Messaging apps are a big part of today’s world. They have changed the way we interact with others. Usability, accessibility, and embedded features are things that make us use them. The biggest messaging app, which is a part of Facebook’s services, has over 2.1 billion unique users. Moreover, Facebook is the holder of two popular messengers, Whats App and Facebook messenger.
Having an Internet connection is a must for service access in pretty much all messaging apps. Employing apps to deliver messages as quickly as a flash is popular these days. Therefore, messaging apps have offered a profound contribution to peoples lives. That’s why many organizations are looking for a local messaging system. On the other hand, entrepreneurs find it an opportunity to make more money. So, we’ve included an easy-to-follow guide on how to create a messaging app in this post.
Likewise, messaging apps social media apps resemble similar functions. If you are interested in developing a social media platform, then read how to make a social media app?
Why are messaging apps very popular?
Instant messaging is fast. Approximately 41 million messages are delivered every minute. It is less expensive than the traditional ways of communication such as an SMS and phone calls. Video chat is a prominent feature in majority of applications. Face chat has allowed people to keep in touch with friends, relatives, and coworkers, especially during the Pandemic. The vast features they offer and them not being merely limited to chatting is why they have lots of users.
Top 5 messaging apps in 2021
Telegram
Telegram has over 200 million users worldwide. It is the most popular messaging app in Iran and Uzbekistan. The following are some of Telegram’s features:
- Text messages, voice messages, and video messages
- Phone calls
- Stickers of various kinds
- Groups for discussion
- Whatsapp is built in a way so that it can operate with the minimum speed of Internet connection. It offers excellent voice calls. Some advantages of WhatsApp:
- The ability to send voice and text messages
- high security
IMO
IMO is a free tool for voice calls and video calls.
Some of its benefits:
- voice and video calls
- making group chats
- supporting stickers
Discord
Discord is a gaming-focused messaging app. It’s compatible with both phones and computers. Its Features:
- Voice and video chat are available.
- Support for gifs
- Exchange of information (video, image, and more)
Slack
Slack is a business-oriented chat application. It has a great user interface. Some of its features are:
- Having multiple servers
- It’s free to join
- Supporting third-party apps like Google Drive
The most trending messaging apps in 2022
In most times, you can’t predict the future, especially when things are changing in a blink of an eye. Although owning some of the features listed below may make an app on of the most trending apps this year. The features are:
- Having end to end encryption
- Being open-source
- Messages that vanish
- No data collection policy
All or most of the criteria above are met by Signal, Telegram, Wickr, Threema, and WhatsApp. Which app will stand out as the best of the best? Leave a comment in the box below.
Basic features you need in order to build a messaging app:
- Authorization: The sign-up or sign-in process is the first step after entering the platform. You should have recommend methods, but also let users choose. Some would prefer to register via email, while other users may have social media accounts. However, the most secure way is to enter with a phone number.
- Syncing contacts: The app should automatically have access to contacts. It not only improves the user experience, but it also saves a lot of headaches for users. It is a great jump forward if they see which of their contacts already use the app.
- Sharing content: Information comes in many formats. For instance, videos, images, audio recordings, and documents. Exchanging different files is possible thanks to the use of various APIs.
- Push notification: What is push notification? It is a message that is shown on the top corner of the screen. Push notifications are critical tools to inform users of the latest updates.
- Theme: An aesthetic experience can excite users. people’s favorite colors are not the same. An artistic element to implement is color combinations. People should be able to personalize the platform’s atmosphere in any way they want. Just look at what Telegram has done.
- Sharing live location: In this way, uses can share their current location with CLLocationManager class on Android and iOS and send it to each other. This feature really enhances user experience.
You need to employ libraries to implement the above features in an Android app. We have introduced the best Android libraries in our post.
Choosing a platform: A mobile app or a web app
No one can deny that mobile phone use is on the go. Mobile phones deeply influence web and applications traffic. According to Statista, 54.8 of users are on mobile. Moreover, almost 50% of web traffic and 92% of time spent on mobile phones is on different mobile applications. The challenging question is Mobile app versus a mobile website: Which to invest in first? We provide a fundamental review for you and help you choose in the article.
Mobile apps are formatted in three different ways: native apps, hybrid apps, and PWAs. Let us give you a brief definition. Native apps are designed for a specific operating system like Android or iOS. Hybrid apps are codded once and operate on every OS. Furthermore, some of them work to a point without an Internet connection. Progressive Web Apps, also known as PWAs, have a texture of native apps and websites with offline usability. On the other side, web apps are client-server programs that present a function, for example, a website’s contact form.
As a startup owner, you may be stuck in a dilemma, because all of the different types look fine. A piece of general advice would be that you should consider how much time and how much money you want to spend. Most importantly, digital marketing will open up new opportunities for you. Application marketing, search engine optimization, and more, are phenomenally influential factors you should have an eye on.
In the end, you can consult with professionals. That is why at Twelfthdream, we hold a discovery call to help you. Book a discovery call here.
What makes each app different
User Interface (UI)
Before we dive deep into the topic, it is worth saying that Twelfthdream offers UI and UX design services.
Appearance matters a a lot, even in digital products. User Interface is about arranging the look of things to provide an easy approach to the aspects of a website or an app. That’s when you’ll be able to engage more users in a way that benefits you. Especially when it aids to build trust. If the components had been maintained on ideal balance, people subconsciously feel you can deliver a perfect product as well. As you may have heard, learning is a never-ending process. Anticipate potential problems, then find a solution to implement in your app. Everything should be in its place. User Interface has three types:
- Voice-controlled interfaces
- Graphical user interfaces
- Gesture-based interfaces
User Experience (UX)
UX is one of the common expressions in SEO and web designing. User experience is the level of a users’ satisfaction while interacting with a website, mobile app, desktop software, and so on. UX design heavily impacts search engine optimization. Google uses a variety of algorithms to recognize how users interact with a site and how satisfied they are with it. Therefore, if want to have a good rank on a search engine result page (SERP), put a concerted effort into your UX design. Look at everything from the perspective of the user’s persona at the start of the UX design process, meet their needs, improve their experience in a positive way, and you will come off pretty well.
Features and functionalities
Always act deftly. Surprise your target audience with spanking new features and services. Solve their problems. Every problem has a solution. You just have to be creative enough to find it.
If you are developing an Android application, the use the best Android libraries to save time and energy.
The bottom line
After the emergence of messaging apps, people feel rather reluctant to send SMSs. Price is a key factor that encourages people to actively deploy messaging apps. Users establish a solid relationship with messaging apps since they are free of cost with the least need for purchasing internet. Therefore, developing a messaging app with solving problem functions would probably engage a majority of users.
You can build one yourself. The work starts with research. Analyze your competitors. Facebook, Telegram, and WhatsApp are the biggest ones. Look at how they do things, and learn form them. How can you boost their services? What are the pitfalls?
Otherwise, choose a mobile app development company to do you so. Twelfthdream is at your service. Our passionate team of engineers bring flawless solutions for you. That is why we hold a discovery session to estimate the price and time. So, opting for Twelfthdream Team As A Service (TAAS) is an excellent choice. We won’t let you down.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to make a messaging app? The initial development costs start from 50000 to 60000 dollars. However, the fee can fluctuate according to the embedded features and customization.
How long does it take to build an application? You can say app development is a never-ending process since trends and demands are changing. But building a stable app at least takes 3-4 months.
What is the difference between a web app and a PWA? In essence, a progressive web app is an advanced web application which can work without internet connection.