Tencent introduced enhanced video capabilities for its Chinese messaging service WeChat, as it looks to boost its presence in an increasingly popular sector, South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported.

The WeChat update doubles the length of videos on the Moments feature to 30 seconds, with the company pitching greater audience exposure as a selling point for content creators, the newspaper wrote.

Another change involves providing recommendations for live-streamed videos based on algorithms, a move which brings WeChat closer to rival app Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok.

Tencent’s overhaul comes at a time of soaring popularity for mobile video: China Daily previously reported domestic short-form video user numbers hit 818 million at end-June 2020, citing China Netcasting Services Association figures.

In its report, SCMP stated WeChat monthly active users totalled 1.2 billion at end-2020.