Top 10 Best Chating Software Tools for Windows Users
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ChatWork
Neatly collaborate with your team members with the help of this cloud-based and streamlined application that features group chat, video call and file management capabilities
Built to enhance and streamline the whole collaboration process within any team, ChatWork is a powerful communication tool that also allows you to send files, manage tasks and make video calls.
Install and start using ChatWork with almost no effort
To get started with this cloud-based collaboration app, you will require an official ChatWork account. Once you install the utility on your computer and log in using the appropriate credentials, you are greeted by its functional user interface.
Before anything else, you should know that the app is actually a wrapper for the ChatWork web-app, easily accessible from the developer's website.
Efficiently collaborate with your team members directly from the desktop
This said, the main and probably the most significant advantage that it brings is, evidently, the fact that you can access ChatWork's features directly from your computer's desktop, without the need of using a web browser.
Regardless if you have ever used collaboration tools such as this or not, you should be able to feel right at home within minutes with the overall feel of the app.
Typical layout for team collaboration apps
This is mainly possible as a result of the typical pattern that almost all apps such as this share.
A panel that displays channels and other chat lists on the left side of the main window, the main chat panel in the middle and a sort of information and settings section on the right side.
Communicate with members of your team even from your smartphone
Needless to say that all your conversations and all the files you send are properly stored in the cloud, so long as you don't go over the storage capacity that depends on the type of account you are subscribed to.
Also noteworthy is the fact that ChatWork also comes with support for the macOS and for the two, most common mobile platforms to date, iOS and Android.
Useful and comprehensive collaboration tool that could do with some extra security features
Taking everything into consideration, with typical group chat, video calls, and task management capabilities, as well as cloud-based store and support for mobile platforms, ChatWork is a comprehensive team collaboration tool that should be enough for most work-related environments.
This said, it would have been nice if the service would provide its users with end-to-end encryption.
If we were to nitpick, we would say that the app's interface, while quite functional, feels and looks quite outdated, with its lack of transition effects between menus, a collection of somewhat too small buttons and no real means of customizing the way it looks.
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Enjoy posting your photos and chatting with your friends or admirers from the comfort of your desktop, no browser required, no clutter in sight
Instagram, as a Facebook product, is one specific platform where people can meet other people, the only difference being it deals with images more than it does with words. As the user base has been on a continuous rise, the demand for a desktop application for Windows has become a popular request. While it might not be exactly what many hoped for, Instagram can now be installed as a desktop app from Microsoft Store.
More of a shell and not a full-fledged app
If you were expecting an independently-developed application with a unique interface or structure, you're about to be disappointed. Why? The application is more of a shell for the online service. Still, there are many advantages to using the desktop application in this form, mainly having to deal with browser space gain or ease-of-access. The application works well and can also be molded to fit in any corner of your desktop. The advantage here is the content displayed will also be resized to fit the space of your adjusted window.
You'll feel right at home with this app
The best part about having integrated the online application into a desktop form has to do with all the menus and settings. Basically, all the elements you've already come to know in the browser app will be placed in the same spot or area, meaning there really is no need for you to adapt to any new arrangement schemes. Chat, post photos, edit settings, and preferences just as you would while being logged to the service in your browser.
While having an Instagram desktop application does have many advantages, the lazy idea behind it, in this case, doesn't actually do it justice. You'll end up dealing with the same experience, the only actual change being one less tab in your browser, crowding your workspace.
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Telegram Desktop
A cross-platform messaging application that enables you to exchange messages and files with your friends in a secure manner, using a simple interface
Telegram Desktop is a powerful, cross-platform messenger app that enables you to get in touch with other users without worrying about data interception and stealing. Focusing on security, it encrypts all conversations and shared files and stores them in the cloud, allowing fast synchronizations and quick access to the message database from anywhere in the world.
A more secure alternative to other messaging apps
Deploying versions for all major mobile platforms like Android, iOS, but also desktop operating systems (Windows, macOS and Linux), Telegram becomes a good alternative to other more popular messaging programs, such as WhatsApp.
As mentioned above, the plus it brings is improved security, putting privacy above everything else. Messages you send via Telegram Desktop are automatically encrypted before they are stored online.
Send broadcasts and share files
Telegram features an intuitive interface that encases a list of your contacts and displays the conversation with each. In order to create your account, you will be prompted to enter your name and provide a valid mobile phone number, which is used for generating a security code.
Users can create groups comprising up to 200 contacts and broadcast messages to a maximum of 100 people that are using Telegram, regardless of the platform of their choice.
The application features desktop notifications for incoming messages and supports file and photo sending, ensuring compatibility with any format, be it documents, archives, music files or pictures. And like in any messaging application out there, conversations can be enriched using various funny emoticons.
A secure and user-friendly messaging app
Relying on the advanced security protocols, Telegram Desktop delivers a messaging application that is worth trying, at least.
Not only that your messages are protected at all times, but you can easily access them from any mobile or desktop device, no matter where you are.
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MOMO BOARD
Get in touch with various communities or create your own, all through this message board app, built to connect people across many devices
Ever since the advent of the internet era, message boards have been one of the ways through which people would interact with one another. Even nowadays, communities are formed around common interests, with a lot of them surfacing by the minute.
As such, it is easy to understand that the message board apps available to users are plentiful, so there's a lot of competition going on in that market. MOMO BOARD is a promising new app, harboring a simple, modern interface that facilitates building communities and interacting with people.
Easy chatting
A first impression upon using this program is that it's been intuitively designed. The interface is very welcoming, and conversing with others is as easy as creating a new Chat with them, or by simply joining any of the public boards, open to everyone.
Keeping in touch with the ones you've interacted with is a feature available in the Posts tab, where you also have the ability to save the matters that interest you, making them easier to reach. Updates from the groups that you're in are also here.
It has to be noted that Posts act as status updates of sorts, which people can interact with and directly contact you. This social feature is a nice addition, as it gives users more options to connect.
More sharing and integration
Joining new communities via the Explore tab is just as easy of a process. Find a group that suits your interests, click Join, and you're in. This very much reminds me of the way Facebook would handle their Group feature, where people would post a status update in that community, to which others would reply, and interaction would ensue. In essence, that is very much the same here.
The integration is also nice to have, as this software accommodates for both mobile and PC platforms. You'll be able to stay connected to your communities seamlessly, and the 10GB of cloud storage — sent media and documents are stored on their servers — is a handy feature, making it easier to reach your files of interest.
MOMO BOARD is neatly designed, that much can be said. Navigating through it was a pleasant experience, and the integration, along with the community features, make it worth your while.
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TeamTalk
A voice, video, and media sharing conferencing application that enables you to keep in touch with your friends and team of colleagues, as well as set up your own communication server and configure your channel(s)
TeamTalk is an application that allows users to have full control over their communication channel, as it enables access to publicly available rooms (hosted on TeamTalk's server) or the creation of a fully customized, standalone server.
The installation process and exploring the application's menu and options
The service is a multi-platform utility that supports connectivity to Windows OS, macOS, and Linux distributions. As such, you can remotely connect people from all places and backgrounds, and you can have the added benefit of flexibility. Unlike other modern tools that rely on a third-party server for hosting the actual conference, with this app, you have the plus of extra control, configuration, and security.
For example, when you install TeamTalk for the first time, you can test it out and connect to different publicly available channels. Moreover, the app always displays at hand the most important aspects of a meeting. In the right side panel, you have the options for accessing the chat window, the video-sharing, the desktops involved, and the files that are shared within that conference meeting.
Furthermore, you can easily adjust your microphone and volume with the corresponding commands, record the conversations on disk (saved locally), enable/disable push talk, video transmission, voice activation, or desktop sharing, stream media files to the entire channel, upload/download files from the conference, ban certain users from the channel, and restrict, allow, or intercept communication with other users (depending on your and the other one's user status).
Server and channel administration and additional options
The option to create channel(s) for you and your team to have private talks about the products, services, and strategies you are developing is great. For example, as a sysadmin in your company, you can get a new communication channel up in no time. You can distribute user roles, create new accounts, broadcast messages, configure your server's properties, as well as access the server statistics data, all with the same client application.
Final considerations
To summarize, this program might not be comparable with others alike when it comes to its user interface, but it surely offers solid instruments for those who value customizations and security.
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TeamTalk is part of these download collections: VoIP Clients
Signal Desktop
Chat with your friends and family and share media, all from the comforts of your computer and mobile devices by relying on the best secure messaging platform out there
Privacy-focused and secure messaging applications are not a novelty. Be that as it may, they're still not widely used, since we all know what advantages other, more mainstream platforms bring to the table.
The thing is, all those advantages come at a great cost usually in the form of our privacy and personal data.
Nowadays, there are a couple of good options when it comes to highly secure messaging apps, but probably none more popular than Signal.
What is Signal?
Signal is a secure and open-source messaging with a strong inclination towards privacy protection enforced by one of, if not the best encryption algorithms out there called Signal Protocol.
The platform was founded in 2013 by Matthew Rosenfeld, founder of Open Whisper Systems. Everything is founded by the Signal Technology Foundation (Signal Foundation), a fully independent non-profit organization, and, might we add, with no links to major tech companies.
Getting started with Signal
Signal features bespoke, secure, and cross-platform clients for the most popular phone platforms such as iOS and Android, as well as Windows, macOS, and Linux.
First, you'll have to install Signal on either your iOS or Android device. Next, follow the on-screen instructions to complete the registration process which involves you having to enter your phone number (used to, receiving a unique access code that you'll have to enter within the app, and that's about it.
Please note that the phone number is used to link up your contacts and that the whole service works using the Internet. Furthermore, you can only contact and chat with people in your Contacts who themselves have Signal installed.
Installing Signal Desktop on a Windows device or on macOS is done with no more than a few clicks. Because your phone number is the only way for the app to identify you, you need to link your account (from your phone) to Signal Desktop. Don't worry, the process is quite straightforward, as it only requires you to scan the QR code that Signal Desktop displays when you launch the app for the first time.
What makes Signal worth your attention?
There are a lot of benefits that Signals brings to the table. Security-wise, the Signal protocol is generally considered to be the most secure protocol out there. So much so that other messaging platforms have recently implemented it. Some of the biggest names include Facebook Messenger, Skype, and WhatsApp.
However, when it comes to privacy trust is a big factor, and there's also a discussion about the collected data. Thankfully, Signal only records a fraction of the information when compared to other messaging platforms (we'll talk about this point a bit later in the review).
The main benefit of Signal is of course related to the fact that it uses end-to-end encryption. Messages are encrypted on your phone, tablet, or computer (in the case of Signal Desktop) before being sent, and only the recipient can decrypt them.
Another great benefit of Signal is the fact that everything is open-source. This means that the code can be independently audited by literally anyone, competent parties included.
What about data collection?
If you're worried about potential data being collected, then don't. As mentioned before data is store in encrypted form on your devices.
The only bit of relevant information stored on the Signal servers for each account is the phone number required you registered with, the specific date and time you joined Signal, and the last log-in date.
If you're really worried about your telephone number being used for this purpose, then rest assured that there's a work-around even for that. Just look at a tutorial online.
If you're the type that has a passion for research, then know that the service is fully GDPR compliant, and you can look up many of the published transparency reports for Signal, all publicly available on the Internet.
Privacy is nice, but what about features?
Even though Signal's main mission is to offer an arguably air-tight security messaging experience, you can rest assured that it doesn't compromise in terms of features.
You can share text, voice messages, photos, videos, GIFs, emojis, stickers, and files at no cost. You can make audio or video calls, create chat groups, connect with your friends, family, and coworkers as easily as you would by using any modern messaging app.
Signal also features disappearing messages (messages that will self-destruct). You can set messages to disappear from both you and the recipient's device after a custom amount of time.
The interface for both mobile and desktop apps is not spectacular in terms of looks (not that it should be sparkly and eye-catching), but everything is where it should be.
Both mobile and desktop clients are remarkably user-friendly, making it perfect for a broad range of people.
Conclusion
The only real question you should ask yourself is: how much do I value my privacy? If the answer is "a lot," then you should give Signal a try.
At this point in time, Signal is clearly one of the best and most secure messaging platforms out there. Signal has actually revolutionized the idea of private chat with the introduction of their Signal Protocol, which turned out to be extremely reliable
In short, Signal offers you pretty much everything you want from a messaging platform, but without having to compromise your sensitive data and privacy. It's free, open-source, cross-platform, it has a thoroughly tested protocol, and things are as transparent as they can.
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IMVU
Accessible and useful communication application that enables you to create 3D animated characters and chat with all your friends
Those who claim that all instant messengers are alike have definitely not tried IMVU. This is the kind of application that takes online chatting to a whole new level and this can be seen from the first minute of using it.
Create a personalized 3D avatar
Installing IMVU is not at all difficult, and, just like it’s the case of instant messaging applications in general, an account is required in order to use IMVU, but third-party accounts can also be used (such as Facebook, Yahoo, a Google account or even Twitter) so users do not necessarily need to create a new one.
Once they have logged in, a whole new dimension opens to them. They have to create a 3D avatar that will require a lot of customization before actually chatting over the Internet. Some clothes need to be picked, maybe some make-up, some accessories, and complete sets of offers to earn credits that can be spent on a large variety of items.
Connect with people from around the world
Once users enter a chatroom, they experience a different type of chatting. It is a 3D room, that gives you the possibility to have your character placed in various fixed locations. One's avatar can also perform a wide range of actions, thus making the interaction more interesting and realistic.
Chat rooms can also be created, thus offering users more control over the guests they start conversations with.
IMVU also comes with a contact list, just like any regular instant messenger, so friends can be added as well as other favorite users for a quicker and a bit more private chat. Recent encounters are also displayed to easily find others you enjoy interacting with.
In conclusion
To sum up, IMVU is a great application for those who have a lot of free time and want to have fun, as it is quite far from what one would expect a regular IM to be. Even if it does not ensure a fast and simple chat experience, it is still worth taking for a spin.
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IMVU is part of these download collections: Customize Avatars
Altus
Enjoy a better WhatsApp experience with the help of this useful app that provides multiple account and theme support, as well as a user-friendly theme customizer
WhatsApp has been in our lives for quite some while now, offering users from all around the world a more private and arguably more secure channel for communication directly from their trusty smartphones.
The launch of WhatsApp Web has made the app even more popular, and a lot more convenient for those whose work usually implies spending a lot of time working on either laptops or other desktop devices. As amazing as the web service is, it does have a couple of limitations, even though there are many unofficial clients out there trying to bypass them in various unique ways.
Unique WhatsApp client that will greatly improve the user experience
One such client is Altus, a desktop app for WhatsApp that brings to the table support for multiple accounts, various themes, and the possibility of fully customizing them. To be more precise, Altus is an Electron-based WhatsApp client that’s available for all the major desktop platforms including Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Once installed, the app integrates with the computer’s taskbar, from where it can its main GUI can be either hidden or summoned to appear on the desktop. Its modern looks and the fact that it comes with support for multiple accounts (thanks to its tab bar) are the first things that become apparent when first launching the app.
Users are provided with the option of running multiple instances of WhatsApp (connected to multiple phones, of course) directly from a single window. The application allows them to choose the names for the instances, and enable both system-wide notifications (including sound notifications), and pick specific themes for each account.
A lot more customizable than one might think
From the Settings section, users can change various global options for Altus such as the option to disable or enable the exit prompt, custom title bar, or hide or show the tray icon.
Things get even more interesting as users access the Theme menu where they can choose between various existing themes (by default, the app has two modes including a dark mode), but more importantly, they can create custom ones with the app’s Theme Customizer.
This particular tool allows them to change the main and secondary background colours, the main and secondary text colours, the accent colour, the icon colour, the shadow colour, as well the emoji opacity levels.
All in all, Altus is a great tool for users looking for a more practical way of running multiple instances of WhatsApp on their desktop devices. What makes Altus really special is the fact that it allows users to almost-fully customize the app’s behaviour and looks in order to perfectly suit one’s needs.
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KakaoTalk
An intuitive and user-friendly instant messenger, with support for voice, group chats, file transfer and animated emoticons for spicing up the conversations
KakaoTalk is an innovative instant messaging platform that delivers a whole new approach to texts and calls. Available for PCs and smart phones altogether, KakaoTalk makes a reliable communication channel, with extra security features to protect your identity.
What makes KakaoTalk stand out is the possibility to stay connected to the network no matter where you are, as long as you’ve got a device to connect from. And because it relies on such a flexible approach, the perks that come from using this IM app are unlimited.
KakaoTalk not only aims to interconnect users, but also to provide a decent level of security while doing so. The safety of the accounts is greatly enhanced by the sophisticated registration and authentication method, which includes a number of steps that involve a great deal of confirmations and security codes.
Having as a primary purpose chatting, the application not only provides the possibility to carry individual chats, but also to create chat rooms which multiple users can join. Also, you can make free calls to each other, with the observation that the calls can only be initiated from a phone.
Conversations are carried out inside a user-friendly window, with the messages displayed inside bubble-shaped frames, similar to the Android / iPhone approach. The chats can be spiced up with the aid of the generous collection of emoticons and animations, while saving the conversations is also possible.
Exchanging files is another advantage – up to 10 items can be sent at once using a drag and drop operation. You can also customize the appearance of the chat window by changing the background to a preset or custom image.
All incoming text messages or file transfers are announced via live notifications, which can be configured entirely using the Options window. Also from this section, you may customize various appearance settings such as opacity, font and text style.
Considering the above, KakaoTalk may be classified as a modern instant messenger that addresses both PC and mobile users, providing them with everything they need to stay in touch.
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Paltalk
Allows you to see, hear, chat, and share files with anyone, anywhere in the world alongside thousands of video chat rooms and meet millions of friendly members
Communication is yet another activity that is greatly enhanced due to the advancement in technology. It's now easily done from the comfort of your desktop using applications. Paltalk is an instant messaging tool that you can use to communicate with your friends, regardless of the distance that separates you.
Generate a link for other to contact you directly in a browser
During the installation process, you should pay special attention because Paltalk Messenger offers to install the Ask Toolbar, to make Ask your default search engine and to set your homepage to Ask.com by default. However, you can simply decline the given offer and only choose to install Paltalk Messenger.
When you first enter the program, you must select a nickname, password, e-mail address and security question. Additionally, Paltalk Messenger creates a link for you via SuperIM, based on your nickname. This way, you can simply send a link to someone, and they can instantly chat with you in the web browser window.
Start chatting with a variety of options
The user interface is quite friendly. Under the friends list you can view featured chat rooms or create your own. Unfortunately, you cannot call your friends, but your picture or avatar can be added via drag and drop.
The Settings section allows you to configure general options, the output path to transferred files, SuperIM (e.g. webcam viewing and publishing, default voice mode when audio is enabled), the SuperIM URL (choose an URL based on your nickname or otherwise, and protect it with a password), audio setup, webcam setup, slider notifications, privacy options, alerts and sounds, sound tuning, parental controls, but you can also test your Internet connection and manage accounts.
Additionally, you can access other instant messaging services once you install them (AIM, MSN, Yahoo, Facebook, Google Talk), take a snapshot, record and share video messages, and more.
In conclusion
All in all, Paltalk Messenger is not very different from other similar products, but it generally uses less system memory, and it does not seem to crash or jam so often. It's a practical mean of getting in touch with friends, family or even business associates.
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