Viber iOS, Android App Update Comes With Self-Destructing Messages, Other Features

Free messaging and calling app Viber has a new update. The new software comes with a couple of new features that will make the iOS and Android app’s user experience even more entertaining. The Boston-based company is rolling out the new update in the wake of its announcement that it is seeking to beat WhatsApp and Facebook's Messenger.

Just this Friday, MacRumors learned that Viber for iOS is getting a new software update that comes with a number of new features. Among this features is Secret Message, which allows users to send a different type of chat messages, photos and videos to their contacts. The catch here is the fact that these files have a self-destructing property. Users get to choose the time limit for these files, and it could be 1, 3, 7 or 10 seconds. Once the time limit is up, the message, photo or video will automatically vanish from the thread.

Viber wrote on its blog that this feature gives users the capacity to make their “conversations more meaningful by choosing what stays and what goes.” The company stated that this will be advantageous to users because they are now in full control of what should and should not be part of their conversation history with other people. “Some things are meant to be seen once and then never again,” Viber pointed out in the blog post.

To use Secret Message, one should select the time limit for the file he or she is sending. Once this file is sent, it becomes blurry both on the user’s end and the recipient’s end. When the receiver opens the file, the timer starts and ends with the file disappearing from the chat thread. From the recipient’s POV, the file leaves no trace. On the contrary, the user gets to see an indication of when the Secret Message was sent.

The next feature that this new Viber update comes with is one that enables users to send instant video messages. GSM Arena says in order for one to send this type of video, one should just tap and hold the icon for this feature. By holding or pressing the icon, the app records a clip that could be as long as 30 seconds. Releasing the icon will automatically send the video to the recipient.

The update also brings the ability to send media content as files. Thus, users won’t have to worry about images and videos being converted to a different size or resolution when sending them using the app. Viber will henceforth keep the original quality and size of the media files. Finally, Viber now has support for rich notifications on iOS 10. This means when users receive messages or files, they can view the content directly from the notifications screen. These new features are not only limited to iOS, because all of them are also part of the update for the Android version of the app.

Viber’s newest update comes in the wake of the company’s announcement that it intends to introduce new products to consumers to better position itself as a big rival of Facebook’s Messenger and WhatsApp. CEO Djamel Agaoua reportedly said a new version of the Viber app will be launched this March. The new version will function as though it’s a different platform because it will come with e-commerce and banking features, as per Tech Central.