Viber

Viber for iOS gains link previews, animated stickers, easier video calling, better compression & more

Viber, the third most popular messaging platform after Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp (owned by Facebook) today delivered a few new features to its iPhone and iPad application in the App Store.

The new Viber 5.5 for iOS now includes rich link previews in the chat window, has the ability to exchange contact information via messages (in addition to QR codes), introduces animated stickers, permits easier video calling directly from a contact's profile or the recent calls list and more.

Viber is now fully compatible with iPad

Viber, the second most popular instant messaging platform after Facebook-owned WhatsApp, on Monday refreshed its iPhone application which now supports iPads.

Now available as a universal binary free of charge in the App Store, the new Viber 5.4.1 does not bring any new features beyond the native interface which takes full advantage of the iPad's bigger screen real estate.

In addition to the iPhone and iPad app, Viber Desktop is also available as a decently done native Mac application and across Windows and Linux platforms.

You can now chat while on a call, add contacts via QR codes and more in latest Viber update

Viber, the popular VoIP and messaging platform owned by Japan's Rakuten, hasn't updated its iPhone app in any meaningful way for a while now. And just when you thought they've neglected the iOS app for good, here comes a brand new release packing a few solid improvements.

I've always hated Viber wouldn't let me chat while on a VoIP or video call. This should be expected behavior as iPhones have always supported messaging during a cellular call.

In latest Viber 5.4 for iPhone update it's now possible to minimize a VoIP call and open any other screen within the app without interrupting your conversation.

Viber optimized for iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus

Messaging app Viber was updated this morning with support for larger screens of iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. This update, which brings the Viber app to version 5.2.1, also comes with new emoticons and a few unspecified bug fixes along.

Viber has seen quite a few updates in the last months, with the addition of video calls, public chats, and maybe more notably, iOS 8 Share extension, Interactive Notifications and other improvements.

Viber introduces support for Viber Games, adds Sticker Menu

Viber, the popular messaging platform second only to WhatsApp, today refreshed its iOS application with support for downloadable mobile games while introducing a new Sticker Menu to make finding sticker packs easier.

Viber Games, the headline new feature in Viber 5.2 for iOS and Android, allows users to play select mobile games with Viber characters Violet and Legcat and see how many coins they can earn.

Viber rolls out Public Chats with the ability to ‘like’ messages, photos, videos, links and more

After receiving an iOS 8 focused update earlier this month bringing a nice Share menu extension, Interactive Notifications and other improvements, Viber on Tuesday pushed a small update adding the Public Chats feature.

With Public Chats, Viber users can finally follow group conversations for specific topics that they’re into. Once you start following a group chat, you can then like any piece of content in the group chat, including messages, photos, videos, links and more.

Viber updated with iOS 8 Share extension, Interactive Notifications and other improvements

Although it's been losing ground to rival WhatsApp, which recently passed 600 million registered users, Viber very much remains the second-most popular instant messaging and VoIP solution on mobile.

Following WhatsApp's most recent half-baked update which brought out support for the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus screen but no iOS 8-specific features, Viber on Monday refreshed its iOS app for headline iOS 8 features.

You now have Interactive Notifications for easy interactions with Viber alerts and a brand new Share extension making it easy to send content from other apps directly to Viber.

Also new in this update: the unavoidable bug fixes, stability fixes and performance improvements, plus some design changes and other nice-to-haves to provide a more intuitive experience.

Viber is available free of charge in the App Store.

Viber rolls out video calling

Viber, the once promising VoIP service, on Thursday introduced video calling across its mobile apps for the iOS and Android platforms.

Now available in the App Store as a free download, the new Viber 5.0 lets you place or receive video calls over Wi-Fi and cellular networks to your Viber contacts who use the service on their smartphones or desktop.

This release also includes enhancements to stickers, improvements for adding friends, better media forwarding and more.

Viber finally restyled for iOS 7: gains contact blocking, multiple photo sending and more

Instant messaging and voice service Viber, which was recently snapped up by e-commerce giant Rakuten for $900 million, has finally released its iOS 7 focused redesign, nearly seven months after iOS 7's September 2013 debut.

It's not clear what took so long, but it's finally here so we're not complaining. The update is now live in the App Store so go ahead and grab it now while checking out screenshots of Viber's nicely flattened interface, included right below...

Viber acquired by e-commerce giant Rakuten for $900 million

This is kind of interesting. The Wall Street Journal is reporting this morning that the popular voice call app Viber has agreed to a deal to be acquired by Rakuten for $900 million. For those unfamiliar with the e-commerce giant, it's essentially Japan's version of Amazon.

Viber is available on all major mobile and desktop platforms, and is one of Skype's biggest competitors with over 300 million users worldwide. It was one of the first apps to allow 3G VoIP on the iPhone and it now supports land-line calls, messages and even push-to-talk...

Viber announces new ‘Viber Out’ feature for making low-cost outgoing calls

Popular VoIP and messaging service Viber announced today the release of version 4.1 of its mobile app for Android and iPhone. The update includes the full global launch of Viber Out, a new feature that allows users to make low-cost calls to any mobile or landline phone number.

The service uses credit that can be purchased through in-app purchases, or via credit card, and the minutes can be used on Android, iOS or your desktop. It's actually a lot like how Skype works, except it looks like Viber's rates are much lower and it won't charge connection fees...

Concept teaches Viber how to design for iOS 7

Remember the absolutely eye-candy re-imagining of Apple’s clunky Messages app in Mavericks, so awesomely done by Ramotion, a Palo Alto, California interface design shop? If not, stop what you’re doing (reading this) and give it a quick look, now. Some of the best UI/UX designers in the world, Ramotion's grown just as sick and tired of Viber's out-of-touch looks as us.

Yours truly used to be a heavy Viber user. Now I no longer care. Why? I'll tell you why: the app's proven itself a really frustrating experience. The soft keyboard fails to honor my system-wide international settings. It crashes a lot. It acts up far too often. As if that weren't enough, Viber's aesthetics fails miserably as a victim of a bunch of poor design choices - so much so that I can't stand using it anymore. Viber really, really needs some serious rebooting.

Ramotion's vision for Viber stunned me by being so much more than a fresh coat of paint, like WhatsApp’s upcoming iOS 7 update (screenies, hands-on video) is shaping up to be. Small wonder: these guys know good interface design so I'm not surprised they've actually gone about re-imagining the whole app experience.

Are you ready to see how Viber's iOS 7 overhaul should, but probably never will, look like? Just hit the jump and feast your eyes on gorgeous renders...