Social messaging

For other uses, see Messaging application.

Social messaging or social messaging applications or chat applications are instant messaging or mobile messaging (Short Message Service/SMS) clients that are built around social networking platforms.[1] Some examples of popular social messaging include BlackBerry Messenger, Facebook Messenger, Google Hangouts, KakaoTalk, Line, WeChat, and WhatsApp.[2] While both require internet connection, social messaging apps differ from traditional IMs because they don't require a computer to use; the chat applications run particularly on smartphone devices, where it challenges other widely used mobile features, such as calling, texting, and emailing. Chat applications are topping the iOS and Android most downloaded applications lists. More and more people are upgrading from feature phones to smartphones accelerating the move from traditional calling and SMS (which are paid services) to social messaging (which are generally freemium or subscription-based), to become the dominant way of staying in touch on the phone,[3] because it is generally cheaper to send IM messages via social messaging than to send SMS (via mobile company), not limited to the 140-character limit of SMS, and they have more features than regular texting.[4][5]

Among other features such as text chat, group chat, message notifications, status updates, and media (file) sharing, one specific aspect of social messaging platforms that made it popular was the usage of stickers or little rich images to depict mood and convey messages in non-verbal format.[3] While some stickers can be downloaded for free, some are for purchase only, and become one of the way the developers to generate revenue. Another feature of social messaging are in-app services / utilities, such as sticker camera (where sticker images would be added to the resulting picture), social games, other virtual items, business accounts and its integration with other devices, such as vending machines,[6] though the experiment only last for a month in 2013.[7] Some messaging app such as Telegram, Wickr, and SnapChat also allow messages to be self-destruct (ephemeral messaging).[8]

With more than 100 applications in the market, Ovum, a mobile communications research firm, predicted that social messaging will continue to grow as 3G penetration increases and data rates drop.[4] Mobile phone spam is also one factor that contributing to the downtrend in SMS usage in some countries like India.[4] Because by nature the chat apps are proprietary platform, they lack interoperability, which could result in an inability to communicate between smartphones that install different applications.[5]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Line: We’re A Social Entertainment Platform, Not Just A Free Calls Messaging App Accessed on 21 January 2015.
  2. ↑ Most Popular Social Messaging Apps, December 2013 Accessed on 21 January 2015.
  3. 1 2 Messenger Wars: How Facebook lost its lead by OnDevice Research, a mobile market research company. Accessed on 21 January 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 BusinessToday India: Cheap Instant Messaging Apps For Smartphones Edging Out SMS Accessed on 23 January 2015.
  5. 1 2 Chat app messaging has finally overtaken SMS Accessed on 23 January 2015.
  6. ↑ Forbes: These Numbers Show Facebook Is Trailing Social Messaging Apps Globally Accessed on 21 January 2015.
  7. ↑ WeChat users in China get their own vending machines Accessed on 21 January 2015.
  8. ↑ Telegram FAQ: How do self-destructing messages work? Accessed on 23 January 2015.
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