Why an app called “Are You Dead?” has gone viral in China

A bluntly named app - “Are You Dead?” - has gone viral in China, not because it’s shocking, but because it reflects a quiet fear millions already live with. The app’s function is simple: users check in everyday to confirm they’re alive. Miss two consecutive check-ins, and an emergency contact is alerted. No chats. No community. Just proof of existence. As China faces a rapid rise in people living alone - driven by urban migration, delayed marriage, job insecurity, and an ageing population - the app struck a nerve. For many, the concern isn’t loneliness, but something more unsettling: being unseen. This video explores: How the “Are You Dead?” app works Why it resonated so deeply with Chinese users What its viral spread says about modern life and isolation Why the app was later rebranded as Demumu And what this moment reveals about technology, safety, and solitude This isn’t really a story about death. It’s about how societies change - and what happens when silence lasts too long