Viber

1. What is Viber?

Positioning: A cross-platform VoIP (Voice over IP) and instant messaging application focused on secure, free, and rich communication, enabling users globally to connect through various media.

Functional Panorama: Covers core messaging (text, photos, videos, files), secure voice and video calls (one-on-one and group), group chats and large-scale communities, channels for broadcast content, a Sticker Market for expressive communication, and integration with business solutions for customer engagement and promotional messaging (Viber Business). It also features ‘Viber Out’ for low-cost international calls to non-Viber numbers and ‘Viber Pay’ in select markets for financial transactions.

2. Viber’s Use Cases

• Individuals: Free and secure text, voice, and video communication with friends and family globally, ensuring privacy with end-to-end encryption.
• Groups & Communities: Creating large group chats for shared interests or professional collaboration, fostering interaction within diverse communities up to 1 billion members.
• Businesses & Brands: Utilizing Viber Business solutions for customer support via chatbots, sending promotional messages, or managing customer relationships directly within the app.
• Content Creators & Publishers: Building and managing public channels to disseminate news, updates, and multimedia content to a broad subscriber base.
• International Callers: Making affordable calls to mobile and landline numbers worldwide that are not on Viber via the ‘Viber Out’ service.

3. Viber’s Key Features

• End-to-End Encryption: Automatically enabled by default for all private calls and chats, ensuring secure communication from sender to receiver.
• Free Voice & Video Calls: High-quality, secure calls to other Viber users, including group video calls for up to 60 participants.
• Communities & Channels: Supports creating large public or private groups and broadcast-only Channels for content distribution.
• Disappearing Messages: Allows users to set a timer for messages, photos, and videos to self-destruct after being viewed, enhancing privacy.
• Viber Pay: In certain regions, users can send and receive money directly within chats, with recent updates expanding payment options and security measures.
• AI Chat Summaries: Introduced in late 2023, this feature uses AI to condense long group chat histories into concise summaries, improving user experience in busy groups.
• Spam Call Protection: Enhanced features rolled out in Q1 2024 leverage user reporting and AI to identify and block potential spam calls more effectively.
• Improved Call Quality & Stability: Continuous backend optimizations, especially for group calls, reported by users and confirmed via service updates in early 2024, addressing previous intermittent connectivity issues.

4. How to Use Viber?

1. Download & Install: Download the Viber app from your device’s app store.
2. Register Your Account: Open the app and enter your phone number. You will receive an SMS verification code to complete the registration.
3. Sync Contacts & Permissions: Allow Viber to access your phone contacts to automatically identify friends already using Viber. Grant necessary permissions for microphone, camera, and notifications.
4. Start Chatting/Calling: From the main chat screen, tap the message icon or call icon to start a new conversation or call with a contact.
5. Pro Tip: Optimize Notifications: For busy group chats, tap the chat’s name, then select “Mute Chat” and choose a duration to avoid constant notifications while still being able to check messages when you’re ready.
6. Pro Tip: Enhance Privacy with Secret Chats: For sensitive conversations, initiate a “Secret Chat” from the contact’s chat info screen. This enables self-destructing messages, screenshot prevention, and forwarding restrictions.

5. Viber’s Pricing & Access

• Free Tier: The core Viber application is free to download and use for all messaging, voice calls, and video calls between Viber users. This includes sending unlimited messages, photos, videos, and making group calls.
• Viber Out Credits/Plans: For calls to non-Viber numbers, Viber offers ‘Viber Out’ credits and subscription plans. Rates vary by destination, with more cost-effective monthly plans available for frequent international callers.
• Sticker Market: While many stickers are free, a selection of premium sticker packs are available for purchase, typically ranging from $0.99 to $1.99 per pack.
• Viber Business Solutions: Businesses pay for services such as promotional message delivery, chatbot interactions, and API access. Pricing is typically usage-based, with various tiers for different volumes and features. Recent reports indicate Viber is expanding its business solutions in certain markets with new competitive pricing models to attract SMEs.
• Promotional Offers: Occasional limited-time promotions for Viber Out credits or discounts on specific subscription plans are offered, often around holidays or for new user sign-ups in specific regions.

6. Viber’s Comprehensive Advantages

• Robust Security & Privacy: Viber stands out with its default end-to-end encryption for all private communications, a feature that is consistently highlighted as superior or more transparent compared to some competitors where encryption might not be as universally applied or understood.
• Superior Call Quality: Independent tests and user feedback frequently rate Viber’s voice and video call quality as excellent, often outperforming competitors in regions with less stable internet connections due to efficient data compression.
• Expansive Group & Community Features: With Communities supporting up to 1 billion members, Viber offers unparalleled scalability for large-scale social or business interaction, far exceeding the group limits of most rival messaging apps like WhatsApp or Telegram.
• Viber Out Cost-Effectiveness: For international calls to non-Viber users, Viber Out frequently offers highly competitive rates, particularly to specific regions where Rakuten has strong network partnerships, making it a preferred choice for users with international calling needs.
• Strong Regional Market Penetration: While not globally dominant like WhatsApp, Viber holds a leading market share in several key regions, including Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and parts of Asia, indicating high user satisfaction and widespread adoption in these specific markets.