WeChat ID cards set to be rolled out across China in 2018 to replace physical cards

Forgot your ID card? Don’t worry, there’s an app for that

WeChat already has control over your money and contacts. Next up? Your identity.

Police in the city of Guangzhou have started issuing China’s first virtual ID cards over the extremely popular social messaging app, reports Xinhua. These can be used in the place of traditional hard-copy identification cards for things like registering at hotels, applying for government services, buying tickets requiring real-name authentication, etc.

After testing the program in the city’s Nansha District, WeChat IDs will be rolled out across Guangdong province and then all across China starting in January. It’s not clear when foreigners will be able to also use the system.

At the moment, Guangzhou residents simply have to enroll using an identity authentication app developed by China’s Ministry of Public Security with help from tech giant Tencent. Then, they’ll be free to forever leave their government-issued ID cards at home with their wallets.

With nearly 1 billion active users, WeChat remains China’s most popular app. While it began in 2011 as social messaging app, WeChat has since been busy making itself integral to all aspects of life in China from sending red packets to prostitution.