There’s a new app taking over China’s App Store, and its main feature is to ask users a deeply uncomfortable question every single day: “Are you dead yet?”
The app, called Sileme (or 死了吗) in Mandarin, which literally translates to “Are You Dead Yet,” climbed to the top of China’s paid app charts within days. Users have been drawn to it’s minimal, slightly dark, and strangely comforting interface.
Users are supposed to ideally log into the app once a day, tap a huge green button, which confirms they are still alive. This lets people know that you’re still alive.
After two consecutive days of not tapping the button, the app automatically sends an email to your chosen emergency contact, alerting them to physically check on you. No drama. No extra features. Just existence confirmation.
According to WIRED magazine, one of the app’s creators, Guo Mengchu, said the idea came from wanting to build something more fundamental than social or entertainment apps.
“When I looked at Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, I saw that safety needs are deeper and apply to a much broader group of people. That felt like a good direction,” Guo told WIRED. From the virality of Sileme, a lot of people felt the same way.
Louis Eriakha
What It Feels Like to Use a Daily ‘Existence Check’ App
Out of pure curiosity, and maybe a little existential reflection, I downloaded the app myself. In Nigeria, the one-time purchase cost me $1 on the Google Play Store. No subscription. No monthly charges. Just a one-time payment, and you’re in. The setup takes less than a minute: your name, your emergency contact’s email, and that’s it. After that, your entire daily obligation is tapping one massive green button.
The interface is almost aggressively simple. Blank background. No distractions. Just the button to write your name and provide an emergency email. You tap it, close the app, and continue living your life. And somehow, that’s the magic. There’s something weirdly grounding about being reminded each day that simply being here is enough.
Increasingly, people are opting to live alone, particularly
The app’s success makes a lot of sense when you look at how people are living today. Increasingly, people are opting to live alone, particularlya sharp increase from in China. According to the country’s 2020 census, 25.4% of households consist of just one person, a sharp increase from a decade earlier. Younger people in particular are embracing solo living, and Chinese companies are increasingly building products around that reality.
So an app that quietly watches over you, in the background, without being intrusive or emotional, feels like exactly what this moment needed. And then there’s the name, blunt, slightly funny, a little dark. Half the internet shared it just because of how ridiculous and honest it sounded.
The Backlash Over Renaming "Are You Dead Yet?"
Which is why the backlash has been loud since the developers announced they’re changing the name. On Tuesday, the team said the app will officially be rebranded as “Demumu” for global markets. Guo explained to WIRED that the new name combines the word “death” with the playful naming style of Labubu, the Chinese plush character that went viral worldwide last year. The goal is to make the brand more international and market-friendly.
But the internet isn’t buying it. On Weibo, the most liked comment under the announcement reads, “Baby, your previous name was the reason you went viral.” And honestly… that might be the most accurate business feedback anyone has ever given.
What’s Next for the App
Behind the scenes, the attention has been overwhelming. Guo told WIRED that since the app went viral, more than 60 investors have reached out, some offering millions of dollars for a stake in the company.
“We knew there would be some traction, but the scale of this completely exceeded our expectations,” he said.
The team also plans to add AI features soon. Guo describes the long-term vision as “essentially like having an AI safety companion installed on everyone’s phone, one that can offer all kinds of help when you need it.”
From a $200 experiment to one of the hottest apps in China, all because it asks one simple question a day: Are you still here?
And for $1, I now have an app that makes sure someone will come looking for me if I disappear for 48 hours.
Emmanuel Umahi
