A Chinese mobile app with a morbid name but a life-saving purpose has become the country’s most downloaded paid application, as millions of young people living alone turn to technology for peace of mind.
Launched quietly in May last year, the app, bluntly titled Are You Dead?, has seen a dramatic surge in popularity in recent weeks.
Its premise is starkly simple: users must check in every 48 hours by tapping a large green button to confirm they are still alive. If they fail to do so, the app alerts a designated emergency contact.
The app’s rise reflects a growing issue among China’s urban youth about the risks of solitary living.
With projections suggesting the country could have as many as 200 million one-person households by 2030, the app’s creators say they are addressing a very real need.
Marketed as a “safety companion” for those living alone, from students and office workers to introverts and the unemployed, the app has struck a chord with users who fear the prospect of dying unnoticed.
“People who live alone at any stage of their life need something like this,” wrote one user on Chinese social media.
Another added: “There is a fear that people living alone might die unnoticed, with no one to call for help. I sometimes wonder, if I died alone, who would collect my body?”
Wilson Hou, 38, who works in Beijing and lives 100km from his family, said the app offered him reassurance.
“I worry that if something happened to me, I could die alone in the place I rent and no-one would know.
“That’s why I downloaded the app and set my mum as my emergency contact,” he said.
Despite its grim name, the app, known internationally as Demumu, has found success beyond China’s borders, ranking among the top paid utility apps in the United States (US), Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia and Spain.
The app’s name, a play on the popular food delivery service Are You Hungry? (E-le-ma), has also drawn criticism for its bleak tone.
Some users have called for a rebrand to something more uplifting, such as Are You OK? or How Are You?
Moonscape Technologies, the company behind the app, says it is considering a name change in response to the feedback.
“We are listening to our users,” a spokesperson said, though the firm has not responded to questions from the BBC.
Originally free, the app now costs 8 yuan (approximately £0.85), a modest fee that has not deterred its growing user base.
Its creators, three developers born after 1995 and based in Zhengzhou, Henan, claim it cost just 1,000 yuan (£110) to build.
They are now seeking to raise capital, reportedly offering 10 per cent of the company for one million yuan.
Looking ahead, the team is exploring a version tailored for China’s ageing population, with over 20 per cent of citizens now aged 60 or above.
In a recent post, the company urged greater attention to the elderly living alone, stating: “They have dreams, strive to live, and deserve to be seen, respected and protected.”
As the app continues to climb the charts, it appears that in a fast-paced, increasingly isolated world, a simple question, “Are you dead?”, may be just what people need to feel a little more alive.
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