A new app with a sinister name, Sileme, which translates to “Are you dead?”, is rapidly gaining popularity in China. Its functionality is very simple: the user must press a large button every other day to confirm their existence. Otherwise, the app sends a notification to a designated emergency contact about potential problems with the user.
This information is a translation of material published by a BBC correspondent. The original text is available here.
The app was launched in May last year, but its popularity has only surged in recent weeks. Young people living alone in cities across China have started downloading it actively, making it the most downloaded paid app in the country.
According to research data, by 2030 there could be around 200 million single-person households in China, as reported by the Chinese publication Global Times.
The app specifically targets this audience, positioning itself as a “safety companion” for those choosing a solitary life, including office workers, students, and those who consciously opt for solitude.
“People who live alone need such a solution, as do introverts, depressed individuals, the unemployed, and those in vulnerable situations,” wrote one user on Chinese social media platforms.
Another user noted: “It’s scary to realize that loneliness can lead to someone dying unnoticed, and there will be no one to call for help. I often think: if I die alone, who will take care of my body?”
Wilson Hou, 38, lives 100 kilometers away from his family, and this prompted him to download the app.
Working in Beijing, he only returns home to his family twice a week. In recent months, he has had to stay at work and sleep there. “I worry that if something happens to me, I might be left alone in a rented apartment, and no one will know,” he says. “So I downloaded the app and listed my mom as my emergency contact.”
Wilson added that he downloaded the app shortly after its release because he feared it might be banned due to negative associations with the theme of death.
Some users criticize the app for its name, considering it grim and even unlucky.
Some are calling for a name change to something more optimistic, such as “Are you okay?” or “How are you?”
Despite the criticism, the developers from Moonscape Technologies acknowledged that they are considering changing the name, although the app's success is largely tied to its memorable title.
The name Sileme is also a play on words, referencing the popular food delivery service “Are you hungry?”, where the Chinese “Si-le-ma” sounds similar to “E-le-ma”.
Internationally, the app is known as Demumu and ranks second in popularity in the USA, Singapore, and Hong Kong, as well as being in the top 4 paid apps in Australia and Spain, likely due to Chinese users abroad.
The creators of the app remain in the shadows. It is known only that they are three individuals born after 1995 who worked on the app in Zhengzhou, Henan Province.
Initially, the app was offered for free, but it has now become a paid service with a small price of 8 yuan ($1.15). The development of the app cost the developers around 1,000 yuan ($140), and now the value has significantly increased. One of the founders named Guo stated that they plan to attract investments by offering 10% of the company for one million yuan.
Additionally, the team intends to expand its target audience and is exploring the possibility of creating a new product aimed at elderly people, which is particularly relevant in a country where over 20% of the population is over 60 years old.
To confirm their intentions, they released a statement: “We would like to urge society to pay more attention to elderly people living alone and to care for and support them more. They have dreams, they strive for life, and they deserve respect and protection.”
The company did not respond to BBC inquiries.
