Developing social skills is the main purpose of messaging apps, and no, it isn’t just to communicate globally. Communication and social skills are two sides of the same coin. Both are incredibly important to the human race. We all need to talk and get to know people. If you aim to create an app that enhances communication between people, we’ve got you! We will guide you on how to make a messaging app just like Viber.
Steps to Making a Successful Messaging App Like Viber
It will not be as complicated as you might think it will be. No-code app builder solutions have made it easier to create a messaging app. You have no need for prior programming or coding knowledge. All you have to do is simply drag and drop your desired features and implement them in your app. Below, we will discuss what steps you should take to make a messaging app like Viber. Along with all the must-have features a messaging app should have.
Understand Your App’s Idea
You should fully understand the concept behind your app. How is it that you’ll have an idea that you don’t understand? you ask. I’m not implying that you came up with something complicated or that it cannot be comprehended. I’m simply saying that you have to make sure you did your research, understood all aspects that could help you succeed, studied all risks, and did your competitor analysis in a thorough way.
Define the Features of Your Messaging App
The first step to developing a messaging app like Viber is to decide what features you want for your app. This includes core features such as voice and video messages, private chats, group chats, and media sharing. You should also think about advanced features like media compression, the ability to tell if a message has been read or not, and a push notification service. Defining the features will help you create a structure around your app development process.
Make Sure to Choose the Right Platform for Developing Your App
Once you have decided on the features for the app, it’s time to select the right platform. Essentially, your app can be developed as either an Android or iOS native apps. Hybrid apps with a single codebase. In addition to cross-platform solutions such as React Native and Flutter. There are several no-code app development platforms and tools that could help you. All these platforms have their own pros and cons. You will have to think carefully and choose the most suitable platform to develop your messaging app, like Viber.
Design a High-Performing Database Architecture
If you want to make your app the old-fashioned way by writing code. Follow our advice and focus on your database architecture. Database architecture plays a crucial role in delivering outstanding app performance. Make sure to create a database that is scalable. Therefore, it will be capable of handling multiple users and different levels of traffic. Also, select the right development tool that supports your specific app requirements and works well with the programming language you use. This could be either MySQL, MongoDB, or any other database development language. Lastly, think about using cloud storage services like Amazon S3 to store information in a reliable, safe, and efficient way.
Build the Core Structure and UI/UX of Your Messaging App
The core structure of a messaging app includes designing the user interface and experience, displaying notifications, storing messages, and setting up communication channels. Begin by designing a simple, intuitive UI that is mobile-optimized and looks great on any device. Second, think about adding popular messaging features like push notifications, which let users know when they have new messages or content. After that, concentrate on setting up secure communication channels that your users will use. Lastly, set up the database so that all messages are stored safely in the cloud or on a secure server so that they can be accessed quickly whenever needed.
Implement Security and Admin Settings in Your Messaging App
Set up security and admin settings in your app to make sure that all users can send and receive messages safely. End-to-end encryption is just one of the security measures that are needed to keep people from talking to each other who shouldn’t be able to. You should also add administrative features that let you keep track of what users are doing, manage databases, and set up things like private chat and group chat. These features will help you keep your platform safe and set privacy requirements that are unique to your messaging platform.
Must-Have Features in a Messaging App
Here are some key features you should add to your messaging app to make sure it will be used and successful in the future:
Contacts
The more connections a person has in a chat app, the more frequently they will use it for this purpose, which is typically how people use chat apps to communicate with their friends. The same holds true for business-related messaging apps. Because of this, it’s crucial to make integrating contacts as simple as possible; ideally, they should be immediately imported from the contacts book. Modern messaging apps allow users to send invites to contacts who haven’t yet signed up and provide a list of contacts who have already downloaded the app. Users should be able to find potential partners by using their phone numbers or email addresses.
Group chats
For current audiences, a messaging app that doesn’t enable group chat is useless. When making a messaging app, you should think about what your users want. They may want public or private group messaging, chat in sub-groups, or dedicated channels. Even leaving private comments on messages made in public groups is possible with some software.
Security enhancement mechanisms
Every digital tool should pay special attention to security and privacy, and developing chat apps for desktop, the web, or mobile devices is no exception. Fraudsters are very interested in personal data, so you will need to come up with strong and complex ways to protect it from theft (including identity theft) and cyberattacks. Use end-to-end encryption to do this; in such a case, the recipients will be given the keys necessary to decode the messages they receive. This is a popular way to stop people (including the messenger app provider) from getting to the content without permission. If one message is really intercepted and decoded, this can be done by WhatsApp or Telegram. Telegram updates the cryptographic key regularly to keep other messages from being hacked.
Video and voice calls
Voice calls are being replaced by chat apps more and more, especially in global settings. No matter where participants are located, the majority of chat programs let you make calls for free over the internet. You should be able to make video calls through your chat program in addition to voice calls, and you should be able to do so inside groups. Users expect to be able to communicate using these methods; therefore, if that’s your target market, incorporate that last feature right at the MVP stage. It will take additional time and financial investment.
Push notifications
Users of chat apps must be informed when a new message arrives, even if they aren’t actively using the app at the time. Let users personalize their notifications, like with other apps. They could want to know when a receiver has read a message or when a particular contact is online. It could also help with direct communication with app users, like letting them know about important updates or when their payment plan is about to expire.
nandbox: the Only Native No-Code App Builder in the Market
Not only did we develop one of the strongest messenger applications, but also our app builder will give you the opportunity to create one as powerful as ours. Our nandbox messenger is a free messenger app with many high quality features. Like: crisp and clear voice and video calling, interactive channels, chat groups with up to 50,000 members. But what makes us stand out is our stellar profile and messaging privacy with our multiple profile feature. Built with the latest technology of nandbox app builder, nandbox messenger instant messaging app has more than 1 million downloads on the Google Play Store. Sign up now for our app builder and make a successful messaging app like Viber in no time!
