A shockingly blunt mobile application called “Are You Dead?” has become a viral sensation in China — not as a horror game, but as a safety-check tool for people living alone that prompts users to regularly confirm they are still alive.
Originally released in mid-2025 under its Chinese name “死了么” (Sileme), the app has quickly climbed China’s Apple App Store paid-app charts, reflecting growing anxieties around isolation and unnoticed death among solo dwellers in fast-paced urban centres.
China’s state-affiliated media XinHua Net also noted the app’s simple check-in and notification function addresses a real pain point for independent dwellers, while sparking broader discussion about how society supports people living apart from family or community.
How the app works
The concept is simple: after installing the app, users set an emergency contact and are prompted to check in regularly — typically by tapping a button or confirming their status every day or every two days.
If a user fails to check in within a set time window, the app automatically alerts their designated contact, warning that something may be wrong.
The app’s creators say it was designed to address real concerns among solo dwellers — including students, professionals and others living away from family, amid China’s rapidly growing number of single-person households.
Multiple analysts and users echo that the app taps into a broader anxiety about what happens if someone suffers a sudden accident or health crisis and no one finds out.
Surged in popularity
According to ThePaper.cn, Are You Dead? surged in popularity on Chinese social media and rapidly rose into the top tier of paid downloads.
To appeal to audiences beyond China, the development team recently rebranded the app as “Demumu” for international markets while retaining its core functionality.
Priced nominally (around 8 yuan domestically, roughly RM4.65), the app has attracted millions of downloads and sparked debate about technology’s role in personal safety, loneliness and the digital age’s social fabric.
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