How to build your Own Real-Time Chat App like WhatsApp?
Communication can come in many forms. From talking over the phone to a letter by snail-mail, humans are finding different ways to communicate. In recent years, there have been technological innovations that have changed the communication game and significantly increased the pace of human communications.
All over the world, people are looking for convenient and real-time channels they can use to send messages to other people, no matter where those people are located in the world. Reports say that an average smartphone user sends at least five text messages a day. Additionally, most of these messages are sent from chat applications like WhatsApp and Messenger.
Chat apps are soaring in popularity. Because of their popularity, these apps are increasing worldwide communication and are bringing in a large amount of revenue for the developer.
Despite the fact that the industry is controlled by big players like WhatsApp, Messenger, and Viber, there are still opportunities to take advantage of the chat app market. While it is a great idea to create an app similar to WhatsApp, using the right technology might be all you need to set the ball rolling.
Chat Apps have Fierce Competition
It is worth noting that chat apps are not easy to come by. It takes resilience to stay put in the market. WhatsApp had started off on a good note. Facebook was also able to realize the considerable acceptance of WhatsApp and saw this as a threat to its chat app, Messenger.
This was why Facebook decided to make an offer to the developer. Later on, WhatsApp was acquired by Facebook for $22 billion USD. So, it takes every bit of effort possible to make a chat app popular. WhatsApp’s developer became a billionaire a few years after launching his app.
You can achieve even more than the developer of WhatsApp if you take your time and follow the steps of creating a creative, sustainable chat app. In spite of the fierce competition and established brands such as Messenger and WhatsApp, knowledge of specific technologies is enough for a keen app developer to beat the records set by previous chat apps. So, what are the things needed to build a real-time chat application?
Master the Basics
Before you set on the journey of building a WhatsApp-clone app, it is important to master the features users would like to see. WhatsApp stepped up the game with file sharing and end-to-end encryption. Apart from this, there are other features that should be integrated into your chat app.
User Interface – Users won’t like to go through stressful processes when exchanging messages. The user interface (UI) should be kept as simple as possible. A good UI gives rise to amazing user experience (UX) which will keep your chat app a cut above the rest.
Data Storage – Believe it or not, chat apps are not just tools for communication. WhatsApp proved that these apps can also serve as storage devices. Before setting about the task of building a chat app, set up a backend architecture that will contain users’ data. If you can lay your hands on file storage service like Amazon S3, that would be a great way to start off.
Push Notifications – Chat app users always want to know when a message drops into their inbox. A push notification feature will do your chat app a whole lot of good and will also increase the chances of its integration into the everyday lives of users.
Security – Despite being a faster way to communicate, chat apps are like “secret boxes”. So security features must be a priority. Integrating end-to-end encryption, which keeps away messages from third-party affiliations, should be the first step in creating a secure app experience.
Quick Search – It is a great task surfing chats to locate a particular message. WhatsApp reinvented chat apps with a search feature. With the right keyword, messages can be found in real-time. This should definitely be a must-have feature when building a real-time chat app.
Technical Stacks – What Happens under the Hood of Chat Apps
Popular chat apps like WhatsApp and Messenger have underlying architecture. Building a chat app requires specific technologies which will cover major features like database and storage.
For instance, WhatsApp uses the Mnesia database and the XMPP protocol. In addition, it was written with the Erlang programming language and has Ejabbered as a server. On the other hand, Viber uses Amazon Web Services (AWS) as its server.
Before setting about the development of a chat app, specific frameworks must be put together. This not only improves the app but also makes user experience worth the time. So, do some research, speak with fellow developers, and find the best combination of technology stacks for your chat app.
Contus Fly has Amazing Architecture
An average amateur developer believes app development is a tedious task. Writing codes are distasteful to such developer. What they want is a tailored solution to build a chap app. So, with ease in mind, Contus Fly has the best of technologies that make chat app development less stressful. Are you ready to roll up your sleeves and begin building a chat app like WhatsApp? Great! Thankfully, Contus Fly got you covered.
Contus Fly has architectures which allow you to develop chat apps similar to WhatsApp. It has become the latest solution to build a chat app like WhatsApp. Here are some features offered with Contus Fly as the app architect:
Amazon hosts the Web – Chat apps built with Contus Fly are free from hosting limitations. The ever-efficient Amazon Web Service (AWS) takes control of the hosting operations.
Optimum Security –The platform (Contus Fly) has different security features which provide rock-solid security of users’ data. In the light of this, the end-to-end encryption, HMAC, and AES security options are some of the security features you can find on Contus Fly.
Interface – The BEAM interface supports multi-core messaging. It also handles memory management. The interface is managed by the Erlang-powered virtual machine.
Voice and Video Calls – Contus Fly use the built-in WebRTC signaling for iOS and Android chat apps. The feature makes cross-platform voice and video calls possible.
Text Translator – With Contus Fly, you’re on the way to building a cross-border language chat app. Contus Fly architecture supports multilingual text translator. Users can utilize this in translating hundreds of languages into their native language.
Multiple Chat Channels – The architecture also allows for the creation of multiple chat channels. There are supports for broadcast messaging, group messages, and one-to-one conversations.
Protocols and Programming Language – Contus Fly Laravel, Ejabbered, and strophe.js protocols increase the performance of chat apps built with the Contus Fly architecture. Erlang is the main programming language and PHP makes navigation with Android and iOS devices possible.
Wrapping Up
Building a chat app is completely possible with the right tools. With a platform like Contus Fly, the process gets easier. Contus Fly has impressive features that a developer can use to create chat apps which can beat the set by WhatsApp. While it’s true that app development is an investment of time and money, that doesn’t mean you should skip the opportunity to become the developer of the next successful chat app. Your app has the potential to become as big, if not bigger, than WhatsApp. Take your time, be thorough in your app’s development, and watch it grow with every user download!
