It all started with WhatsApp updating its privacy policy and now, it is in tough competition with its counterparts. In fact, it has lost many of its users to Signal and Telegram. Now WhatsApp is trying to win its users back.
Signal has benefited the most out of disappointed WhatsApp users. A great number of its users have moved to Signal and continue to be. However, WhatsApp has extended its policy update review deadline. This has slowed down the WhatsApp to Signal movement a bit. And adding to that is its new “Read Later” feature update.
WhatsApp has been around for long. It was launched in 2009. Despite all the scandal created due to its privacy policy update, it continues to be the most used messaging app. WhatsApp has deep roots in the digital communication systems of many countries. Its Business version is widely used by many small businesses for digital marketing. Therefore, to compete with this messenger giant, Signal would need more. So what has it come up with? Let’s find below.
But before jumping to that, here is a brief about…
The Signal App
Signal Technology Foundation and Signal Messenger LLC developed the Signal app which has been around since 2014. It is an open-source messaging platform best known for its security features. In fact, according to his own tweet, the current richest man Elon Musk uses Signal and not WhatsApp.
What makes Signal stand out? Why is it better than WhatsApp?—Signal basically stands out for its security features. It provides end-to-end chat encryption which WhatsApp does too. But there is more. Unlike WhatsApp, it can’t access users’ private information like IP address, group details, and statuses. Moreover, while WhatsApp provides encryption in chats, it doesn’t encrypt the cloud-storage back up. This is another aspect that makes Signal better.
However, apart from that, both apps have good security features. That’s why, to get people moving from WhatsApp and choosing it instead, Signal needs more.
The new feature update in Signal app
Coming to the point of this article, Signal has updated its app with a new feature update. However, this new modification takes after an existing feature of WhatsApp.
With this new feature, Signal users can change the background of their chats. They’d have both the options-
- To change the background for all the chats,
- Or to change it for a specific chat.
This means that if you want, you can have different backgrounds for different chats. And if you want none, you can just go on with the default background.
However, WhatsApp has already had this feature for a long. It also made similar customization available for chat backgrounds before Signal did. It has already been there since the last year.
So, this new feature isn’t really new. But with Signal’s top-notch security system, it is like a cherry on the cake.
More similarity between WhatsApp and Signal App features
Undeniably, WhatsApp brought some cool features and the rest simply followed.
- Allowing editing and customizing media before sending,
- story-like statuses,
- sticker,
- GIFs,
- and of course the chat background feature
—these are some of the fun pictures of WhatsApp.
Signal has integrated many of such features in its app. The chat background customization adds to the list.
Why Signal allows chat background customization now?
Regardless of the scandal, WhatsApp continues to have the highest number of monthly active users among all the social media messaging apps. Moreover, WhatsApp took it to its own Status feature and other connecting platforms to slam what it calls ‘rumors’ regarding its privacy policy update. Not to mention the deadline extension that gives it a good amount of time to run other damage controls. And now, there has also been this very useful modification of the “Archive” feature into “Read Later.” Although the update hasn’t been rolled out on the stable version yet, it is expected to be soon.
Doubtlessly, WhatsApp’s new privacy policy update has created an opportunity gap for Signal. And it is indeed benefiting from it. But to stand against the most popularly used messaging app, it apparently needs more. Therefore, it is rolling out such new updates. And looking at the pattern, it is supposed to continue.
Final Word
WhatsApp has sure been enduring some loss since its privacy policy update. Regardless, it still enjoys the most monthly active users. Indeed apps like Signal and Telegram have gained out of it. But to stand against WhatsApp, they’d need more. Signal app’s new chat background customization feature may be looked at as one such attempt. The fashion in which it’s been going, we can expect more interesting updates from these apps. For the best part, the users of the given apps are most at the receiving end of these benefits. Let’s wait and see what’s more to come.
Wondering what more is going to be there? How is it going to affect digital marketing trends this year? What will become of digital communication?
There is sure going to be so much to know. To keep a track of the new developments on this matter, stay tuned!
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