The Chinese app "Sileme," which translates into "are you dead," announced on its official Weibo account on Tuesday that after careful internal deliberation, it will officially adopt the global brand name Demumu in its upcoming new version, following a wave of public attention and online debate triggered by the app.

After media reports on Monday, the app said its services have seen explosive growth overseas. Going forward, Demumu will remain committed to its mission of safety protection and bring China-originated care solutions to the global market, serving more people living alone worldwide, according to its Weibo post.

Following the post, some netizens commented, "The reason you went viral was your original name," and asked whether users would have downloaded the app if the original name had not been "fun." Others were more neutral, remarking, "Here comes another short, repeated-letter name - are you taking cues from Labubu?" and asking, "will there be an Android version?"

The development team said in a Weibo post that they described the app as "a lightweight safety tool for solo dwellers." On Sileme, a user can simply check in daily with one click, and Sileme silently monitors the user's status. If the user fails to check in within the app's timeframe, the app can automatically notify the user's emergency contact, the company said.

The app topped Apple's paid App Store ranking on Saturday. 

"Sileme" noted in its weibo post before that the team expressed appreciation to the users and the media, and the company introduced themselves as a small, independent startup of three co‑founders born after 1995. "We feel honored and deeply grateful to receive such widespread attention," the team said in the statement.

Global Times