Sandes App: Indian Government's Whatsapp Alternative

Ever since WhatsApp came up with its new privacy policy, everyone is looking for suitable alternatives to one of the most-used messaging services around the world. Well, the Indian Government is the newest player in the race and with the Sandes app, they are officially up and running. What does this app bring and how does it do things differently?

The app is available on both iOS and Android platform. The app had been under testing for quite some time now. It was being tested by government employees, and now it is available for the public to use and form their judgement. The app is now available on iOS but Google Play Store is yet to welcome the app. However, it can be downloaded directly from the official website.

WhatsApp has been under scrutiny for breaching user's privacy for a while now. Even the Supreme Court of India questioned WhatsApp on its policies. The Sandes app has been made in India for the people of India to keep their personal privacy safe.

This app is like most other messaging apps where you sign in with your phone number and get going. You can chat with multiple people, create groups with family and friends, make voice calls and video calls. You can also share media with your contacts. The app is created and tested by the National Informatics Center. It follows the basic drill of any messaging app, and it is easy to understand if you have used any messaging service before. The app is also free to download.

The app is still in the initial stages and despite that fact, it has some features that WhatsApp doesn't even have. You can mark messages as Priority or Confidential. This will attract the reader's attention towards the text and can be answered by them on a priority basis.

It is a very minimal app that is targeted towards professionals and officials who do not want a cluttered UI and require a clean experience. A chatbot is also available on the app where you can clarify all your doubts regarding the app. The sign-up system also allows the government officials to log-in with their gov.in id. Even the emojis on the app look formal and strictly "for office use".

The user base is yet to broaden up but can this be a suitable alternative to WhatsApp? Is it the first step out of the WhatsApp dependency?