Ant Group's AI Health App Exceeds 100M Users
Ant Group's health app, known as AQ or Ant AiFu, has surpassed 100 million users, driven by a surge during the recent Spring Festival holiday. The growth was particularly strong in emerging markets, with 52% of new users coming from tier-3 or smaller cities. The app's adoption highlights the increasing traction of AI-powered features in the health and wellness sector.
- The app's growth was amplified by a marketing campaign linked to the Spring Festival Gala, one of the most-watched television broadcasts globally, where it was featured in a comedy skit. - Beyond domestic growth, usage among Chinese travelers overseas increased by 106% compared to the pre-holiday period in January, who used the app for health concerns related to changes in climate and diet. - The app's most popular functions include AI-powered health Q&A, skin analysis, voice consultations, personalized wellness goals, and the creation of digital health records. - This user milestone was reached alongside Ant Group's other major AI-native product, Alipay AI Pay, which also surpassed 100 million users during the same holiday period. - The app, branded AQ, topped the overall download rankings on China's Apple App Store for several consecutive days during the holiday period. - Ant Group has made AI-driven healthcare a central part of its growth strategy, elevating its health unit to the same level as its core payment and lending businesses in November. - The rapid adoption of health apps like AQ is occurring as China's population ages, with citizens aged 65 and over accounting for 15.6% of the population in 2024, a figure expected to grow significantly. - Prior to the recent surge, the app had already shown strong momentum, surpassing ten million monthly active users within four months of its launch in June 2025.
