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What are the key features of an app like WhatsApp which is at the zenith in its category?
Chat applications are the most in thing nowadays... Read this story to know more about it
This is a user generated content for MyStory, a YourStory initiative to enable its community to contribute and have their voices heard. The views and writings here reflect that of the author and not of YourStory.
A cutting-edge chat application must have vital functionalities that can be adjusted to any type of chat solution. A perfect visit application has the capability of offering answers for big enterprise level chat application, customer centered business communication, e-commerce chat, and personal chat.
Let’s have look at how you can develop an app like WhatsApp.
What are the key features of an app like WhatsApp which is at the zenith in its category?
1. Registration and contact syncing
Authentication in chat applications can be actualized in different ways: by means of the telephone number, email, or online social-networking profiles. Most chatting applications expect clients to sign in with a telephone number. WhatsApp sends an SMS confirmation code for security reasons. Once registration is done, a user can make their own profiles where they can include personal data and a profile pic.
The subsequent stage is to import contacts from the address book, as there's unpleasant in a chat application when you have nobody to chat with.
2. Customizing Profile
Modifying profiles enables clients to express their distinction. They may change names and nicknames, background colours, visual patterns, and textual styles, or pick an avatar photograph from the camera roll or by taking a photograph in a split second. In many applications, individuals can see client status, to be specific when individuals last utilized the chat application, who's on the web, and when somebody is composing.
3. Instant messaging
It works over the internet, however in the event that user gets disconnected then they can get every one of the messages they miss when they get back online. Messages can have statuses (delivered/failed/seen/altered). This is presently a standard feature in most of the chat applications, informing users about the status of their messages from the minute they're sent until the point that they're being read by at other end.
It's obvious that your chat application needs to send messages to users. But at the same time, it's relied upon to stored chat history. For users, this implies that chats and media files that are sent by users should be stored in the cloud so that they can be retrieved to whatever gadget user wants. This is an incredible feature for users who utilize various devices with single account attached to it, the users who have lost their device, or the user who have unintentionally deleted the chat application.
Quick Search is a feature that makes it simple for users to find and track chat discussions that occurred long back. Or on the other hand, users can look for their friends, media files, GIFs, etc.
Another feature to look for is voice messaging. This is a feature in which instant messages are transmitted through voice media. Users can leave a message for friends/ or any person at any time without typing our everything.
4. One to One Video calling and Group Video calling, Voice calling
Video and voice calling makes a chat application more tempting to use it, putting no restrictions on users the way people want to connect and speak with each other. Here are the fundamental voice and video choices an application can give:
Voice calling: Voice calling gives users a chance to call their contacts at zero cost, regardless of whether they're in another nation. With voice calling, users can talk however they can't see each other.
Video calling: Video calling offers visual correspondence between users. A video call utilizes an internet and Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), which includes video of the of both the parties. This feature makes it simple to use interface with loved ones notwithstanding when they're far separated.
Group calls: Chat applications can likewise enable users to hold aggregate discussions with both sound and video.
5. Media file transfers
Aside from emojis and texts, individuals love to share different sorts of media, for example, photographs, stickers, GIFs, Videos. In some cases, one picture or video says everything, particularly in an instant chat application.
6. Push Notification messages
Notifications need to be executed in an application while building up the MVP. They fill in as an immediate line of correspondence between the messenger and its users with whom he wants to chat. These convenient messages keep users engaged with the application and advise them when new messages have arrived.
One should thrive on new features which are mentioned as follows to stay unique from their competitors.
Profile Customization ( users can change background colours, patterns, fonts )
Secret chat features with self-destruct feature within a stipulated time.
Scheduling messages (e.g. for birthday events and occasions)
Customization of Stickers (let clients make their own particular stickers)
Statuses and stories can be set
Now Let’s have a look at technology stack used by Whatsapp which are as follows.
1. Erlang: This is the chief programming language used to develop the epic chat app Whatsapp. The Erlang programming language was most appreciated for its performance reasons, speed and scalability.
2. Ejabberd: Contus Fly uses open source jabber resembles (WhatsApp clone) to enhance the operational efficiency which is optimized for the anticipated results.
3. FreeBSD: WhatsApp, which has sent over billions of messages every day on its platform, has been built on FreeBSD. Contus Fly opted FreeBSD operating system due to its delicate network stack and extensive reliability.
4. YAWS: (Yet Another Web Server) is written entirely in Erlang. Contus Fly uses embedded mode where YAWS runs as an embedded web server on the combination in another Erlang application
5. Custom XMPP Server: Contus Fly encoded XMPP server to its functionality by reducing the byte of the keywords. The technology is used to enable message exchange in a real-time. The XML format is a human-oriented and it’s not meant to be read by any machine learning.
If you are about to build a chat app like WhatsApp enhanced with additional modern features, then you are on the right path to bring out your chat app with dynamic features.