14 DAY TRIAL // Amazon is said to be developing a new messaging app that would work across a wide variety of desktops and mobile devices, with the company specifically targeting Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, iMessage, and other similar solutions.
A report from AFTV News reveals that Amazon’s instant messaging app is called Anytime and is supposed to include a long range of features, including not only messaging, but also voice and video calls. Amazon is also developing social functionality like photo and video sharing, with add-ons like filters and effects similar to those available in existing messaging apps.
Amazon will also allow users to send GIFs, emoji, play games with contacts, and even use mentions to directly refer to a friend, similar to Twitter. Audio and video calls will support both personal accounts and businesses, and Amazon wants to include contact details for points of interests, like hotels and restaurants, to let users quickly make a reservation.
Additionally, a leaked document indicates that Amazon is working on options to “share your location, listen to music, order food together, and split a bill” with a contact.
Encrypted chats
Amazon claims privacy will be an important part of its new application, so chats will be private and messages will be encrypted, which should come in very handy, especially because Amazon wants its messaging app to be used for reservations that include transmitting personal information and credit card data.
Details on when the application is projected to launch are not available just yet, but Amazon reportedly wants to make its instant messenger work on the most popular operating systems right now, so Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android clients are very likely.
At this point, it’s not known how advanced the project currently is, but the aforementioned source speculates it’s already a ready product as the company started surveying customers about the features it plans to offer.
