Recommendations for Android chat app?

[Curt Harms]

SWMBO just purchased a smart phone (her first, has been using a flip phone) and wants to be able to do video chat. It sounds like Skype is becoming business-centric since its purchase by Microsoft. We're not fans of Facebook and are none too fond of Google due to privacy issues and business practices. I think WhatsApp is owned by Facebook. Anyone have a suggestion? Or am I searching for what doesn't exist?

[Steve Demuth]

The big question is what the people she wants to chat with use. She'll need the same app. That's why Facebook Messenger and Google Hangouts and Skype are the obvious choices, BTW - lots of people use those services already and have them on their phones.

[Jim Becker]

The big question is what the people she wants to chat with use. She'll need the same app. That's why Facebook Messenger and Google Hangouts and Skype are the obvious choices, BTW - lots of people use those services already and have them on their phones.

I agree, but will mention that Professor Dr. SWMBO and her siblings do use WhatsApp to communicate as one sister lives in Spain and she was already using that application. Within our immediate family, we use iMessage and Facetime, but we're an Apple household...

[Aaron Rosenthal]

My wife and the entire family use what sap, except for me.
Its a great platform.

[Curt Harms]

The big question is what the people she wants to chat with use. She'll need the same app. That's why Facebook Messenger and Google Hangouts and Skype are the obvious choices, BTW - lots of people use those services already and have them on their phones.

Thanks for the replies. I guess that's true. It's a shame that there isn't a standard for video chat like there is for the phone system or internet that is app independent. It seems like there might be one - SIP - but that hasn't caught on. It doesn't work well or is it difficult to monetize? We'll have to see once she gets up to speed on the phone itself.

[Steve Demuth]

I agree, but will mention that Professor Dr. SWMBO and her siblings do use WhatsApp to communicate as one sister lives in Spain and she was already using that application. Within our immediate family, we use iMessage and Facetime, but we're an Apple household...

Yes, WhatsApp, is also very common. I don't personally use video chat at all, so I get behind on what the new cool is.

[Jim Becker]

Thanks for the replies. I guess that's true. It's a shame that there isn't a standard for video chat like there is for the phone system or internet that is app independent. It seems like there might be one - SIP - but that hasn't caught on. It doesn't work well or is it difficult to monetize? We'll have to see once she gets up to speed on the phone itself.

Curt, SIP protocol for transport is already behind many of these dissimilar applications. It's the protocol that essentially all VoIP is using today and underlies most current video transport, too. Using a standard for transport doesn't mean that the actual applications need or will be compatible. Video is a whole 'nuther animal and there are a number of encoding standards of various capability levels very much in use today. But again, app designers are creating their own ecosystems and unless they provide gateway services between their system and other systems...they are not going to talk together. There are gateways from Skype to various commercial video systems, but things like FB Messenger, WhatsAp, Facetime, etc., are closed systems...by intent.

[Curt Harms]

Curt, SIP protocol for transport is already behind many of these dissimilar applications. It's the protocol that essentially all VoIP is using today and underlies most current video transport, too. Using a standard for transport doesn't mean that the actual applications need or will be compatible. Video is a whole 'nuther animal and there are a number of encoding standards of various capability levels very much in use today. But again, app designers are creating their own ecosystems and unless they provide gateway services between their system and other systems...they are not going to talk together. There are gateways from Skype to various commercial video systems, but things like FB Messenger, WhatsAp, Facetime, etc., are closed systems...by intent.

Thanks, I know enough about this stuff to be dangerous. I guess video chat isn't likely to become as common as voice or internet. I wonder if cell phone adoption would still be near-universal if someone with an AT&T cell phone couldn't talk to someone with a Sprint cell phone because they were closed systems. Yes one's a piece of hardware and one's a piece of software but still.

[Jim Becker]

Curt, I think we are "potentially" on the cusp of face-to-face video becoming more prevalent but agree that for that to become more universal, the various devices and systems are going to have to start interoperating. The standards exist...prior to retiring a year ago, I was involved with a number of (business) video sales whereby my solution needed to interoperate with one or more existing systems from other vendors plus desktop and mobile users. But on the consumer side and small provider side, there still has been this penchant for "doing it differently" that I believe is holding things back, rather than moving things forward. That's potentially going to be the downfall of the Facebook Portal product line that's being heavily advertised at present...if it doesn't interoperate with other solutions (and I don't mean by providing a dedicated app), then it's going to have a limited market. And that's my opinion as a 30+ year technical sales veteran of the IT/Networking/Telecom industry.

[Myk Rian]

With my Android phone I don't need an app for a video call. I just make it from the contact list.