By Viber Media
Report updated May 21, 2026
Rakuten Viber Messenger
For global users seeking a secure, multi-functional communication platform for personal and group messaging, international calling, and community engagement.
Rakuten Viber Messenger is a challenged social networking app that is free with in-app purchases. With a 4.2/5 rating from 17.6M reviews, it faces significant user friction. Users particularly appreciate simple and reliable messaging interface provides a preferred alternative to more complex platforms, though aggressive account suspension and security verification triggers block legitimate users from accessing their contacts remains a common concern.
What is Rakuten Viber Messenger?
Rakuten Viber Messenger is a secure messaging and calling app for global users, offering group chats, international calling, and community channels on iOS and Android.
Users hire Viber for secure, cross-border communication that combines traditional phone-number-based calling with modern group-chat features, serving the need for reliable long-distance connectivity.
Current Momentum
v27.8 · 5d ago
Intense- Integrated AI bots for service inquiries.
- Enhanced group management tools including polls.
Active Nemesis
WhatsApp Messenger
By WhatsApp
Other Rivals
7-Day Rank Pulse 🇺🇸
Social NetworkingRating Pulse 🇺🇸
Recent User MoodAI-powered deep analysis surfacing high-signal insights. Still in beta, accuracy improves daily. For informational purposes only.
What makes this app unique?
What Does It Look Like?
How Is The App's Momentum Right Now?
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What Are The Key Features?
Default encryption for all 1-on-1 and group calls and chats.
International calling service to landlines and mobile phones.
Public or private spaces for interest-based connection.
How much does it cost?
- Free messaging and calling
- Viber Out paid minutes and subscriptions
Monetization centers on ad-supported engagement and paid international calling services.
Who Built It?
Viber Media
Facilitating global communication through secure messaging and international calling. Connecting users across devices with a focus on privacy and community.
Portfolio
2
Apps
Who is Viber Media?
Viber maintains a unique hybrid position by bridging standard OTT messaging with a PSTN-based 'Viber Out' service, allowing them to monetize international calling alongside traditional social features. Their primary moat is a massive, established user base that relies on the platform for both personal and professional communication, creating a strong network effect that is difficult for smaller entrants to replicate. The strategic tension lies in balancing their legacy as a communication utility with the need to evolve into a broader ecosystem, particularly as they integrate public Communities to drive engagement beyond simple one-to-one messaging.
Who is Viber Media for?
- Global users seeking secure
- Cross-platform messaging
- Cost-effective international voice calling solutions
Portfolio momentum
Released 15 updates across 2 apps in the last 6 months, indicating a high-frequency maintenance and feature-rollout cycle.
What other apps does Viber Media make?
What do users think recently?
High confidence · Latest 120 of 2K total reviews analyzed
How did the latest release land?
What is the recent mood?
Recent user voice shows a frustrated sentiment. Users appreciate simple and reliable messaging interface provides a preferred alternative to more complex platforms, but report aggressive account suspension and security verification triggers block legitimate users from accessing their contacts.
What Users Love
What Frustrates Users
What Users Want
What is the competitive landscape for Rakuten Viber Messenger?
How's The Social Networking Market?
**Pricing Strategy**: Freemium model utilizing ad-supported engagement and paid international calling minutes. **Target Audience**: Global users prioritizing secure, multi-functional communication for personal and professional group coordination. **Market Position**: The app maintains a strong presence in international markets, holding the #1 Grossing position in the Philippines and top-20 rankings across multiple regions. However, the disparity between high free-user volume and lower grossing ranks in mature markets suggests monetization friction relative to its discovery advantage.
How does it evolve in the Social Networking market?
Viber maintains a strong international presence, holding the #1 Grossing position in the Philippines and top-20 rankings across multiple regions. The disparity between high free-user volume and lower grossing ranks in mature markets signals monetization friction relative to its discovery advantage.
| Country | Category | Chart | Rank | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇳🇱 Netherlands | Social Networking | iOSFree | #33 | ▲8 |
| 🇮🇱 Israel | Social Networking | iOSFree | #38 |
The rivals identified
The Nemesis
Head to Head
Viber must double down on its unique community and sticker-based engagement features to differentiate from WhatsApp's utility-first dominance.
What sets Rakuten Viber Messenger apart
Offers a more diverse set of built-in stickers and public community channels than the standard WhatsApp experience.
Provides a more integrated experience for users who rely on traditional phone number-based calling and messaging.
What's WhatsApp Messenger's Edge
Deep integration into the Meta ecosystem allows for seamless cross-platform social sharing and business communication tools.
Unmatched network density makes it the default communication choice for international and professional group coordination.
Contenders
Open-source protocol and non-profit status provide a unique trust proposition that commercial apps cannot match.
Strict metadata minimization practices appeal to power users and security-focused demographics.
Supports massive group sizes and broadcast channels that far exceed standard messaging app capabilities.
Cloud-based architecture allows seamless message history access across unlimited devices without local storage constraints.
Deeply integrated with Facebook and Instagram, enabling instant contact discovery without needing phone numbers.
Advanced AR filters and interactive game features provide a more entertainment-focused communication environment.
Integrated digital wallet and payment ecosystem transforms the app from a messenger into a daily utility.
Extensive library of localized digital content and character-based branding drives high user retention.
Peers
Deep integration with Google Calendar and Gmail streamlines scheduling for professional and academic users.
Optimized for high-bandwidth video stability, positioning it as a tool for meetings rather than casual chat.
SMS-based group messaging allows users without the app to participate in group conversations seamlessly.
Minimalist interface focuses exclusively on group organization rather than individual one-on-one communication.
Optimized for reliable international calling in regions where standard VoIP services face regulatory hurdles.
Includes localized features like bill payments and service bookings tailored to specific regional markets.
Built-in administrative tools like shared calendars and RSVP polls facilitate organized group management.
Focuses on community-wide engagement rather than the ephemeral nature of standard instant messaging.
New Kids on the Block
Leverages the Instagram social graph to create instant, high-engagement text-based public conversations.
Aggressive feature iteration cycle is rapidly closing the gap between public posting and private messaging.
Democratizes the creation of custom stickers, fueling the visual language used in other messaging platforms.
Community-driven content library provides a constant stream of trending visual assets for social expression.
The outtake for Rakuten Viber Messenger
Strengths to defend, gaps to attack
Core Strengths
- Default end-to-end encryption across all chat types
- Extensive sticker and lens library for visual expression
- Established international calling infrastructure
Critical Frictions
- High-frequency account lockout triggers
- Persistent call stability issues like echoing
- Intrusive ad overlays during active communication
Growth Levers
- Expansion of B2B service integrations via AI bots
- Untapped potential in wearable device integration
- Localized bill-payment services
Market Threats
- Rapid feature iteration from Meta-owned platforms
- Tightening EU data-minimization regulations
- Consolidation of casual-puzzle and social-interest traffic
What are the next best moves?
Rebuild SMS verification logic because verification failures are the top-cited access complaint → reduce account-lockout churn
Sentiment analysis identifies SMS verification failure as a primary driver of negative user reviews.
Trade-off: Pause the AI bot feature expansion — account access has 3x the retention impact.
Remove ad overlays from active calls because ads during calls are a top-cited frustration → increase call-session retention
User complaints explicitly link ad placements to call disruption and session abandonment.
Trade-off: Deprioritize new ad-inventory formats in Communities — current ad-placement is degrading core utility.
A counter-intuitive read
The aggressive security triggers are not a bug but a failed attempt to mimic the trust-moat of Signal, which backfires because Viber lacks the non-profit, open-source credibility to justify such friction.
Feature Gaps vs Competitors
- Real-time cloud-based message history synchronization (available in Telegram but missing here)
Key Takeaways
- Prioritize the stability of the SMS verification loop to prevent the churn of long-term users.
- Remove ad overlays from active call interfaces to protect the core communication utility.
- Pivot engineering resources toward call-quality performance to address persistent echoing and connection drops.
Viber maintains a strong international footprint through its secure calling utility, but the aggressive account-lockout triggers and intrusive ad placements are actively degrading the user base, so the PM must prioritize technical stability over short-term ad revenue to prevent further churn.
Where Is It Heading?
Declining
The messaging market is consolidating around platforms that offer high-reliability utility; Viber's current technical instability and friction-heavy security model leave it exposed. Unless the team shifts focus from ad-inventory expansion to core call-quality and account-access reliability, the app will continue to lose ground to competitors with faster, more stable communication loops.
Persistent call stability issues following the latest update erode the daily active habit, compounding the rating drag already visible on Android.
Aggressive security verification failures block legitimate users from their contacts, accelerating churn pressure toward more stable messaging alternatives.