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Chinese Check-In App ‘Are You Dead?’ Tops Paid iPhone Charts, Climbs Overseas Rankings

Its blunt daily check-in resonates with people living alone in China, reflecting worries about being left without help.

Overview

  • The app requires users to confirm they are safe each day or at least every other day, emailing a designated contact if check-ins lapse.
  • In China it is the top paid iPhone app at a price of 8 yuan, and it appears internationally as Demumu for about €0.99 with placements in the U.S., Singapore, Hong Kong, Spain and Australia.
  • Users have criticized the name and asked for SMS alerts instead of email, while the developers say they plan in-app messaging and improved accessibility for older users and are weighing community input on a new name.
  • The developers are reported to be three founders born in the mid‑1990s, with media accounts describing a low development cost and noting unverified talk of a possible minority stake sale.
  • The surge has intensified discussion about isolation in China, where forecasts project up to 200 million single-person households by 2030.