Amid the upsurging popularity of messaging apps, Amazon throws itself into the fray. According to reports, the retail giant has long been working on its messaging app called "Anytime", which is touted to be a free all-in-one messenger that would compete against industry stalwarts like Slack, Skype, and Facebook's Messenger.
AFTV News revealed that Amazon has been running a survey particularly on which features the respondents would like to use in a messaging app. According to its source, the survey appeared to indicate that Amazon's new messenger "was a ready product."
From the shared images, Anytime by Amazon is an all-in-one messaging app merging all functionalities of existing messengers such as Facebook's Messenger, WhatsApp, Skype, Slack, and even social networking platforms.
Amazon's Anytime allows users to instantly message friends and groups and do voice and video calls using their name, even without numbers—just like Slack. It operates on handles or @mentions in photo sharing, video call, and group chat. Amazon boasts its free high-quality voice and video calls either one-on-one or group.
Just like Facebook's Messenger, the Anytime messaging app has a wide variety of GIFs, stickers, emojis to use in conversations. Filters are also available for photos and videos, which have been popularized by social media platforms Instagram and Snapchat. Users can also play games and challenge friends, customise conversations through colours and friends' names.
Anytime by Amazon works as a music streaming app as well just like Spotify, letting users listen to music, and as a social media app to share their location. For businesses, entrepreneurs can take advantage of the app as it can also work for shopping, checking orders, making reservations. Most importantly, Amazon vows to make the app private and secure as it keeps chat private and encrypts important messages.
As of now, Amazon refused to comment on this leak and the details that have been made public.
