Instant messaging (IM) technology is a type of online chat allowing immediate transmission of messages over the Internet or another computer network. Messages are typically transmitted between two or more parties,when each user inputs text and triggers a transmission to the recipient(s),who are all connected on a common network. It differs from email in that conversations over instant messaging happen in real-time. Most modern IM applications use push technology and also add other features such as emojis,file transfer,chatbots,voice over IP,or video chat capabilities.
Skype is a proprietary telecommunications application operated by Skype Technologies,a division of Microsoft,best known for VoIP-based videotelephony,videoconferencing and voice calls. It also has instant messaging,file transfer,debit-based calls to landline and mobile telephones,and other features. It is available on various desktop,mobile,and video game console platforms.
The landscape for instant messaging involves cross-platform instant messaging clients that can handle one or multiple protocols. Clients that use the same protocol can typically federate and talk to one another. The following table compares general and technical information for cross-platform instant messaging clients in active development,each of which have their own article that provide further information.
This is a comparison of voice over IP (VoIP) software used to conduct telephone-like voice conversations across Internet Protocol (IP) based networks. For residential markets,voice over IP phone service is often cheaper than traditional public switched telephone network (PSTN) service and can remove geographic restrictions to telephone numbers,e.g.,have a PSTN phone number in a New York area code ring in Tokyo.
eBuddy is a privately held Dutch software company that offers instant messaging services. As of 2011,eBuddy reported 100 million downloads. The company's flagship service is XMS,a proprietary cross-platform instant messaging service. After some changes of ownership,the company is now again owned by its original founders,Onno Bakker and Jan-Joost Rueb.
Rich Communication Services (RCS) is a communication protocol between mobile telephone carriers and between phone and carrier,aiming at replacing SMS messages with a text-message system that is richer,provides phonebook polling,and can transmit in-call multimedia. It is part of the broader IP Multimedia Subsystem. Google has added support for end-to-end encryption for all chats using RCS in their own app,Google Messages. End-to-end encryption is not a feature of RCS specified by GSMA,instead deferring to the individual messaging clients to establish encryption.
Over-the-top (OTT) media service is a media service offered directly to viewers via the Internet. OTT bypasses cable,broadcast,and satellite television platforms—the media through which companies have traditionally acted as controllers or distributors of such content. The term is most synonymous with subscription-based video on demand (SVoD) services that offer access to film and television content. Such content may include shows and movies for which the OTT acquired rights from the content owner. Programming may also include original content produced specifically for the service.
WhatsApp is an instant messaging (IM) and voice-over-IP (VoIP) service owned by technology conglomerate Meta. It allows users to send text,voice messages and video messages,make voice and video calls,and share images,documents,user locations,and other content. WhatsApp's client application runs on mobile devices,and can be accessed from computers. The service requires a cellular mobile telephone number to sign up. In January 2018,WhatsApp released a standalone business app called WhatsApp Business which can communicate with the standard WhatsApp client.
WeChat or Weixin in Chinese;lit. 'micro-message') is a Chinese instant messaging,social media,and mobile payment app developed by Tencent. First released in 2011,it became the world's largest standalone mobile app in 2018 with over 1 billion monthly active users. WeChat has been described as China's "app for everything" and a super-app because of its wide range of functions. WeChat provides text messaging,hold-to-talk voice messaging,broadcast (one-to-many) messaging,video conferencing,video games,mobile payment,sharing of photographs and videos and location sharing.
Messenger,also known as Facebook Messenger,is an American proprietary instant messaging app and platform developed by Meta Platforms. Originally developed as Facebook Chat in 2008,the company revamped its messaging service in 2010,released standalone iOS and Android apps in 2011,and released standalone Facebook Portal hardware for Messenger calling in 2018. In April 2015,Facebook launched a dedicated website interface,Messenger.com,and separated the messaging functionality from the main Facebook app,allowing users to use the web interface or download one of the standalone apps. In April 2020,Facebook released a Messenger desktop app for Windows and macOS.
Line is a freeware app for instant communications on electronic devices operated by LY Corporation. Line users exchange:texts,images,video and audio and conduct free VoIP conversations and video conferences. In addition,Line is a platform providing various services including:digital wallet as Line Pay,news stream as LINE Today,video on demand as Line TV and digital comic distribution as Line Manga and Line Webtoon.
Snapchat is an American multimedia instant messaging app and service developed by Snap Inc.,originally Snapchat Inc. One of the principal features of Snapchat is that pictures and messages are usually only available for a short time before they become inaccessible to their recipients. The app has evolved from originally focusing on person-to-person photo sharing to presently featuring users' "Stories" of 24 hours of chronological content,along with "Discover",letting brands show ad-supported short-form content. It also allows users to store photos in a password-protected area called "my eyes only". It has also reportedly incorporated limited use of end-to-end encryption,with plans to broaden its use in the future.
Wickr is an American software company based in New York City,known for its instant messenger application of the same name. The Wickr instant messaging apps allow users to exchange end-to-end encrypted and content-expiring messages,and are designed for iOS,Android,Mac,Windows,and Linux operating systems. Wickr was acquired by Amazon Web Services (AWS) mid-2021 and discontinued the free version of the app in December 2023.
Telegram Messenger,commonly known as Telegram,is a cloud-based,cross-platform,encrypted instant messaging (IM) service. It was originally launched for iOS on 14 August 2013 and Android in October 2013. It allows users to exchange messages,share media and files,and hold private and group voice or video calls as well as public livestreams. It is available for Android,iOS,Windows,macOS,Linux,and web browsers. Telegram also offers end-to-end encryption in voice and video calls,and in optional private chats,which Telegram calls Secret Chats.
Hike Messenger,also known as Hike Sticker Chat,was a multifunctional Indian adware application offering cross-platform instant messaging (IM) and Voice over IP (VoIP) services that was launched on December 11,2012,by Kavin Bharti Mittal and is now owned by Hike Private Limited. Hike functioned offline through SMS. The app registration used a standard one-time password (OTP) based authentication process. Hike was estimated to be worth $1.4 billion and had more than 100 million registered users.
Threema is a paid cross-platform encrypted instant messaging app developed by Threema GmbH in Switzerland and launched in 2012. The service operates on a decentralized architecture and offers end-to-end encryption. Users can make voice and video calls,send photos,files,and voice notes,share locations,and make groups. Unlike many other popular secure messaging apps,Threema does not require phone numbers or email addresses for registration,only a one-time purchase that can be paid via an app store or anonymously with Bitcoin or cash.
Signal is an encrypted messaging service for instant messaging,voice,and video calls. The instant messaging function includes sending text,voice notes,images,videos,and other files. Communication may be one-to-one between users or may involve group messaging.
Google Allo was an instant messaging mobile app by Google for the Android and iOS mobile operating systems,with a web client available in some web browsers. It closed on March 12,2019.
Google Messages is a text messaging software application developed by Google for its Android and Wear OS mobile operating systems,while it's also available via the Web.
Comparison of user features of messaging platforms refers to a comparison of all the various user features of various electronic instant messaging platforms. This includes a wide variety of resources;it includes standalone apps,platforms within websites,computer software,and various internal functions available on specific devices,such as iMessage for iPhones.
