Outlook Business Desk
Zoho’s Arattai app is emerging as a new messaging option in India. Launched in 2021, it is gaining traction among users, visible due to social media buzz on the back of its Made-in-India credentials. The app offers a secure, ad-free alternative and could challenge WhatsApp’s dominance.
While both WhatsApp and Arattai let users send messages, make voice and video calls, and share media, Arattai adds extra features for personal organisation, productivity, and use on more devices, giving users more flexibility.
Arattai enables users access their account on up to five devices simultaneously, including Android TVs, desktops, and laptops. This makes messaging and calls more flexible across phones, computers, and TVs, offering wider device support than WhatsApp, which currently works on fewer devices.
The app includes social media-style features like Stories and Broadcast Channels. It allows people to share updates, photos, and videos with groups or followers, similar to WhatsApp’s Status and Channels, combining messaging with more interactive and engaging social communication.
Arattai provides a Pocket feature where people can store notes, photos, videos, and reminders in one place. It also includes a Meetings tab to schedule video calls, making it easier to manage personal and work-related tasks and content.
Arattai is built to work efficiently on low-memory devices and slower 2G or 3G networks, making it easier for people with budget phones to stay connected. WhatsApp, on the other hand, uses more data and resources, which can slow performance on older devices.
Arattai also allows people to start one-to-one chats or create groups with up to about 1,000 members. Although slightly below WhatsApp’s 1,024-member limit, it still enables strong group communication for both professional teams and social communities.
WhatsApp provides end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for all messages, calls, and shared files, keeping user data fully private. Arattai currently offers E2EE for voice and video calls, with text encryption planned for future updates, while also promising no use of data for ads or third parties.
Arattai is completely free and works on Android, iOS, desktops, and Android TVs. People can sync their account across up to five devices, making messaging and calls flexible for both personal and work use, while highlighting its secure, Made-in-India setup.