Viber Releases a Desktop App with Video Calling

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Viber is taking a stand on app messaging; they are releasing a desktop app for their wildly popular messaging platform. Starting today, Viber’s 200 million+ users will have access to their Viber contacts from both mobile and desktop.

Viber is also releasing new updates to its mobile apps, but the bigger story is the desktop app.

The ambitious company is breaking ground on video calling today; but unfortunately, only from desktop to desktop. Hopefully, mobile to mobile, and then even mobile to desktop will be arriving on the scene soon.

Other than that, the desktop version has just about everything the mobile version has, including messaging, stickers, etc.

To start, you must be a mobile user of Viber, so if you don’t have a number that’s already associated with the service, the desktop app will ask you to download the mobile application. From there, you simply input your number into the desktop app, enter a pin which is sent to your mobile device, and you instantly have access to all the contacts you know on Viber.

All of the Viber apps will sync messages with each other as well. This is yet again another weakness in Apple's iMessage: It doesn't sync. All of these app messaging services are fighting with iMessage as well as regular SMS for market space.

Viber is also taking a leap forward with its mobile apps, but Android and iOS, as always, are the main focus of this mobile updgrade. Both will receive video messages, a new assortment of stickers, a new photo experience, a new voice engine, and then some other minor stuff.

Viber has been growing steadily, announcing growth to 200 million users, up from 175 million in February.

This latest advance really only works for those with multiple devices, but it will be interesting to see how the market responds to this new leap forward in app messaging.