Instant messaging has become an extremely popular method of communication thanks to the evolution of the smartphone ecosystem. The trend to create a chat app is at an all-time high because of increasing demand all over the world. The time had gone when few platforms only dominated the consumer chat applications as new opportunities have been created due to evolving technologies.
If we talk about the current scenario, many people prefer using instant messaging apps instead of connecting over the phone. There is a variety of messaging applications available nowadays for remote communication. It ranges from WeChat with over 1.3 billion users to WhatsApp having more than 2.24 billion users across the globe.
Planning to launch a startup with a similar approach? It is one of the unique ideas that one can be transformed into a profitable venture by applying the right strategies. However, the real deal is how to build a chat or messaging app to attract users. Let’s go through this article to understand the development process, technical considerations, app development costs, and many more.
There are more than three billion using messaging apps making them one of the most utilized app versions globally. If someone is planning to build a chat app, it is essential to know about the important stats of this industry. Most people think about Facebook and WhatsApp while talking about mobile messaging. Together, these two hold more than 90% marketshare in a huge number of countries.
Although total downloads for both these apps have reduced compared to previous years, they are still the king of this market. On the other hand, the percentage of people using WhatsApp is higher in the United Kingdom and the United States. Almost 1% of the market share is held by Signal and Telegram in the UK.
However, there are many countries with people prefer alternative options other than Facebook and WhatsApp. For example, apps like Telegram, Viber, and Line have over 40% market share in a few countries like Uzbekistan and Japan.
The global mobile messaging market is expected to reach over US$ 101 billion in 2023. Additionally, the numbers are expected to grow at a CAGR of 15% and reach a valuation of nearly US$ 440 billion in the next 10 years. It proves today is the golden time to build your own chat app and make huge profits.
The ranking hasn’t changed much in the past few years when discussing the top three messaging apps worldwide. Let’s explore the three best chat app examples in detail below:
In today’s world, WhatsApp is the most used messenger app with billions of users around the world. It is a secure app working on end-to-end encryption that adds the element of safety to the data.
We believe finding someone who doesn’t use WhatsApp is pretty hard. This app has grown in terms of leaps and bounds since getting acquired by Facebook.
Unlike WhatsApp, Telegram has been built on message encryption and has become a premier choice for security-conscious people. They focus greatly on privacy and try to set their bar higher than the other instant messaging apps.
This platform proves how important it is to keep security while performing steps to build a chat app. They have hosted a few undesirable broadcasts on their app in the past, but things are pretty safe beyond it.
Facebook Messenger is an incredible choice for people to perform instant messaging. With over 100,000 billion users, this app allows users to connect in real time using their phones.
It is one of the premier examples of how a platform can be built from scratch and become a global trend. They have continuously succeeded in maintaining users’ interest despite competitors’ emergence.
Should I invest money in developing an instant messaging app when plenty of established names are already in the market? It is common to think in such a way while planning to develop an instant messaging app like WhatsApp. Let’s think about 2010 when WhatsApp was launched in the market!
Despite having platforms like iMessage, Blackberry Messenger, and many others, this app succeeded in climbing the ladders and reaching the top. The reason for the success of WhatsApp is continuous innovation and simplicity that allows anyone to learn its use.
So, if you work with a smart approach, there is a huge possibility of impacting the messaging industry. Have a look at a few major reasons why creating a messaging app is a great idea in 2023 below:
Whether someone accepts this fact or not, people love using innovative methods of communication. It proves new instant messaging start-ups can succeed by bringing innovative interaction and user experience.
The chances of people switching after finding something better are high these days. Go for innovation while building such a platform to make an instant impact.
An instant messaging app hasn’t only remained an option for chatting with friends and family. There are many other things for which these apps are used. For example, Linkedin tried to do something different for the users and provide instant messaging services to people looking for recruitment or wanting to get recruited.
So, if someone thinks about creating a chat app for Android and iOS, we strongly recommend choosing an issue that is yet to be solved.
Although it is hard to think of someone without a smartphone, you will surprise to know millions still don’t have one. As per recent research, India alone might surpass the mark of 880 million smartphone users by 2030. It means the number of people using instant messaging apps will increase in the upcoming years.
So, the chances of generating tremendous revenue by building a chat app from scratch are pretty high. The users prefer something unique and useful to deliver by making an innovative app.
Read more: How To Develop a Voice Chat App like Clubhouse?
Instant messaging is a quicker method for communicating with others. However, a platform can’t win the competition without having the desired features. Let’s know what the structure of instant messaging apps should look like!
The first thing everyone does is register on the platform and that’s why, it should be as simple as possible. The best thing to do is to allow registration using a phone number or an email.
Another popular method you can use is implementing authentication and verification using a well-known social media platform, like Google or Facebook.
If you want to take the app to a different level, consider adding synchronization with a cloud service. It should be an important part of team chat app development to give access to storing history, images, and other important files.
It will let the users access all files anywhere without much effort. Cloud integration is an impressive choice for those who wish to access files from multiple devices.
During the chat app development tutorial, always ensure the platform can differentiate the group chats from broadcasting messages. Add the capability to let users create group chats with multiple contacts and send messages to everyone with a single message.
Message broadcasting allows users to send the same message to different contacts without a unified chat. It is one of the most common global techniques news agencies and companies use.
No matter what kind of app someone develops, adding the desired set of security mechanisms is mandatory as everyone is protective about their data. You need to understand how confidential data is for everyone.
The best method to add security is end-to-end encryption, ensuring only dedicated users can see messages. It makes sure both senders and recipients can easily detect encrypted chat messages.
Also known as disappearing messages, this feature allows users to send messages that can disappear within a specified period. Plenty of sites like Signal use this feature to add extra privacy to their users.
Your chat app development guide should focus on adding a feature using which users can send self-destructing photos and videos that disappear after some time.
There is an internet data connection used by apps like WhatsApp for letting the users send messages to contacts saved on their phones. The connection can be through a Wi-Fi network or a data SIM connection, whichever is available in the system.
The users can send pictures, text messages, & audio files for free with a data connection with this app. Additionally, they can also make audio and video calls without paying anything.
This platform previously had a business model of charging 99 cents per year from the users, but it got scrapped once Meta, previously known as Facebook acquired the company. Since then, the company has only depended on WhatsApp for Business and WhatsApp Pay to generate revenue.
As stated by their parent company Meta, there are plans for adding extra tools to make money in the upcoming years.
Let’s dive into what technical aspects should be an important part of your chat app development process below:
The next thing every startup needs to take seriously during the chat app development process is adequate tools. Starting a chat app from scratch isn’t possible without the right set of tools. There are three recommended choices- Firebase, Websockets & Socket.io, and Chat Messaging APIs & SDKs from which selection needs to be made.
We recommend using Firebase because of its ability to build a chat app quickly. It is a multi-purpose mobile app development tool that has worked for various platforms since launching.
Selecting the right programming language is a very crucial part while creating a chat app for Android and iOS. Always choose a programming language that is reliable and scalable. It should be capable of supporting millions of connections on every node.
When implementing an in-app chat API for iOS, it’s imperative to select a programming language that seamlessly integrates with Apple’s ecosystem and ensures optimal performance and user experience.
In the present scenario, Erlang and Golang are the two most sophisticated choices for programming languages in instant messaging apps. Erlang is used by WhatsApp, whereas Google and Uber are the premier users of Golang.
If we talk about instant messaging apps, the most favorable choice to make is hybrid app development. The reason behind that is saving time and money at the same time. We recommend using the following tech stack in these apps:
There is a variety of chat app code languages that can be used according to skill set and requirements. We will recommend using one of the languages mentioned below:
Now, it is time for a real question, i.e. how much money is needed to build a chat app? Allow us to give an estimate of chat development time and cost with respect to functionalities. Although it depends on many factors, having a rough idea is extremely important in the beginning.
The final cost can vary anywhere between US$ 35,000 & US$ 55,000 for making an app for both Android and iOS. The messaging app development team consists of various stages, from research to project management and iOS development. The payout of these developers depends on a variety of factors, like skill level, in-house team or freelancing agency, etc.
For example, the cost will be high if we hire developers from the USA to develop such an app. On the other hand, the startups will have to pay low charges to developers based in India or Vietnam.
The steps needed to follow when someone has to build a chat app are mentioned below:
The first thing to do is research the size of the market and which area or country to target. Afterward, it would help if you defined the competitors of instant messaging apps in that particular area.
Once the market and competitors are identified, you must pick what relevant features must be added to the app. Make sure every essential feature that could attract users is added to the app. Also, decide which should be the first platform for creating your chatting app.
After making things right, it’s time to launch the app and see what destiny awaits. Make sure everything goes according to the plan while publishing the app.
In this step, you must create the monetization strategy for how your app will make money. Whether it should be through in-app advertisement or premium subscription, please make sure monetization is an important part of your strategy.
The work for developing text messaging smartphone messaging apps isn’t completed without having a talented team of developers and designers. Find a reputed agency that can handle things on your behalf rather than having an in-house team as it will cost much low.
If you believe the steps to develop the chat app finish after launching, we suggest changing the strategy. The real challenge comes with how to make the app famous in this competitive industry. Create a strong marketing strategy to make the app popular.
Once you have found a team, it is suggested to work together to make things a reality. Create a strategy with their suggestions for achieving great results.
Maintenance should be a critical part of your strategy to ensure the app is updated regularly with the latest features. It will ensure the app can successfully tackle the competition.
Have you didn’t decided on which platform you want to launch the app on? The choices are wide open for this purpose, ranging from Android to iOS and web app. Let’s talk about which platform you can choose for instant messaging apps development below:
The chat app development process can’t be completed without having an Android application. Millions of users prefer chatting over Android apps, so having one is necessary for long-term success. The Android app development should be as follows:
Programming Language- Kotlin
JSON Parsing- Jackson & Gson
ISON Parsing- Glide
Networking- OkHttp 3 and Retrofit 2
Database- Ano SQLite and Room
It is a no-brainer to have an iOS application development for your chatting app, considering the immense popularity of this platform in North America and Europe. The following tech stack is suggested for building a messaging app for iOS:
Programming Languages– Swift
UI Framework– Ulkit Switful
SDK– iOS SDK
Toolkits– Apple Code
You will obviously have to deal with certain challenges while building a chat app from scratch. We have created a list of major ones in detail below:
Standing a chance against big giants without defining real-time features is extremely difficult. It is very important to add features that improve user satisfaction continuously. It includes chat muting, privacy status updates, and custom fonts & stickers. You need to accept that users demand new functionalities, and adding ones regularly is a great challenge for new apps.
Another issue that instant messaging apps faces are security and protection. So, providing an architecture that gives necessary protection to data protection and message encryption is very important. It maintains users’ trust in the long run that a data breach can ruin.
A consistent connection is built by messaging apps to process data conveniently with their users. However, it is critical to ensure no existing data loss happens while adding new functionality and app updates. Scalability is one of the major challenges faced by real-time chat apps today.
The network loss gets greatly influenced while switching between smartphones and Wi-Fi. The chances of the last messages getting lost in the shuffle are common during temporary connections. It is essential to maintain the stability of the connection and reproduce lost messages easily.
A chat app is an incredible option for real-time communication when you don’t want to call but wish to message them. However, its benefits aren’t limited to communication because things can be beyond that. Let’s check the benefits of a chat app in detail below:
The biggest advantage of chatting apps is that users can access multiple communication methods. Most instant messaging apps allow them to make audio & video calls apart from sending texts.
These apps allow users to transfer data accurately and securely from one device to another. The level of speed through which data is transferred is pretty incredible.
There is a huge number of opportunities that one can enjoy after building a chat app from scratch. Businesses love advertising themselves on these apps that can generate solid revenue.
Companies find it very convenient to share information through chatting apps easily. It is considered much easier when compared with emails.
Now, it’s time to have an insightful look at what are the various chat app monetization ways available in the market. We have mentioned it in detail below:
In-chat advertisement is one of the most advanced monetization methods that chatting platforms can use for making honey. It allows businesses to reach their consumers directly for receiving a significant boost in conversion rate.
The next monetization that instant messaging apps can utilize is allowing users to pay within the application. This feature allows payment or acceptance of bills to different third-party websites using a multi-layered system.
Sponsorship is a useful method using which platforms can make profits. Under this system, users can register on emails or newsletters to boost brand awareness.
Another method that has achieved success among chatting apps is in-app purchases. You can think about adding this monetization method to create an app. It allows users to shop for a specific feature from Play Store according to the demand of users.
Arka Softwares has extensive experience of years to build a chat app. We have offered instant chat app development solutions to assist numerous clients in targeting the desired audience. Our talented developers and marketers have a proven track record of providing positive app development solutions.
We know how to create a messaging app with chatbot integration and smoother communication. Hiring the services of our top messenger app development agency can allow you to transform your vision into a reality.
There is a huge potential in messaging market that you can use to make a big impact. However, numerous factors need to be considered while performing steps to create a chat app. Whether it is about finding a reliable developer or hiring a marketing agency, building everything from scratch isn’t easier.
There is still room for adding new players and ideas if someone solves users’ problems. We have mentioned everything that is needed for building an app from scratch. If you have any queries related to this article, please mention them in the comment section!
Jeeto11
The app quickly earned over 1,000 downloads within two months of launch, and users have responded positively. ARKA Softwares boasted experienced resources who were happy to share their knowledge with the internal team.
Archithrones
While the development is ongoing, the client is pleased with the work thus far, which has met expectations. ARKA Softwares puts the needs of the client first, remaining open to feedback on their work. Their team is adaptable, responsive, and hard-working.
Service Provider
I started my project with Arka Softwares because it is a reputed company. And when I started working with them for my project, I found out that they have everything essential for my work. The app is still under development and but quite confident and it will turn out to be the best.
