Paid app 'Dead Yet?' goes viral amid rising fees

(ECNS) -- A paid app known as "Sileme," or "Dead Yet?", has gone viral in China, with the number of paying users surging 200-fold and continuing to rise, its founder, surnamed Guo, said.

The app's price has climbed from 1 yuan (about $0.14) at launch to 8 yuan, and could rise further to more than 10 yuan, potentially reaching around 14 yuan, according to the developer.

 

Some users questioned the app's value, noting that it has a low technical threshold and is easy to replicate. A similar free app, "Alive Yet?" （Huoleme）, has already appeared on the Apple App Store, offering comparable functions such as location tracking and check-ins.

One netizen commented that with more people living alone these days, the app fits everyday needs, but if the price keeps rising, fewer people would use it.

Guo said the app was developed by a three-member team born after 1995, responsible for product planning, design, and development. The entire process took less than a month and cost just over 1,000 yuan to complete.

(By Gong Weiwei)