Viber is a free downloadable app that allows users to make free calls and send text, picture and video messages to other Viber users. It works on both cell phones and computers and can be used to connect with people all over the world. As of February 2015, the text messaging app had 236 million monthly active users. The app can be downloaded directly to your phone or computer, you just need to enter your phone number to get started.
Viber uses your cell phone as your identity. To verify your account, Viber sends you a PIN to activate it. Once activated, the app links to your contact list to find and connect with friends. Viber is a cross-platform VoIP and instant messaging application that allows users to exchange audio and video calls, stickers, group chats, and instant voice and video messages. It is a product of Rakuten Viber, a multinational Internet company based in Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, Japan. Messages sent through Viber are protected by end-to-end encryption.
The application is popular among users who want to make public and private calls, play games with other users, and access the service via desktop. Viber is compatible with voice assistants such as Google Assistant and Siri, as well as the user’s phone contact list. Viber’s instant messaging includes features such as the ability to share photos, GIFs, stickers, videos and emoticons. Viber combines desktop and smartphone chat and supports iOS, Android, Windows, Mac OS, as well as Linux Fedora and Ubuntu. The software also allows calls and chats to be switched between mobile and desktop. Users who speak different languages can converse thanks to real-time translation features.
Installation and Setup
To set up Viber, you need to download it from the App Store/Google Play Store, install it and enter your phone number to get a confirmation code. After entering the code, you will be asked to create a username and that’s it. The first problem is that Viber requires a phone number. If you are interested in secure instant messengers, you will find that some options work without your phone number. One example is Threema. The second problem is that your account will be tied to your phone number.
To change devices, you will have to deactivate your account, export messages, and then import the data to the new device. Also, you cannot use Viber on multiple devices at the same time. During installation, Viber requires you to give the app access to your contact list, so you can easily send Viber messages and call people in your contacts who have installed the app.
While this is a handy feature, it’s also a potential security issue and something that more secure messengers don’t allow or at least try to restrict. Also, every time someone from your contacts installs Viber, you will receive a push notification by default, followed by a call to action recommending that you start a conversation with the person.
How does Viber work?
To register with Viber, you need to provide your phone number. Once you are registered, you can bypass your mobile carrier and make calls and send messages directly with Viber. With the “Viber Out” feature, you can also call landline and mobile numbers that are not part of Viber. However, a minor drawback of Viber is that it is blocked in many countries.
Viber is currently available on most leading mobile platforms, including iOS, Android, BlackBerry, and Windows Phone, as well as desktop platforms like PC and Mac. This Viber review focuses on Viber for iOS, Android, PC, and Mac. You can use Viber through a browser on a Windows PC or Mac computer. In this Viber review, we provide step-by-step instructions on how to use Viber on both platforms.
Messaging Features
If you want to chat with other people, you can use Viber like most other messaging apps. You can send text messages, short audio clips, photos and videos from your library, your location, and emoticons. Sending a message works like that of other apps, with speech bubbles for each person on the other end, and you can set up group messages for up to 100 participants. An audio clip can be created by tapping the microphone and holding down a large button in the bottom center to record.
This is not quite as elegant as touching and swiping up in iOS Messages, but it works quite well. There’s a doodle feature that lets you select a brush size and color, then draw on the screen to send little doodles to your friends. This is not a crucial feature, of course, but it’s a fun addition that you can use to add to the conversation. The app also has stickers, which are larger, more detailed graphics than emoticons. The selection is quite large, but you can also purchase themed sticker packs for $1.99 each via in-app purchases.
Basic Features
Like all the big instant messengers, Viber has a familiar design that we all find intuitive. Your home screen consists of all your active chats, and tapping on one of them will open the conversation. You can also start a new chat by clicking the purple “compose” icon in the bottom right corner. When you do, you’ll see a list of all your contacts who are in Viber, along with options to create a group chat at the top of the screen. On the home screen, you’ll find the hamburger menu in the bottom right corner, where you can access various settings and options.
Here you will find the sticker marketplace, one of Viber’s features, which allows you to download free and paid stickers or upload your own sticker packs. In the hamburger menu you will find the settings: Here you can change privacy, notifications, appearance and several other options. For example, you can set whether Viber suggests you to people who might know you, hide your online status, and specify who can add you to groups. Under “Appearance” you can change the theme to classic, dark blue or black. You can also choose a custom background for the chat, although there are not many options to choose from.
Audio and Video Calls
What sets Viber apart from messaging apps is the ability to make both audio and video calls, on a 3G connection or better. The app uses your regular phone number and you can call anyone around the globe for free, provided they have the app as well. In my testing, the call quality was excellent and even sounded better than normal calls made with our iPhone. If you want to call landlines or people who don’t have Viber, you can buy Viber Out.
The app lets you top up your Viber Out credit with a tiered pricing plan. The nice thing about this feature is that it tells you how much it will cost to call different countries before you spend. Video calls are also free as long as both parties have Viber, and they work with a 3G connection or better. We have found that video quality suffers a bit on a poor connection, so Wi-Fi is the more ideal way to make video calls.
Safety
At first glance, Viber places more emphasis on privacy than most of its mainstream competitors. Finally, there’s end-to-end encryption and hidden messaging. But while you can take some steps to make Viber more secure, there are still some questions about where and how your data is stored. Viber is a proprietary app, and all data is stored on the company’s servers including phone numbers from your address book.
The source code is also not publicly available, which is a hallmark of secure instant messengers like Signal. Also, Viber is open to advertisers, so you’ll often get messages from brands and companies you gave your phone number to without remembering it. In short, Viber is probably more concerned about your data than Messenger or Instagram, but it still lags behind messengers like Signal, Threema, Telegram, and other niche encrypted chat apps.
Public Chats
With Viber, you can participate in public chats with different topics like “Song of the Day” or “Disney Theme Parks” so you can follow topics that interest you. There are a few celebrities and companies that you can follow to see what people are talking about. The problem with this is that you can’t participate in the chats yourself you can only watch.
Viber plans to let you chat as well in a future update. This feature will certainly be interesting to some people, but while we like Viber, we don’t really see ourself browsing through public chats in the app. In other words, it’s nice, but probably not for everyone.
Conclusion
Viber is a calling and messaging app that connects people no matter who they are or where they’re from. Every month, hundreds of millions of people connect with their loved ones for free through messaging, high-quality voice and video calls, and more. All Viber calls and personal chats, as well as all group chats, are protected by built-in end-to-end encryption, so you can be sure your conversations are always safe.
