We've been spending the whole day with our smartphones at hand and with round-the-clock access to the Internet. So it's not surprising that we prefer to communicate with friends through all sorts of instant messengers. And the most popular among them is WhatsApp.
According to Statista, every month it is being used by 1 billion people all over the world. In addition, WhatsApp is the most sought-after application in 109 countries. But how to create a messaging app like WhatsApp? Is it even possible? Let's figure it out!
WhatsApp is considered to be the most popular messaging application, thus it is a good example to follow in messaging app development.
As of May 2020, 2.52 billion people use chat apps regularly and this number keeps growing and is expected to reach 3 billion in 2022.
Just imagine, 41 million messages are sent out each minute globally, stated by Statista.
It makes no wonder that the messaging app market will grow rapidly.For starters, let’s outline what functionality you should implement to develop a feasible product.
These days, it is necessary to include the must-have features that would make the system work as well as apply some sort of innovation to make the app appealing to the target users.Here we list those messaging app functions that the app cannot exist without.User authorization - Clearly, app users should have the possibility to create a personal account.
Depending on the app’s objectives, you may include authorization via email, phone number.Contact importing - For enhanced user experience, your messaging app should access the existing user contacts.Messaging functionality - This is when the data go through the server and the information is stored there.Sharing of photos and files - Make sure that your messaging app supports different app attachments.Location tracking - In many apps, users can share their location with others like parking spots, offices, restaurants, etc.Notifications - This is an important element in any messaging app development.Synchronization across devices - If you plan to build a messenger that is available on multiple platforms (iOS, Android, Web) make sure that the user has identical experience and interface.Server-side of software can be coded in PHP, Ruby, Erlang, and similar.
Your software development vendor should advise you of what is more suitable to use in your case.
Despite the fact that there are big players in the market as WhatsApp, Viber, Facebook Messenger, Snapchat, and others, there are still enough opportunities to create an app like WhatsApp and bite off a considerable market share.
All you need is a good idea (we bet you have one), the strong development team that you can find at The App Solutions and consistent marketing strategy.
Apple WWDC16 again proves a rapid evolution of instant messaging app sector, as well as innovative changes to the iMessage, confirm the intention to compete for the first place in the global market.
On the other hand, Business Insider shows how quickly messaging apps have hit the milestone and caught up with social media network users:
As you can see from this chart, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, WeChat, and Viber altogether have about 2.2 billion active global users per month.
In WhatsApp, they also use SMS confirmation code because for security reasons.
Online chat seems as old as the internet.
And equally compelling.First, chat rooms came luring users into an excitement of undercover small talk.
Next, social networking sites stepped in to offer over-the-horizon connectivity.
Now mobile messengers keep us engaged by delivering immediate responses.
And we increasingly fall for the comfort and convenience of instant messaging.Let’s face it, instant messaging (IM) is a new enterprise and consumer reality, and the mobile chat app popularity is not going to subside anytime soon.Well, that’s good news.
Roll up your sleeves and get down to business – making Yet Another Awesome Chat App.Discover more how to create chat app.
The main essence WhatsApp has is a real time chat users can run there.
Developers worldwide have already come up with a few schemes messengers could be based on, all of them serving a different purpose.
The types depend on the connection your chat is meant to use - it might either be HTTP + Push Notifications or Extensive Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP) protocol with Sockets-placed chat.Read here: How Much Does It Cost to Build a Messaging App Like WhatsApp?
Among the new software updates, Google is finally rolling out its long debuted RCS chat service after waiting a lot for the carriers which were dragging the collective feet or not acting at pace.
When even after pushing the carriers valiantly, they do not speed up the process of offering support for RCS chat, Google independently takes the bold move of providing the new texting experience to the Android users.
Due to point-driven model, when the message is sent to the chat-ready phone or the phone that’s not chat-ready, but device and carrier support RCS, then the RCS message will be delivered to the intended user.
The service is using the phone number to send messages to the users.
The web interface can be enabled with QR code scanning, but its use is limited to message editing, not as a secondary device to communicate.
It offers everything for which the users are looking to switch to iPhone or download WhatsApp or Facebook messenger app.