A recent update has added end-to-end encryption, but it feels like this app has lost a bit of ground against the competition, as I'll explain. Prominent among these tools is Viber, a powerful Android app that lets you text, call, and make video calls with anyone on the service.

And then came the over-the-top messaging services that use data, instead of your cellular connection, to send messages. In the beginning, there was text messaging, and it was good-except that it frequently cost money and messaging people overseas was prohibitively expensive, if not actually impossible.

Cannot replace your messaging and phone apps.

Out of network, non-US calls cost money.

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How to Convert YouTube Videos to MP3 Files.How to Save Money on Your Cell Phone Bill.How to Free Up Space on Your iPhone or iPad.How to Block Robotexts and Spam Messages.Viber plans to make it so you can chat too in a future update. The problem here is that you can't participate in the chats yourself - you can only watch. It has a few celebrities and companies (such as Disney) you can follow to see what people are talking about. Viber lets you listen in on public chats with various themes such as Song of the Day or Disney Theme Parks so you can follow topics that interest you.

I found that the video quality suffers somewhat with a poor connection, so Wi-Fi is the more ideal way to make video calls. Video calls are also free so long as both parties have Viber, and will work on a 3G connection or better. This means if you have a friend in London and you're in the United States, you can quickly figure out how much credit you will need for the amount of time you want to talk. What's nice about this feature is that it tells you how much it will cost to call various countries before you spend anything. The app lets you add money to your Viber Out credit with a tiered pricing plan. If you want to call landlines or people who don't have Viber, you have the option to buy what it calls Viber Out.

What is viber and how does it work