Rakuten Viber Messenger is a secure messaging and calling app for global users, featuring group chats, disappearing messages, and international telephony.
The App DNA
What makes this app unique?
Users rely on the app to bridge the gap between free, encrypted messaging and low-cost international landline calling, a combination that simplifies cross-border communication.
For Global users requiring secure, cross-platform communication and low-cost international calling solutions.
What does it look like?
Key features
Default encryption for all 1-on-1 and group chats, preventing third-party access to message content.
International calling service to landlines and mobile numbers via purchased credit or subscription.
Public-facing group spaces for interest-based content sharing and global following.
How much does it cost?
The freemium model relies on free core communication to drive scale, with monetization focused on international telephony via Viber Out.
Velocity
Intense developmentopaqueperformanceShow more...
The app maintains an intense release cadence, averaging roughly 0.8 releases per week over the observed period. Despite the high frequency of updates, the release notes are uniformly generic, providing no insight into specific feature additions or technical changes. This pattern is characteristic of platforms that rely on server-side deployments and feature flags rather than traditional App Store-driven feature releases. The development trend is stable, focusing on continuous, incremental updates.
Who built it?
Viber Media
2 apps tracked · Social Networking
Rakuten Viber MessengerUser Sentiment
What do users think recently?
Recent user voice shows a frustrated sentiment. Users appreciate reliable voice and video calling quality remains a core retention anchor for long-term users, but report forced integration of ai features creates privacy concerns and intrusive user experience friction.
How are ratings & reviews evolving?
Weekly average review rating
What users say, by theme
- Reliable voice and video calling quality remains a core retention anchor for long-term users
- Forced integration of AI features creates privacy concerns and intrusive user experience friction
120 of 4527 recent reviews analyzed · high confidence · Frustrated overall
Read the full review analysisUnlock 1 user request, each backed by review evidence.
Access the full report for freeCompetition
Competitive landscape for Rakuten Viber Messenger
How's the Social Networking market?
Rakuten Viber Messenger maintains a strong regional footprint, holding the #5 Free Social rank in the Philippines and #6 in Greece. The disparity between its high discovery rank and the lack of recent major feature updates signals a reliance on legacy network effects rather than active growth.
Read the market outlookThe rivals identified
By Medialab - Kik
Both apps compete for the same instant messaging audience, with Viber focusing on secure, cross-platform communication and Kik on anonymous, username-based social discovery.
- Kik allows account creation without phone number verification, whereas Viber requires a phone number for registration.
- Viber provides end-to-end encrypted voice and video calls, a feature absent in the Kik experience.
- Viber offers desktop synchronization for cross-platform continuity, which Kik lacks.
Unlock the head-to-head verdict: where this rival wins, and where it loses.
Access the full report for freeThe Analyst's Read
Key takeaways for Rakuten Viber Messenger
Where is it heading?
The messaging market is consolidating around platforms that offer rapid feature iteration and seamless cross-device synchronization. Rakuten Viber Messenger remains exposed due to its stagnant feature development and recent privacy-related sentiment decline, which will likely accelerate churn to more agile competitors like Telegram.
- Forced AI integration triggers privacy complaints, which erodes the trust-based retention that previously anchored the user base.
- The release cadence remains high but lacks major feature expansion, signaling a maintenance-mode posture that leaves the app vulnerable to rivals.
The SWOT
- Default end-to-end encryption creates a defensible privacy barrier
- Viber Out international calling provides a unique monetization mechanism
- Localized pricing for Viber Out in high-ARPU international markets
Next best moves
Ship granular AI opt-out toggles because privacy concerns are the top complaint theme → reduce churn
+ 1 more prioritized moveThe counter-intuitive read
The app's reliance on Viber Out is a hidden strength…
Read the full takeFeature gaps
Cloud-based synchronization (available in Telegram but absent here) +1
Since the last report: The report highlights a pivot toward platform parity and privacy control, as the developer shifts resources to address a 0.7-star rating gap on Android and user backlash against AI features. This transition marks a move away from feature expansion toward defensive maintenance.
Bottom line
Rakuten Viber Messenger must address the privacy friction caused by forced AI features to retain its core user base, as the current sentiment drag threatens to erode the platform's long-term retention advantage.
Unlock 2 critical frictions, 2 market threats, 1 more prioritized move and the analyst’s take.
Access the full report for freeFAQ
Is Rakuten Viber Messenger safe for private chats?
How does Rakuten Viber Messenger compare to Telegram?
Can I use Rakuten Viber Messenger to call landlines?
What is a secure alternative to Rakuten Viber Messenger?
Sources
- [1] Play Store listing, source
Report last updated