Syndication 
The morbidly-named “Are You Dead?” has topped the App Store in China, as a way for people living alone to get some help if they don’t check in every day. Here’s how it works.
Are You Dead/Demumu is in the App Store
The continuing advancement of technology has made it simultaneously easier to make contact with people and to become lonelier than ever. One app in China has attempted to combat the worst elements of solitude by giving families minimal reassurance about their loved ones.
Demumu, also known as “Are You Dead?,” is an app that has become popular in China as a literal app-based “dead man’s switch.” Originally released in May 2025, BBC News reports the local name “Si-le-ma” sounds like “E-le-ma,” a Chinese food delivery app called “Are you Hungry?”
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