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Viber racks up one billion installs, even without your help
You might not be using it, but a lot of people are
When you think of messaging apps, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and any of Google's 47 attempts likely come to mind. As mainstream as those services might be, they aren't the only options you'll find for texting your friends and loved ones. Viber isn't as recognizable a name, but it's been quietly popular for years now. Today, it passed the one billion installs milestone, marking its place among other ultra-successful apps like Google Messages and Snapchat.
Viber messenger ups group video call limit once again (APK Download)
Now you can video call up to 30 people at once for free
Viber might not be a de-facto standard like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger, but the platform still has a loyal following of at least 500 million people on Android alone. Like most of its competitors, it quickly upped the group video call cap at the beginning of the pandemic, but the service isn't done — in a Play Store update note, it has revealed that you can now make video calls with up to 30 participants at once, rather than 20.
Viber adds GIF creation features to help make chats more fun
Boomerang, slow-mo, and super speedy modes included
Viber has been releasing a bunch of new features and upgrades lately, from increasing its group call limits to letting users save notes and to-dos. Now the messaging service has launched a GIF creation tool on iOS... with Android to follow in the coming weeks 😒.
Viber increases group call participant limit to aid social distancing measures
Chat with up to 20 friends at once while you're stuck in isolation
In many countries around the world right now, social distancing or even stricter quarantine measures have been put in place to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus — this means we're all far more dependent on technology if we want to hang out with our friends. Zoom and Houseparty get-togethers might be all the rage right now, but other communication apps are also doing their bit in this time of need. Viber has increased the maximum number of participants in group calls to 20 so you can chat with more of your friends at once.
Viber announced today a new note-taking feature appropriately dubbed "My Notes." Notes are accessible from your Chats list; adding a new note is the same experience as sending a message, and your list of notes looks an awful lot like a normal Viber conversation, but with additional features to help with organization.
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- Sometimes dark mode just isn't dark enough. Following up on Viber's release of a tinted theme earlier this year, the developers have finally delivered on a new, true "black" mode. To enable it, you'll first need to grab the latest version of the Viber app from the Play Store or sideload from APK Mirror. Then open the app, go to Settings > Appearance > Black. This new theme looks especially inviting when used in tandem with Android 10's built-in dark mode that has been making its way to handsets since first reaching Pixels in September.
Things were simpler back in the days of SMS, but now you have to choose which silo you're going to lock yourself inside. The messaging world has been consumed by the likes of Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, but there are also smaller players like Viber. Fans of that app will be happy to hear there's a dark mode in the latest update, and you don't even have to send a moon emoji to anyone.
Books, movies, and series are common ways to widely share a story, but it's far more common to tell personal adventures orally or over text messages. However, Viber came up with a new feature that mixes things up, letting you read short stories on your phone, which take the shape of fictitious text messages.
Messaging apps are only good when many people use them. That's why the market is dominated by a few big players like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and good ol' text messages. Other platforms have to find ways to incentivize people to switch to them, and one way to do that is by offering features the leaders don't yet have. That's why Viber is introducing Create a Sticker, allowing you to make and share your own sticker sets without leaving the app.
When it comes to messaging apps, companies are fighting to increase their market shares with features such as screen sharing, context-aware recommendations, and even fact-checking services. Viber has been busy improving its offering with the recent addition of a dark mode and the ability to edit sent messages. However, some elementary features were missing compared to its most famous rival, like quick replies and clearer conversation status visibility. These are finally making their way to the app with the rollout of minor improvements that make the software just a little more convenient to use.
Thanks to messaging platforms like Viber, calling and texting across the world is a breeze and doesn't cost a dime. However, there are circumstances when people need to call or text you with an actual phone without relying on an Internet connection. For instance, if you live abroad, it would be easier for your grandma to give you a ring with her old-fashioned landline. A local number can also be handy to confirm a booking, or even let your foreign clients dial you in more easily. For all these occasions, you previously had to go through the hassle of using an app to get a virtual line or buy a local number. Thanks to Viber's new Local Number feature, you'll get a number for people to reach you using traditional phones.
Viber just announced the launch of the latest revision to its mobile messaging app, bringing a new UI and some new group features. The company also claims that the redesign offers users double the performance when sending messages.
Making a typo you can't correct is one of the more frustrating parts of text communication. Viber seems to agree, because now you're able to edit messages you've sent through the service. Like in other apps that offer similar functions, edited messages will be marked as such to limit any possible confusion.
Viber is getting into the World Cup spirit. The popular instant messaging platform has announced a feature that will allow users to make predictions about the outcomes of World Cup matches, along with a specially-made soccer-themed sticker pack and prizes for accurate predictions.
Viber is still playing catch-up with more popular messaging apps and every couple of weeks it adds several features that have been available on other messengers for a while. That's still a good thing though, in my opinion, since users who prefer Viber have the same handy and interesting options than those who are on Telegram or WhatsApp.
Until recently, changing the number associated with your Viber account would mean losing your chat history. That would be very frustrating for heavy users with lots of conversations. Since the v.7.3 update, released earlier this month, it's been possible to back up up your data and take it with you when changing numbers.
Everyone is getting inspired from everyone these days, so it's no surprise to see Viber add features that have been in WhatsApp and/or Telegram for a while. Today's update to version 6.8.2 of the app brings inline YouTube playback and last seen timestamps on statuses.
Self-destructing secret messages are super hip nowadays. Snapchat made it trendy and now every messaging app and social network is trying to follow suit: Allo has private conversations, Instagram creates ephemeral stories, and so on. Viber is now jumping on the hype train and allowing you to set a time limit on your shared media.
Viber has been around as a VoIP solution on mobile devices for ages, but it also has a service called Viber Out that lets you call landlines. It usually costs money to do that, but not in select scenarios right now. Viber has announced that calls between landline and mobile numbers in the US and the seven countries affected by Donald Trump's controversial immigration ban will be free.
Viber is one of the many apps trying to supplant traditional phone calls and texts. But to achieve that dream, the service can't stop with connecting you to friends and family. You need to get in touch with stores and other businesses too. That's why the latest Viber update introduces public accounts.
WhatsApp users (you and me both), it's time to raise your pitchforks and descend into battle. We've asked time and time again for the messaging service to add GIF support, you've whined in the comments section, we've whined in our private conversations with friends that we're sick of sending them links to GIFs and we just wanted, pretty please, to insert a freaking GIF like God Intended Forrealz inside a conversation and have it display just as any other image or video. But no, we still don't have that. Guess who has it as of today though? Viber.