Ant Group Announces Major Upgrades to Its 15-Million-MAU AI Health App AQ Amid Wider Push into Health Sector

HANGZHOU, China--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ant Group today announced major upgrades to its AI health app AQ, with a new Chinese name “Ant A-Fu.” The character “Fu” conveys good wishes and well-being, reflecting the app’s goal to promote better health and quality of life.

The upgraded version of AQ now features three core capabilities: health Q&A, AI health companion, and integrated health services.

Launched in June 2025, AQ has rapidly grown to 15 million monthly active users, making it China’s leading AI health management app. Positioned as an AI health companion service, AQ currently answers over 5 million health-related questions every day.

The announcement comes amid China’s ongoing demographic shift. According to projections from the National Health Commission, by around 2035, more than 400 million people, or over 30% of the population, will be aged 60 or above. This transformation is expected to significantly increase demand for health-related services, with AI-powered solutions playing a critical role in meeting those needs.

Building Healthier Habits with an AI Health Companion

The newly launched health companion feature is designed to help users develop and maintain healthy habits.

• Users can log their health status directly in AQ. The app now also supports records integration from major smart device brands, such as Apple, Huawei, vivo, Yuwell, and Omron. With user consent, AQ can automatically sync daily health metrics—such as physical activity, heart rate, and sleep duration—from these devices.
  Beyond smart devices, users can also upload photos or images to record health information. AQ allows users to create health profiles for family members as well. Acting much like a family doctor, the app can track long-term health trends and help safeguard the well-being of the entire household.

• Second, AQ introduces two new companion tools: health goal setting and smart reminders. Users can set goals related to exercise, diet, or lifestyle habits, while AQ functions like a personal trainer—creating tailored plans and sending daily reminders to help users stay on track.

More Personalized Health Q&A

With a deeper understanding of users’ health situations, AQ’s health Q&A function now delivers more accurate and personalized responses.

• For users who find it difficult to clearly describe their symptoms, AQ’s “AI Clinic” tool simulates a real face-to-face consultation by proactively asking follow-up questions and offering visual prompts to help users express their concerns more precisely.

• In addition to voice and text, AQ can also analyze images. Users can take photos of skin conditions, medical test reports, or medication packaging to receive clear explanations, with the capability of interpreting most medical reports.

AQ does not provide medical diagnoses or replace professional doctors. As Zhang Junjie, Vice President of Ant Group and Head of Health Business, explained: “AQ is designed to help users address common, everyday health questions and support healthy habit formation, meeting users’ daily health needs that don’t yet require a hospital visit.”

For cases requiring medical diagnosis, AQ connects users with a nationwide network of 300,000 doctors for online consultations. Users can also book in-person doctor appointments, purchase medication, and pay hospital bills using their basic medical insurance e-certificates directly through the app.

AQ has also partnered with over 500 leading physicians across China to launch their AI Doctor Agents on the platform, which provide health recommendations by learning from each doctor’s prior experience. Together, these agents have answered more than 27 million health-related inquiries.

By handling routine and everyday health questions, AQ allows doctors to focus more of their time on treating complex conditions. “AQ can serve as a powerful assistant to hospitals and physicians,” Zhang added. “By leveraging digital platforms and intelligent technology, we can enable one doctor to serve more patients, making high-quality health services more accessible and inclusive.”

About Ant Group

Ant Group is a global digital technology provider and the operator of Alipay, a leading internet services platform in China, connecting over one billion users to more than 10,000 types of consumer services from partners. Through innovative products and solutions powered by AI, blockchain and other technologies, Ant Group supports partners across industries to thrive through digital transformation in an ecosystem for inclusive and sustainable development. For more information, visit www.antgroup.com.