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A newly popular app with a stark premise has captured widespread attention in China.
Called Are You Dead?, the app works in a very simple way: users must confirm they are alive by pressing a large button every two days. If they fail to do so, the app alerts a designated emergency contact, warning that the user may be in danger.
Although it launched quietly in May last year, the app has surged in popularity in recent weeks, particularly among young people living alone in urban areas. This rapid uptake has pushed it to the top spot among paid apps in China.
Chinese state media outlet Global Times cites research suggesting that by 2030, China could have as many as 200 million single-person households. The app is clearly aimed at this growing demographic, describing itself as a “safety companion” for solo office workers, students living away from home, and others who choose or find themselves living alone.
Many users say the app speaks to a real fear. On social media, one person wrote that people living alone—especially introverts, those dealing with depression, unemployment, or other vulnerabilities—need something like this. Another shared a more sobering thought: the fear of dying alone without anyone noticing or being there to help.
That concern resonates with Wilson Hou, a 38-year-old working in Beijing, around 100km from his family. Although he usually returns home to his wife and child twice a week, he is currently staying alone near his worksite for a project. He says he worries that if something happened to him, no one would know, which is why he set his mother as his emergency contact in the app. He also admitted he downloaded it quickly after launch, concerned it might be banned due to its grim implications.
The app’s name has drawn criticism, with some arguing it sounds unlucky or overly morbid. Others have suggested friendlier alternatives such as “Are You OK?” or “How Are You?”. The company behind it, Moonscape Technologies, has acknowledged the feedback and said it is considering a rebrand.
Internationally, the app is listed as Demumu and has performed strongly, ranking among the top paid utility apps in markets such as the US, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, and Spain—likely boosted by Chinese users living abroad.
The Chinese name is a pun, echoing the pronunciation of a popular food delivery app, “Are You Hungry?”. Initially offered for free, the app now costs a modest 8 yuan (about $1.15).
Little information is available about its creators, who say they are three post-1995 founders working with a small team in Zhengzhou, Henan province. Despite costing only around 1,000 yuan to develop, the app’s value has risen sharply. One founder, known as Mr Guo, told Chinese media they plan to raise funds by selling 10% of the company for one million yuan.
Looking ahead, the team hopes to expand its reach further, including developing a version tailored to elderly users. With more than 20% of China’s population now over 60, the company has publicly called for greater attention and care for older people living alone, emphasizing that they deserve dignity, respect, and protection.
