in the iOS version of WeChat. At first, Xiao Lei thought that this was just a simple small function, but after actually experiencing it, he found that the function was far more practical than he thought, which greatly improved the efficiency of finding chat pictures. Below, Xiao Lei will talk with you about this seemingly simple but practical function, and try to explore its potential "market" value.
Chat images can also be searched precisely
It should be noted in advance that the WeChat chat image search function has begun to push a small range at the end of last month. As of the time of this writing, the feature has begun to be pushed to iOS devices, and users of Android phones will have to wait.
In the past, we in the WeChat chat history to find the picture process is more cumbersome, if the chat picture is less, it is fine, like some chat pictures more WeChat groups, you need to repeatedly and carefully browse the chat history to find the picture you want, the whole process is laborious and time-consuming. After the arrival of the WeChat chat image search function, this embarrassing problem can be solved with just a finger.
The WeChat chat image search function requires the user to actively open it, and the switch of chat image search can be found after clicking the WeChat settings - general - "photos, videos, files and calls" option in turn. It should be noted that when you first use it, there will be a process of image loading and retrieval, and you can quickly and accurately search for images after completion.
When using the chat image search function, in the "Pictures and Videos" option in the WeChat chat history category, the bottom of the search box will appear in the QR code, screenshots, people and food and other image classification options, and click to expand the related pictures. However, Xiao Lei found that the classification label is not fixed, and WeChat will load the corresponding label according to different types of pictures.
The advantage of the WeChat chat image search function is that we can directly enter the category information of the picture we want, or keywords related to the picture. In the following figure, The "headset" and "mobile phone" of Xiaolei search are used as an example, WeChat can search out pictures related to headphones and mobile phones, and can also retrieve pictures with search terms in the picture records through keyword detection.
It is not difficult to see that the WeChat chat image search function is mainly used in image recognition and OCR text recognition technology. On the one hand, through AI training, WeChat can identify different types of pictures, such as mobile phones, cars, plants or food, etc., on the other hand, OCR text recognition can identify the characters in the pictures, and improve the accuracy of the image search function in a dual recognition way.
The WeChat chat image search function is similar to the focus function in Apple's iOS 15, enter keywords in the search box to quickly retrieve keyword-related pictures on your phone. The difference is that the search source of Apple's focus function is the information in the mobile phone, while WeChat is the picture in different chat records, and the design concept of the function is to improve the efficiency of user retrieval information.
After the WeChat chat image search function broke out, it was well received by many users. For some users, chat image search may not be a feature that is often used, but its existence can ensure the lower limit of the chat image search experience, ensuring that there will be no embarrassing situation of frantically rummaging for pictures when users need to use it.
However, due to the existence of problems such as expired chat history pictures, it may limit the development of WeChat chat image search function. Secondly, many users are concerned about the privacy issue, the algorithm will judge the type of picture and the text in the picture, and it is difficult for users to judge the privacy protection strategy of this function.
In addition, chat image search is also a good function for merchants, and it can even be said to be an efficiency multiplier in the work process of some merchants.
Is it good for merchants to operate private domain traffic?
For many businesses that focus on private community operations, they need to send various promotional messages in groups of hundreds of people every day, and if you want to review or find a picture, it is like finding a needle in a haystack. The situation is similar to the preferential group of a well-known fast food chain brand that Xiao Lei joined, the group administrator will send many promotional posters every day, and there will be user discussions in the group from time to time.
The second is the large group buying group in many communities and communities, which are different from preferential promotion groups, and the pictures in the group are sent more frequently. The "leader" in the WeChat group will send promotional information for various products every day, including a large number of product offers and introduction pictures, and users in the group will place orders in the Mini Program according to their own needs. In some sinking markets, the "head of the group" will also play the role of helping users place orders, receive goods and notify users to take goods, and the arrival of the WeChat chat picture search function is conducive to their quick search for pictures and facilitates later review.
After contacting some recent new actions on WeChat, XiaoLei found that some new features and activities are not only conducive to users to better use WeChat, but also more conducive to businesses to carry out community marketing based on WeChat. First of all, the WeChat red envelope cover that is very popular during the New Year, more diverse red envelope covers enhance the playability and attention of the activity, and the promotion information of the public number and video number on the cover meets the new promotion needs of the business.
Secondly, the circle of friends supports the sharing function of more than nine pictures, and after sharing, more than nine pictures will be published in the form of videos, which enhances the fun of ordinary users sharing pictures, and also allows merchants to share more and more complete product information in the circle of friends at once. With the development of the Internet "wall removal" action, After WeChat can directly open the link shared by Taobao, it is tantamount to making it more convenient for merchants to use WeChat for private domain traffic marketing, and improving the efficiency of users clicking on Taobao product links in the private domain community to place orders.
For WeChat, it is the largest traffic pool in the domestic Internet, the Internet "demolition wall" is the trend of the times, Ali's Tao e-commerce will always be connected to WeChat, WeChat at this time some new features in the good for businesses at the same time, but also enhance their own platform e-commerce attributes.
Under the wave of the development of interconnection, WeChat may not want to play the role of only a social App, WeChat's Slogan is "WeChat, is a way of life", which makes it necessary to expand its own service boundaries and develop new functions, after all, e-commerce is an important part of users' lives.
Of course, from the perspective of software development, WeChat launched the chat image search function to enhance the user's practical experience. However, when a platform develops to a certain stage, the update of some new features on the platform seems to be very ordinary and ordinary, but the scope of its impact and the significance of its production may be immeasurable, and WeChat itself cannot control it.
epilogue
Through the update of software versions, WeChat's functions are increasing, which can't help but raise such a question - "Where is the boundary of WeChat's development?" ”
In Xiao Lei's view, WeChat is becoming more and more like an ordinary App, and to some extent more like a "system" built on the basis of social functions. The introduction of the same function has different impacts on different users and groups, but all focus on improving their convenience in using WeChat and generating greater value based on social networking. Or to become an indispensable and "full of weight" Internet tool in the user's life, is the boundary of WeChat's development, connecting everything that can be connected, which also makes it need to go around and break the wrist with giants in different fields.
At least from the recent versions of the update, we have seen WeChat actively listening to user feedback, trying to make more changes, and making some ordinary or "usable" functions easier to use. It is foreseeable that weChat in the future may optimize the design of some functions to make some seemingly inconspicuous functions more intelligent and better used.
In the update of the chat image search function, WeChat may have been helped by Sogou AI technology, after all, Sogou has accumulated many patents and experience in image and text recognition. From the perspective of technological complementarity, the "integration" between Internet giants is conducive to learning from each other's strengths and complementing each other's strengths, thereby improving the user's experience of using products. That is to say, if the acquisition and acquisition between giants are based on the premise of improving the user experience, it is not necessarily a bad thing.