The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has stopped Apple's Callkit, and WeChat can no longer answer video calls directly

Apple has development tools such as ARkit, Classkit, Homekit and Sirikit, but Callkit is not well known. Simply put, this is a tool that can integrate Internet calls such as WeChat into the call function of the phone itself. Doesn't it sound convenient? But unfortunately, this feature that debuted on iOS 10 is definitely not available to Chinese users.

Recently, Apple officially notified developers that according to the regulations of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, all apps listed on the App Store in China cannot support the Callkit function. For applications that support Callkit, those that have been listed need to be removed, and those that have not been listed will not pass the review.

Next, let’s learn what Callkit is. This development framework was first released on iOS 10. It supports VoIP applications to integrate call functions into the iPhone’s built-in call functions. For example, WeChat calls on the lock screen can directly display the full-screen interface of “Reject” and “Answer”, which is almost the same as the traditional call experience. The call logs and address book of VoIP applications are also integrated into the relevant interfaces of the mobile phone.

The most direct impact of the deactivation of Callkit is the incoming call reminder function. When an Internet call or video call from applications such as WeChat comes in on the lock screen, there will no longer be an option to directly answer or reject the call. Instead, it will be displayed as "There is a new WeChat message". Users need to unlock the phone and enter WeChat before answering the call, which undoubtedly greatly reduces the experience of Internet calls.

WeChat actually supported Callkit briefly, but in February this year, WeChat closed the support for Callkit in the iOS version. In addition to WeChat, the network calling function of QQ and other applications will also remove the support of Callkit. In contrast, although Android phones do not have Callkit, it is still possible to directly pop up the network calling interface when the screen is locked.

As for the reason why the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued this requirement, industry insiders believe that it may be to protect the interests of China's mobile operators. After all, Internet calls will have a great impact on traditional call services.