The page that allows you to delete your QQ. [Photo/chinanews on Sina Weibo]
QQ's latest edition featuring a cancellation function for Android officially launched Wednesday.
Canceling a QQ number makes the account unrecoverable and clears all data.
To avoid accounts being stolen or canceled maliciously, users need to fulfill certain criteria before deleting their accounts, such as security checks, ending payments, ensuring confidential mobile phones are in effect for a full month, and removing authorization with other apps or websites.
The QQ level system. [Photo/im.qq.com]
OICQ, a chat tool similar to MSN Messenger, was officially launched in China on Feb 10, 1999, before being renamed QQ in 2000.
In the pre-smartphone era QQ was an important channel.
In 2003 a level system was introduced, and people began comparing their QQ levels.
Users were awarded stars depending on the amount of time they spent on the platform, with four stars being upgraded to a moon, then four moons to a sun – those with the most suns could take pride among their friends.
QQ pets, QQ address book, QQ music, and QQ space debuted in 2005, with QQ space perhaps the most popular function, becoming many users' first blog.
By 2006 you could buy diamonds for people you liked on QQ to express love, with diamonds of different color being exchanged for different things: red for virtual clothes; yellow to decorate your QQ space; green for music.
In 2009 QQ users exceeded 1 billion and it became the most popular chat tool in the world.
A netizen shares feelings about the cancelation of QQ on Sina Weibo. [Photo/Sina Weibo]
The platform has however cut a number of products in recent years, with QQ home, QQ pets, and webQQ no longer in operation.
QQ is 20 years old this year, and many have grown up with the service – many are also reluctant to now delete it.
"When I saw the cancellation function was launched, I wanted to take the opportunity to delete a QQ number only for playing games.
"The process basically went away, but when I saw the album in QQ space, I stopped. I suddenly felt a sad feeling coming up. Let me just keep it," a netizen said on Sina Weibo.
A netizen answers the question "Will you cancel your QQ ?" [Photo/Sino Weibo]
Faced with the question "Will you cancel your QQ ?" on Sina Weibo, people left messages saying, "There are memories in it, so I wouldn't," or, "It is my youth, so I wouldn't."
QQ is not only a chat tool, but also a cornerstone of many people's youth. Canceling QQ is like saying goodbye to an old friend or saying goodbye to your youth.
