Viber spins the dial to reach up to 100m active online users

10 Jun 2014

Free messaging and calls app Viber has reported it now has 100m active users. It has also launched a new updated desktop version with new features.

The messaging platform that works across iOS, Android, PC and Mac said today it has more than 100m concurrent users online and more than 360m unique registered users.

At any given time, some 200m users are available via push notifications.

However, despite the popularity of apps such as Viber (acquired by Rakuten for US$900m) and WhatsApp (acquired by Facebook for US$19bn), they face challenges in the form of potential competition from tech giants such as Apple and Google.

Indeed at its recent Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), Apple revealed a new ‘tap to talk’ feature, as well as the ability to stay or leave conversation threads that could pose competition for Snapchat, Viber and WhatsApp.

Viber today released a new version of the Viber Desktop app featuring a new look and feel, and a special focus on the popular stickers for conversations.

The app has also been upgraded for better video quality and performance.

“As usage increases, our priority remains the same – introducing features, adding more platforms, and improving Viber with every new version,” said Talmon Marco, CEO of Viber.

“This is exactly what we’ve done with the new Viber Desktop, and we’re really excited for our users to try it out.”

As well as updating the desktop app, Viber has made its support site available in two additional languages: Spanish and Portuguese.

Viber image via Shutterstock

John Kennedy is a journalist who served as editor of Silicon Republic for 17 years

editorial@siliconrepublic.com