How to Develop A Messaging App Like WhatsApp?
How to Develop A Messaging App Like WhatsApp? WhatsApp is the third most popular instant messaging app that is used by over 2 billion users worldwide. With the highest number of users from India, this messaging app has taken over the market since its launch.
This messaging app not only simplifies communication but has also helped businesses grow with its seamless integration of features and user interface.
In this blog, we will be filling you with an introduction to developing a messaging app like WhatsApp, its features, and the cost of developing one such app.
Develop A Messaging App Like WhatsApp - Introduction
WhatsApp, launched in 2009, is an instant messaging app that enables users to send and receive real-time messages. To be able to use WhatsApp the user needs a smartphone with the application installed on it and an active internet connection.
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Next, the user has to register their number which will be verified by OTP (one-time password) either on call or text. Then the user can enter their details like their name and profile photo and they are good to go to be using the app.
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Its simple and user-friendly interface is the primary reason why it is popular all over the world.
Ideal Features to Integrate into A Messaging App
If you are thinking of developing a messaging app like WhatsApp, then here are a few features that make WhatsApp stand out in the market.
The features are as follows -
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Real-time Messaging
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Multimedia File Transfer
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Push Notifications
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Quick Search
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Group Chats/Call
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Real-time Messaging
If you are considering developing an app like WhatsApp, this is one of the salient features to consider integrating at the very beginning of the development. This feature allows you to send real-time/instant messages, enabling the users to communicate immediately without any barriers.
Multimedia File Transfer
It is another important feature that you should consider integrating into the messaging application. This feature allows the users to share messages in different formats like images, videos, audio, PDFs, GIFs, stickers, and others.
Integrating this feature not only eliminates the need for third-party apps but also does the work of multiple apps in a single application.
Push Notifications
It is also an important and must-have feature that every business should consider regardless of their niche. It acts as an indirect marketing tool for a business. Be it informing the users about the latest updates or notifying them about coupons, offers, or discounts this feature does it all.
It also helps you to send custom or personalized notifications to the users accordingly which in turn also helps in customer retention, thus enabling you to grow your customer/user base.
Quick Search
This feature will help the users to search for anything they are looking for in the app with ease. It will help ease their browsing experience thus enhancing their experience on the app and saving them time.
Group Chats/Call
It will help the users to create a group chat according to their requirements. For example - if you want to send one message to different people, then no worries, this feature will help you create a group as per your needs and send them messages, eliminating the need to do the tedious job of sending one message individually to different people.
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Some other features that you can consider integrating are -
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Multi-platform compatibility
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Voice notes/messaging
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Message delivery confirmation
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End-to-End encryption
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Backup and Restore
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Share live location
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Poll and Status Updates
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Message formatting options
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Broadcast Messages
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Build communities
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Mark messages as read/unread
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Hide status/profile pictures/online status
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Mute chats/calls
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Block messages/profile
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Mark important messages/dates
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Lock/Hide Chats
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Custom Chat Screen/Wallpaper, and others.
Cost of Developing A Messaging App Like WhatsApp
However, to give it a numerical value and to give you an idea of the cost of developing an instant messaging app like WhatsApp, start from as low as $20,000 and may rise to $3,00,000 and even more depending on your business needs, market trends, as well as consumer demands.
Now that you have reached here, it is pretty much probable that you are interested in developing a messaging app like WhatsApp to generate revenue and accelerate your business.
To develop an app like WhatsApp, there are certain things that you need to consider, before the development to determine the exact cost.
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Some of the things that you need to consider are -
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The platforms where you want your software/app to be deployed - for e.g,. Whether you want to develop mobile apps (android, iOS), websites, or web apps.
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The domain, hosting, and other essential elements like the design (including visuals, animations, buttons, fonts, and others) along with the logo and branding.
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The technology stack like the programming language, the framework, libraries, tools, and technologies that you are going to use to develop one such app.
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The development team/company along with the expertise/experience and their hourly charges according to their location and market standards.
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The total number of features you want to integrate into the application and its complexity.
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Third-party integrations like avatars, GIFs, stickers, and also security integrations.
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App/Software testing and post-launch maintenance and support and timely updates.
Wrapping It Up
WhatsApp has been taking over time and again with its innovative and easy-to-use features. Be it the end-to-end encrypted message or the chat lock feature it has catered to the needs of the users efficiently.
Now that you have learned about the important things that you should consider while developing a messaging app like WhatsApp, then it's high time that you should start thinking about developing one such application.
So, why wait?
Schedule a free consultation with us, or hire a developer and deploy the best solutions and accelerate your revenue and stand out in the market with robust, easy-to-use, and future-proof solutions.
FAQ’s
What is the primary benefit of developing an app like WhatsApp?
The primary benefit of developing an app like WhatsApp is that it is cheaper than SMS, and also allows you to share messages in different formats like audio, video, doc, and others.
What are some of the best social networking apps?
Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, Telegram, and Reddit are some of the examples of the best social networking apps.
What technology stack does WhatsApp use?
Erlang, FreeBSD, PHP, XMPP, and Yaws are some of the technologies that WhatsApp uses in its applications.
