UC Browser is a UCWeb developed web-browser, which was released in 2014. The company, owned by Alibaba Group created a browser, which is now more popular that Google Chrome in Asian countries.
Meaning and history
UCWeb, founded by He Xiaopeng and Liang Jie in 2004, developed UC Browser, a mobile web browser initially launched for Java ME smartphones. It gained significant traction by becoming the top mobile browser in China, India, and Indonesia by 2013, with over 500 million users globally by 2014. UC Browser was noted for its data compression technology, fast page loading, and multi-platform support including Android, iOS, and Windows.
In 2014, UCWeb was acquired by Alibaba Group, marking one of China’s largest internet merger deals. This integration allowed UC Browser to expand its features into areas like mobile search, gaming, and news under the Alibaba UC mobile business group.
Currently, UC Browser holds a 0.86% global market share as of May 2022, with 1.48% on smartphones. However, it faced bans in India in 2020 due to privacy concerns and in China in 2021 over deceptive medical ads, impacting its market standing.
2014 – Today
The UC Browser visual identity is bright, playful and instantly recognizable. Its unique emblem evokes a sense of curiosity and happiness, showing the creativity of the developing team and making the potential users want to try the new software.
The UC Browser logo is composed is an orange square with rounded angles, containing a stylized image of the squirrel inside.
The squirrel has always been a symbol of the browser, but the previous version was more detailed and cartoonish, while the current design is sharp and contemporary.
The squirrel is drawn looking to the right and its body is composed of a swirl-like pattern, which makes the logo look lighter and more interesting.
Squirrel is a commonly known symbol of energy and focus, it also represents the playful character and joy. Complemented by an orange and white color palette, which also evokes a sense of happiness and dynamics, the UC Squirrel is a truly outstanding example of a modern IT brand’s visual identity mascot.