In the catalog since Aug 19, 2026
Maoxiang
0index_ByteDanceCompany
Companion from ByteDance: chat and voice calls with AI characters within user-created stories. After companions in Doubao were shut down, it remained the company's main platform of this kind.
Facts
- Monthly audience fell from a peak above 6M to roughly 3.9M by June 2026; subscription auto-renewal costs 25 yuan per month (hellochinatech.com, Jul 13, 2026).
- Jul 15, 2026: ByteDance removed consumer AI companions from its main Doubao assistant, while Alibaba shut down its remaining Qwen agent services the same day: the reason was new Chinese rules for AI companions (hellochinatech.com, Jul 13, 2026).
- China App Store publisher: Beijing Chuntian Zhiyun Technology Co., Ltd. (a ByteDance entity), app ID 6475000292 (App Store, Aug 19, 2026).
- The product is positioned as chat and voice conversations with AI characters within user-created stories; a paid subscription adds a smarter mode, long voice calls, and responses without slowdowns during peak hours (App Store description, Aug 19, 2026).
The full card is in the works: the "worth it or not" verdict, pricing and a comparison with neighbors will appear as it moves through the card factory.