Common Sense Media Review
By Dana Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Message or call with stickers, doodle for visual fun.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Download
Videos and Photos
Viber
Privacy Rating Warning
Privacy Rating
Our expert evaluators create our privacy ratings. The ratings are designed to help you understand how apps use your data for commercial purposes.
Pass
Meets our minimum requirements for privacy and security practices.
Warning
Does not meet our recommendations for privacy and security practices.
Fail
Does not have a privacy policy and should not be used.
Privacy Rating
Our expert evaluators create our privacy ratings. The ratings are designed to help you understand how apps use your data for commercial purposes.
Pass
Meets our minimum requirements for privacy and security practices.
Warning
Does not meet our recommendations for privacy and security practices.
Fail
Does not have a privacy policy and should not be used.
What's It About?
To create a VIBER account, enter your cell phone number and then provide your Facebook details or name and image. Tap a contact, type a message in the chat field, and tap the bear icon to add a sticker. Tap the phone icon to make a voice call; tap the microphone and hold to record a voice message. Tap the "x" to view image-based message options (photo, gallery, video, doodle, location). Two check marks mean the message was delivered. Access account settings by tapping on the gear icon.
Is It Any Good?
Viber is an impressive, free messaging app that includes more privacy and customization options than some similar apps. It works well (sound quality reportedly varies, depending upon connection quality; it sounded just fine during this review), and it's visually appealing. You can view your contacts who use Viber under one column and those who don't under a "Viber Out" column, which makes it easy to distinguish which are free and which will need in-app purchase credits to call.
Although the ability to call and message any other Viber user (even internationally) for free is the big draw, the options to draw or doodle on messages, change message backgrounds, and choose from thousands of stickers are fun creative perks that may nudge this app up the favorites list. Some of the stickers in the in-app purchase sticker packs are not for kids, but they can easily be avoided by sticking with the free ones. Viber is a standout in the growing crowd of messaging apps.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about messaging apps. Read Common Sense's Trend Alert about messaging apps and talk to your teen about why it's not a good idea to share iffy secrets online.
Remind your teen that Viber's ​free status depends on messaging and calling others who also have the app; otherwise, they (or you) have to purchase credits. To find out more about different calling rates, go to Viber Out.
Even though the alcohol-related stickers on Viber can be (mostly) avoided by not going to the in-app purchase sticker packs, their existence on a messaging app displays the prevalence of alcohol use in all forms of media. To learn more about portrayals of alcohol and how they may affect your teen, watch Common Sense's Dealing with Drinking in the Media video.
App Details
- Devices : iPhone , iPod Touch , iPad , Android , Kindle Fire , Windows app
- Pricing structure : Free (Credits for calling non-Viber mobile numbers and landline numbers can be purchased in packs ($.99 to $9.99); some stickers require $1.99 in-app purchase.)
- Release date : May 8, 2014
- Genre : Social Networking
- Publisher : Viber Media
- Version : 4.2.1
- Minimum software requirements : iOS 6.0 or later, Android 2.2 and up.
- Last updated : October 11, 2021
Did we miss something on diversity?
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