In the past week, Zoho’s homegrown messaging app, Arattai, has been making waves in the Indian digital space. With its promise of privacy-first communication and a smooth user experience, many are wondering whether it could rival the giant WhatsApp in India.
But amid all the excitement, some privacy-conscious users have pointed out a critical concern: Arattai currently lacks default end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for standard chats, a feature that has become a standard expectation in messaging apps today.
Let’s take a closer look at what Arattai offers, where it stands in terms of privacy, and what challenges it may face in competing with WhatsApp.
What is Arattai?
Arattai is a cross-platform messaging app developed by Zoho Corporation, a Chennai-based software company known for its business and productivity tools. Launched in 2021, Arattai has gradually built a user base and recently saw a significant rise in downloads, putting it in the spotlight.
Here’s what makes Arattai appealing:
- Free to use: Unlike some messaging apps that have premium features or subscription fees, Arattai is completely free.
- Privacy-focused: Zoho promotes Arattai as a service that prioritizes user privacy, storing all user data in India.
- Multiple platforms: The app works across smartphones, tablets, and desktops. Users can link up to five devices to a single account, with messages, contacts, and settings syncing automatically.
- Versatile communication options: Users can send text and voice messages, make audio and video calls, share photos, videos, and documents, post stories, and create group chats.
With these features, Arattai positions itself as a simpler, privacy-friendly alternative to WhatsApp, offering many of the functions users rely on daily.
The Privacy Concern: Missing Default End-to-End Encryption
While Arattai promotes itself as a privacy-first platform, there’s a significant limitation: regular chats are not yet end-to-end encrypted by default.
Here’s what this means:
- End-to-end encryption (E2EE) ensures that only the sender and the recipient of a message can read it. Not even the app provider can access the content.
- In Arattai, voice and video calls are encrypted, so communication over calls is secure.
- For text messages, Arattai currently requires users to switch to a “secret chat” mode to enable E2EE. This is inconvenient because normal one-on-one chats and group conversations remain unprotected by default.
In comparison, WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal all provide default E2EE across messages, calls, and videos, meaning users don’t have to take extra steps to secure their conversations.
Users on social media platforms like X (formerly Twitter) have highlighted this gap, noting that requiring a separate secret chat mode might reduce trust among privacy-conscious users.
Zoho has responded publicly, stating that full end-to-end encryption for chats is in development and a top priority for the app.
How Arattai Compares to WhatsApp
India is one of the largest markets for WhatsApp, with over 500 million users relying on the app for daily communication, business, and even government services. This gives WhatsApp a massive network effect, making it challenging for any new messaging app to gain traction.
However, Arattai does have some advantages:
- Homegrown and India-based: Unlike WhatsApp, which is owned by Meta, Arattai is developed and managed in India, which could appeal to users concerned about data being stored abroad.
- Multi-device support: Arattai allows up to five devices linked to the same account, with automatic sync for messages, contacts, and settings. While WhatsApp has also introduced multi-device support, Arattai’s approach is simple and smooth.
- Completely free: Arattai doesn’t have any hidden charges or subscription fees.
- Privacy-first branding: Zoho emphasizes user privacy and secure storage of data, which may attract users wary of Meta’s data policies.
On the other hand, WhatsApp still has some major advantages:
- Established user base: With over half a billion users in India, most people’s friends, family, and business contacts are already on WhatsApp.
- Business platform integration: WhatsApp’s growing business tools make it an essential platform for small and medium enterprises.
- Default end-to-end encryption: Every message, call, and media file is encrypted by default, offering instant security without extra steps.
For Arattai to truly compete, it will need to catch up in encryption for messages and encourage widespread adoption to build a network effect similar to WhatsApp.
Users’ Experience and Feedback
Feedback from early users highlights a mixed experience:
- Positive points: Users appreciate the clean interface, smooth performance, multi-device support, and the fact that all data is stored in India. Many find it refreshing compared to apps owned by foreign companies.
- Concerns: The biggest issue for users is the lack of default end-to-end encryption for normal chats. Having to switch to “secret chats” for security feels inconvenient and inconsistent. Users have also pointed out that group chats are left unprotected, which could be a privacy risk.
The official Arattai social media accounts have acknowledged these concerns, assuring users that end-to-end encryption for all chats is actively being worked on.
Why Arattai Could Still Succeed
Despite the current limitations, Arattai has real potential, especially in the Indian market:
- Growing interest in local apps: With increasing awareness about data privacy and a preference for local alternatives, Arattai’s “made in India” branding works in its favor.
- Feature-rich experience: From text messaging and voice calls to stories and file sharing, Arattai provides most of the features users expect from a modern messaging app.
- Free and accessible: The app is free to download and use, lowering barriers for new users.
- Trust in Zoho: Zoho is a well-known company in India with a strong reputation in software development. This credibility can help attract users who are hesitant to try unknown apps.
If Zoho delivers full end-to-end encryption for messages soon, Arattai could position itself as a serious privacy-focused alternative to WhatsApp in India.
Conclusion
Zoho’s Arattai is an exciting new entrant in the Indian messaging app market. Its privacy-first approach, multi-device support, and free usage make it appealing, especially for users concerned about data security.
However, the lack of default end-to-end encryption for standard chats is a significant gap compared to WhatsApp and other major apps. Users currently need to enable “secret chat” mode to secure their messages, which is less convenient and leaves some chats vulnerable.
With millions of users already entrenched in WhatsApp’s ecosystem, Arattai faces an uphill battle. But with active development of chat encryption and continued focus on privacy and user experience, it could carve out a niche for itself as a trusted, homegrown messaging solution.