The greatest disadvantage, on the other hand, is the fact that the communication is not yet encrypted by default although this is allegedly in the pipeline. Another product from the Facebook range has also developed into a good Skype alternative. While WhatsApp was initially only a messenger for written messages, you can now also use it for voice and video calls.
In addition, photos, videos and voice messages can be sent back and forth. Beside the well-known versions for Android and WhatsApp there are also desktop solutions for Mac and Windows. With WhatsApp Web, you also have a version for the browser. While you can chat with people in a group at the same time, video conferencing , however, is limited to four people.
The biggest advantage of WhatsApp, however, is the massive distribution of the software : The probability that friends and acquaintances will also use the app is very high. But WhatsApp not only shares this plus point with its Facebook Messenger sister, they also have the biggest disadvantage in common. As a Facebook product, many users are very concerned that little attention will be paid to privacy, although WhatsApp does offer end-to-end encryption.
FaceTime is a video chat application built especially for Apple devices i. Despite this, however, it is possible to invite up to 32 contacts to a video conversation. Launched in , the Google Duo app takes a similarly minimalist approach to FaceTime; this app is also reduced to its core function: video calls between two users are possible, as well as video conferences between 8 people.
The Hangouts app is generally seen as an attempt by Google to break into the instant messaging market as a competitor for WhatsApp. As well as an app for Android and iOS devices, Google Hangouts is also available as a web application, which can be accessed via a browser. All of these different versions can be used to chat with other Hangouts users and share files, as well as set up video conferences with up to 10 participants.
Since , Hangouts has also offered the option of inviting non-registered users to a video call; they can then take part in the conversation via their browser. Regarding this matter, Google has given notice that its Hangouts service is now primarily geared towards corporate customers. This free instant messenger from Japan offers a range of functions that are similarly available on other applications such as WhatsApp.
As well as the classic instant messaging function already familiar to us, Line also allows video calls between two users. But Line can do far more than that: as with Facebook, Line can be used to create a timeline and share photos, videos, and much more with other Line users, thus building a small social network with your contacts. In addition, you can also purchase gaming apps, stickers and new designs. In the past, Line faced heavy criticism for its lack of data security, but the application now appears to have learnt from its mistakes; the application can now offer its users end-to-end encryption across all forms of communication.
WeChat is available for practically all common operating systems — of all the most widely used operating systems, only Linux is not supported. Users can access even more features via in-app purchases. WeChat is therefore the go-to social media platform for people in China to communicate. The application, however, is subject to Chinese data protection laws, which are extremely sparse.
Not even the communication made on the app is secure; only the message history is encrypted. Furthermore, there is absolutely no information available to the public about the servers on which the data is stored. The server location does determine however, how high the data security is that is legally required. It therefore only remains to be said that, of all the services presented here, WeChat is the most opaque , and probably also has the weakest data security. Wire also offers typical messenger functions; this comprises a chat feature, which includes file sharing as well as voice calls with up to five user accounts and video calls between four accounts.
The company behind Wire and the software development of the application are located in Switzerland and in Germany. As can easily be seen, the application is greatly concerned with protecting the privacy of all content exchanged between users; all data transferred within the application is backed up with end-to-end encryption. Yet another guarantee for the security is the fact that, according to the provider, all Wire data is stored on servers in the EU Germany and Ireland.
In general, data protection regulations in the EU protect the user data much better than in other parts of the world. This consequently makes Wire one of the safest instant messenger servers on the market. In addition to the free version, the company also offers several solutions for businesses.
If you opt for a professional subscription, you can use the software for internal company communication and have the conversations run on your own servers. With Wire Red, there is even a service available that should continue to guarantee communication even in a crisis situation. As this table shows, there many applications that can be used to set up a video conference with more than two devices. Most of the services provide a very similar range of functions to Skype.
For example, almost all the programs have an instant messaging feature with the exception of Google Duo and FaceTime , and users can also send files using many of the alternative applications. However, three of these services offer exemplary privacy policies when it comes to securing conversations, user data, video, audio, and text content; these are Jitsi , Tox , and Wire.
Incidentally, users should be aware that using any of these video telephony applications with a mobile device to make calls without a wireless connection can significantly and quickly incur large volumes of data usage. In general, using a local network is highly recommended for video calls. By using a strong internet connection, you can usually get the best quality image for your video calls.
Traditional email is still a big part of online communication for private and for business use, with many users typically opting for Outlook as their email client. But many private users and small businesses often look for Outlook alternatives, since Outlook can often end up being expensive. With more than a billion worldwide users to date, the app is more popular than almost any other on the market. But this networking comes with its disadvantages too: the main one being that WhatsApp shares user data Skype has been around for a long time and it was the first video chatting software that I used to make calls with.
Not only that but for a small fee you can use it to call landlines and mobile phones. Viber is one of the most popular instant chat apps on the market but will likely always live inside the shadow of Skype and WhatsApp. That said, Viber Rakuten is not a small player in fact according to Statistica Viber Messenger has more than 1 billion registered users globally in countries so the chances of people you know using this app are going to pretty good.
Nimbuzz messenger was recently acquired by Mara Social Media group and has over million registered users. It packs a lot of the same features that you would already be familiar with like voice calls, conference calls, messaging, chat rooms etc. I remember back in while working for Vodafone there was a mobile phone we had featured push-to-talk technology i.
Yabb Messenger Alright, we may be a little biased here but we think Yabb Instant Messenger is one of the best all-in-one social networking chat apps on the market for Android and iOS. Group chat Video chat Real-time push messages Location sharing Meet new people nearby Photo sharing Social media wall where people can share and like Share YouTube videos with your friends Moderated content if someone uploads inappropriate photos we remove them Real-time social updates Yabb Instant Messenger is available on Android and iOS 2.
WhatsApp At the time of this writing, WhatsApp is one of the most popular chat apps on Android and iOS connecting more than a billion humans. Need fairly strong internet speeds to get a good clear video call. GroupMe GroupMe is a text messaging app that allows you to send group texts.
Keeps all of your conversations in one place Add-on apps to extend its capabilities You can almost run your life from this single app. WeChat WeChat was developed in China back in and now is a global social media app. What we like Registration is quick and easy since it uses your mobile phone number or log in with your Facebook details.
What we like Finding people is easy with this chat app, you can run a search using their name, number or email address this does, of course, raise security concerns for some. In a group chat, it lets you know who in that chat, has seen your message which is always a handy feature. Cross-platform — you can switch between PC and mobile phone during a conversation great for when your phone runs out of juice. Kik Messenger Kik is a cross-platform instant chat app that can do much of the same things as similar apps in its category like one-to-one or group texting.
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