Tag: Messaging apps

Google’s SMS Replacement App, RCS May Roll Out Soon

Google has finally taken a stance on its upcoming RCS chat (Rich Communication Service) functionality for Android devices. The feature was announced back in 2018, although its implementation has been rather slow. The blame is partly on various carriers as the next-gen texting format usually depends on networks adding support. This usually occurs one at a time inducing great delay. Hence, compatibility so far has been grey in nature. The tech giant, however, has now announced that it will take the lead on the projects roll out.

RCS is said to be a new-gen replacement for SMS texting and will be initially made available for users in the UK and France in June. Users can opt-in for the service in the aforementioned countries. This service does not work on a central server and is designed to work with other devices that are compatible. Google passes the exchanged messages through its servers (which they claim are deleted as soon as they’re delivered) taking on a decentralized system. Hence, not requiring carrier support or complicated OEM policies.

How Does RCS Work?

RCS is essentially a peer-to-peer workaround for the carrier-driven model. The next-gen texting service is agreed on by most carrier across the globe to be a viable and necessary replacement for SMS. Similar to modern texting apps, it will provide many of the new features currently popular in base messaging apps. Compatible devices thereon receive high-quality media, read receipts and other new features with the service. Unfortunately, end-to-end encryption is still lacking right now.

Google’s Android Messenger dubs the app as ‘Chat’ and will be optional for those that want to update to the RCS Chat. Furthermore, new smartphones will, by default, be offered on devices running Android OS. To enable the feature, click ‘Yes’ on the Chat prompt on the default messaging app. If another user in the same virtual room has RCS, it will be shown as Chat in the app. The service will work with any smartphone supported by the RCS Universal Profile, regardless of carrier support or even Google.

RCS is a federated model with different carriers being responsible for delivering messages to users. This is unlike Apple’s iMessage that utilizes a central server based model. The complex nature of RCS is crucial for not having a single company benefitting and controlling the entire system, similar in nature to SMS.

Also Read: Samsung Patents Smartphone With Dual Display

Google has not passed every hurdle to be faced with RCS’s widespread induction. The tech giant has not announced a proper roadmap for the new chat technology being implemented in other countries. However, with Google’s hands-on involvement with the service, users can be assured of an earlier release than carriers.

June 18, 2019
5 Best Instant Messaging Apps Other Than WhatsApp

Instant messaging is a type of technology that offers real-time message and media transmission over the internet. It dates back to the early 90’s and some of the first platforms were AOL instant messenger and Yahoo’s Ytalk. But the launch of modern smartphones has completely revolutionised instant messaging and taken it to another level. WhatsApp and Facebook messenger are the prime examples of new era of Instant messaging. However, there are multiple other IM applications and software that have their own distinctive attributes and USP’s. Here is a list of 5 such applications that are available on both Android and iOS platforms.

1.) Hike

Hike messenger is a free instant messaging app developed in 2012. It offers support for 10 languages and allows support for both text messaging and audio calls. One key highlight of Hike messenger is its offline chat ability that allows sending messages to users even if they don’t have an active internet connection. Some other distinctive features of Hike are a Hidden mode, 20,000 free stickers, better security and many more.

The Hidden mode allows users to hide their chat with specific contacts that stay invisible from the main chat screen. Hike has an option to enable 128-bit encryption so hackers cannot tap into messages even if they are connected to the same Wi-Fi access point.

Highlight- Extensive Features

2.)Skype

Skype was initially released in 2003 and was later taken over by Microsoft in 2011 for $ 2.9 Billion. It was one of the first pieces of software to offer video chat functionality. The mobile version of Skype offers free voice, video, and text messaging support. Talking about video calls, Skype mobile supports simultaneous calls with up to 24 contacts. Like other IM’s, it also allows sharing photos and videos with saved contacts.

Highlight- Best Video Call Support

3.)Discord

Discord is a cross-platform text and voice chat app that is specifically designed for gamers. It allows creating separate channels for different topics and subjects. The user can easily see which of the team members are currently online and what game they are playing. In Discord, a user can easily send invite links to new members to join a particular group.

Discord is a web-based instant messaging application hence, the users can log in from any device and view conversations. Unlike WhatsApp that can only function on one device at a given point of time. Additionally, users can also share their screencast with friends and participants.

Highlight- Made For Gamers

4.)Signal

Signal is an instant messaging application built with security in mind. It was developed in 2013 and supports 31 international languages. It is an open source messaging app hence, it allows anyone to verify its security by auditing the code. Signal is the only private messenger to offer this level of security. It supports Group chat, text messaging, audio/video calling and private media sharing.

Highlight- Security

5.)Slack

Slack is a cloud-based team collaboration instant messaging service which was founded in 2013. It allows groups, communities or teams to join via a specific invitation link or manually by the team admin. It integrates a large number of third-party services like GitHub, Google Drive, Dropbox, IBM Bluemix and many more which come handy in development environments in companies.

Also read: Apple Updates The iPad Pro With Face ID And USB C Ports

Slack is freemium software which means its basic functions are free to use but also offers paid features like unlimited app integration and ability to search more than 10,000 archived messages.

Highlight- Team Collaboration

October 31, 2018
WhatsApp To Limit Message Forwarding After Violence In India

India has been subject to a lot of violence because of fake news spreading across social media platforms. Because of fake WhatsApp news going viral in the district of Tiruvannamalai, a family of five lost their lives. Facebook currently owns the messaging platform and is now planning to bring major changes in the way WhatsApp works. In their latest announcement, Facebook said that they will limit the number of messages users can forward.

Also Read: New Twitter Update Will Reduce Follower Count As Locked Accounts Are Removed

The limit currently in India for forwarding a message is 250. The new WhatsApp update will bring this down to just 5 in India and globally the limit will be 20. The latest case of violence happened in Tamil Nadu. 65-year-old Rukmani and other four family members were travelling to a temple in Tiruvannamalai. They stopped at a village close to the temple to ask for direction when a woman wrongly suspected the family as child lifters. The rumour spread across the village via WhatsApp. The woman called her son who was ready with a mob. To avoid them, the family decided to turn back but found themselves surrounded by another mob in the neighbouring village. Again, because the news spread via WhatsApp. The family was then murdered.

The above mentioned is just one of the many cases where the victims were subject to brutality because of fake news. This led to a dire need for some serious changes in the way the social media platforms work. The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, India raised its concerns about fake news to WhatsApp. Which is one of the reasons why the update is now the messaging platform’s top priority.

WhatsApp

Social media platforms are a space where people can share their opinions. However, people take this freedom of speech for granted. Regulations and protocols for people on social media is still a grey area. It is reassuring to see platforms like WhatsApp taking steps to manage and hopefully control the spreading of such fake information.

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July 20, 2018
WhatsApp Says WhatsApp Plus Users Will Face Temporary Bans, Not Permanent

A few days WhatsApp began banning those users who had been using third party applications like WhatsApp+. The messaging app stated privacy concerns for the ban. WhatsApp has come out and said that the move is just temporary, and users can follow some easy steps to start using their service again.

The bans were handed down for a 24 hour period. Users could uninstall the third party app and install a fresh version of the official app from the app store, and they would be re-instated back. But recently a Google+ post saying that Whatsapp is starting a Permanent Account Disable purge caused a lot of concerns amongst the users.

WhatsApp has come out to clear the air. Earlier, WhatsApp used to ban the third party app users for a period of 24 hours, and the message showed up with a countdown clock, but now it’s extended indefinitely and the countdown clock has been removed. The company said that the third party app users will be unblocked only after they have uninstalled the third party app. They are not permanently banned from the service.

WhatsApp had claimed piracy and security concerns for the ban. It cited the case of Snapchat where users’ personal content were hacked in through third party app. So if you want to use the official WhatsApp app, you would have to delete WhatsApp+, WhatsApp Reborn, OgWhatsapp or any other third-party client from your smartphone.

This feels like a case of arm-twisting by the messaging giant, but it sure is needed to increase security. There is accountability with the official app, but there is none with third party apps. It’s better to take the safer approach than trade your personal information for a few new emoticons on a third party app. WhatsApp is anyways introducing features such as voice calling soon, so you would be better off sticking with the official WhatsApp.

March 7, 2015
WhatsApp’s Voice Calling Feature Now Coming to All Android Devices

A few days back it was being reported that WhatsApp was testing voice calling feature on select devices. The messaging giant is now all set to bring the feature to all its Android subscribers. This will be a fantastic news for the users but will also be a major cause of concern for the network operators who have already lost tremendous amount of SMS revenue to messaging apps.

The update seems to get activated when a user with voice calling capability calls his WhatsApp contacts. Once the update is activated, the user interface also changes to feature a separate voice calling screen. A phone icon also appears next to the WhatsApp contacts, and you can also see the call logs of your device.

It seems like the update procedure isn’t working for all users yet. There might also be a possibility that the developers might have restricted the number of people a person can invite by voice calling them. WhatsApp hasn’t officially announced the roll-out but with the number of devices supporting the feature, we can anticipate an announcement any time soon.

With this offering, Facebook owned WhatsApp will also direct an assault at voice calling apps like Viber, WeChat and others. You can even expect a backlash from the phone companies in the form of increased data pack costs. But no matter what, the 700 Million WhatsApp users are going to get a reason to celebrate real soon.

February 21, 2015
WhatsApp Announces ‘Free Lifetime Subscription’ for Indians

WhatsApp is the most popular messaging app on smartphones today. The multiplatform app has caused a serious dent in the SMS revenue of mobile companies. It is beloved by many for its convenience and features and is a kind of mini social network. The company has a good news in store for Indians; it won’t be charging any sum for renewal of subscription of services.

Vice President of WhatsApp, Neeraj Arora, said that the company understands the low concentration of credit cards in the country, and paying for a service won’t be an option for many. The company usually charges $1 every year to renew the subscription, which is a fairly cheap price. But for Indians, WhatsApp said the magic word – Free!

Mr. Arora was speaking at his alma mater Indian School of Business, where he conversed on a lot of topics. He recalled that the founders of WhatsApp were crazy, and he got into the company by forcing his way in. He took up the bits that the founders were not interested in, like the business aspect of things. The company was recently acquired by Facebook for a gargantuan price of $19 billion.

The future of WhatsApp was also discussed, and he said that the company will remain the same even after the acquisition. The company will not be allowing ads in the app as they believe that it will not be a pleasant experience for the users. Considering the massive seven crore (70 million) users that it has in this country, WhatsApp may not want to give them an opportunity to consider its competitors.

November 6, 2014
Google to Take on Whatsapp with its own Messaging App

There is no shortage of messaging apps for smartphones. For whatever operating system you are using, there would be multiple messaging app options for you. Now internet’s Godzilla, Google will be making its foray into the market. The app is expected to be put to test in India and other emerging markets.

The report published by Economic Times said Google sent its top product manager Nikhyl Singhal to India for a recce of the messaging app ecosystem in the country. The app is currently in the developmental stage and is expected to be launched in 2015.

The app will take on the likes of Whatsapp, Hike and Others

The app will be free to use and will not require users to use a Google account for login. It will also free to use in comparison to Whatsapp’s freemium model. Google might give the app some autonomy just like Facebook gave Whatsapp.

Google is paying heightened attention to India because the country is expected to become the second biggest mobile market by 2019. It is also expected to have a 500 million strong internet using population by 2018. There appears to be a huge scope for the tech giant to cash in on these users.

Coming to the app at hand, Google really has to bring something convenient and unique on the table as there is a massive user-base in India which has grown comfortable with Whatsapp. To lure them the company has to put in some serious effort otherwise it will also turn into a ghost town like Google Plus.

October 3, 2014
Google Buys Emu Messaging Service to Boost its Messaging Might

Google has bought an intelligent, personal assistant based messaging app called EMU. The app is created by an ex-Google and an ex-Apple employee who worked on Siri. The basic premise of the app is close to what Google Now offers. It goes through your conversations and picks up leads to provide the users with recommendations related to their interest.

Emu began as an Android app, and its superior assistance feature must have prompted Google to loosen its purse strings. The app is capable of scheduling appointments to the calendar, set reminders and setting restaurant reservations with convenience like never before.

This is how the website looked soon after the acquisition announcement.

Messaging is where a lot of big companies have been investing. With Facebook buying Whatsapp, it was evident that messaging apps have grown in prominence and have overtaken the good old SMS. Now there is a race to perfect a messaging app. Apple, at WWDC this year has already presented a unique messaging feature which intertwines all its ecosystem’s messaging features. Apple’s messaging features were appreciated even though they seemed “inspired” by the features of various apps like Whatsapp, Snapchat, etc.

It is said that Google’s acquired Emu to strengthen its Hangout app, thereby giving an alternative to what Apple has to offer. Emu founders have announced that the app will cease to exist as an independent app and will be shut down by August 25. It will be interesting to see if Google plays the messaging game. Will it repeat its email success with Gmail or we’ll end up with another Google Plus fiasco?

Emu is impressive the way it was introduced and Google might have learnt its lessons by now and may be ready to go head-to-head with Apple.

Check out what the app can do in this video. Caution: They have a catchy background score that will be stuck in your head all day long.

August 7, 2014