Viber, the cross-platform messaging and VoIP app, arrives on Windows 8 with nifty features

By Abhishek Baxi
published

If you are a Viber user, here’s great news for you! The company has just announced Viber for Windows 8, bringing the leading messaging and VoIP platform with over 200 million users to tablet and desktop devices running Windows 8.1.

Viber users can send free text messages, fun stickers, photos, videos and doodles, share locations anywhere in the world, and make free HD-quality calls over 3G/4G or WiFi connections. With Viber Out users can also make low-cost calls to any phone number around the world.

Viber for Windows 8

Designed from the ground-up for Windows 8, the app includes several features exclusive to the platform. Apart from the obvious addition of Live Tiles and Lock screen notifications, Viber for Windows 8 has neat additions like:

  • Pin Viber conversations to the Start screen
  • Snap Viber to the side of the screen with Snap View
  • Search for Viber contacts using the Search charm
  • Toast Notifications so you don’t miss a message or call
  • Change languages regardless of your system language

Viber for Windows 8 and the latest versions of the Viber apps on other platforms have been designed to allow you to use Viber on multiple devices. On Viber, your phone number is your ID. When you fire Viber for Windows 8 for the first time, you need to set it up with the phone number with which you use Viber on your smartphone. The app syncs with your mobile contact list, automatically detecting which of your contacts have Viber.

 “Windows 8 is an exciting platform to develop for, and brings a whole new set of UI elements and unique functionality to Viber for the first time. We are excited to support Viber users on Windows 8 and this is part of our commitment to wide, cross platform availability.”- Talmon Marco, CEO of Viber

Download Viber for Windows 8 for free from Windows Store (opens in new tab). Tell us how you like the app, and which is your preferred messaging and VoIP app?

49 Comments
  • So this really doesn't work unless a lot of people you know use Viber also? Microsoft really needs to get their crap in gear and turn Skype into iMessage so we can get our texts on our Surfaces and other Windows tablets.
  • you can already. you just have to pray that it ends up on the right system :P they just backed it up with azure so the p2p problem should be solved
  • So how do I don't then? Im missing something.
  • Well how? start skype on all devices- profit(in theory)
  • I still don't get my messages updated in Skype for wp8 in the conversation section. I'll get a toast notification, but unless I make a call to that person or login on a PC, I can't read my messages. You think there's a chance that still may get fixed? I thought the transition to Azure was supposed to fix this.
  • I know how you feel.. I get that same issue.
  • Which is exactly how  every other IM out there work, you have to have a lot of people you know use it before it can become useful to you . The only problem with SKype is, you have to ask for someone's username, add them and have them "accept" you before you can start talking, with Viber .. you nly need to have the person's number on your phone ..  Most of my friends/acquaintance have SKpe but only 12 of them are on my Skype friendlist compared to over 50 on Viber
  • Microsoft had a nice alternative for iMessage, it was called MSN messenger ;-)
  • I think they should skip over Skype and just use GroupMe. It's far more feature complete for use on mobile phones and has a huge user base. 
  • Release date??
  • Its online now. :D
  • That's cool!!!
  • The problem with viber its blocked in many east Asian countries by the providers, there are ways to unblock it yes but the service ir self is very poor because of the blockage.
  • Nice one
  • When is WhatsApp coming ?
  • Looks like a well-designed app. Windows, Windows Phone and Xbox as a platform need more of these kind of apps. Has anyone noticed that Xbox apps most of the time (not always) are much more better looking and well-animated than its Windows 8/8.1 counterpart?
  • Yep
  • Nice! Windows 8 family keeps growing!
  • Still prefer whatsapp, most friends use it over viber and it seems a bit of a cleaner interface over viber
  • True, but I find WhatsApp to be harder on the battery for some reason.
  • Does Viber for Win8.1 support ViberOut I wonder. Afaik the WP version doesn't yet. I'm looking for a multiplatform solution to what Skype should have been...
  • I thought the article said it did, but when you asked, I re-read the sentence and it does seem like it could just be giving a general viber description.
  • Skype should be ashamed of itself. Another 7+ Billion down the drain Steve
  • Skype runs great on Windows 8.1. Am I missing something?
  • I think your troll meter just needs to be calibrated =D
  •     @Duffau, I guess by "your" you mean jwdaigle's?
  • Lol, no it was to you. When you asked if you were missing something, I implied you didn't detect his trolling. I was simply calling him a troll at your expense. Sorry =D
     
  • I like Viber for occasional international calls, but for messaging... It's so bad. It's incredibly slow, laggy, uses shitloads of battery, resume doesn't work half the time as well. I use the latest version on L920. I really wish Skype could become something as iMessage. Do everything well with one app. At the moment, no app can beat WhatsApp when it comes to cross-platform messaging, imo. 
  • Just tried an international call W8 app to Android phone and it worked great, same goes for messaging.  Sweet. 
  • yeah whatsapp is the best... it has windows desktop app and/or Windows 8 app... oh wait... no it doesnt have. how can it be good for crossplatform if it doesnt work on desktop which people use alot?
    Even Line is more crossplatform than WhatsApp, even skype more... and at least it doesnt ask you to log off to log in in another device. but yeah whatsapp is the best /s
  • Nooooo. Update the windows phone app. Windows 8 is piss
  • Since when?
  • troll&idiot detected :) but thanks for your garbage comment
  • All this and Skype is still the same! Major rethink needed.
  • It doesn't ring on WP8 anymore, only a toast notification.
  • Awesome... I downloaded it immediately as i heard this news :)
  • Facebook Beta updated
  • ^this. Now I have my tile with my cover photo on it. :D
  • Cute nail polish, Abhishek. ;)
  • Haha! I'll pass on the compliment to my wife.
  • Viber is a really good system for talking to people across the world. Granted most people use Skype and Whatsapp but I have used viber to make phone calls via wireless or LTE to Chile, Peru and even Serbia and it works great! Also, messages are really fast. Faster than Skype I would say.
  • Tried several times but have not received the sms on my phone! Anyone with same problem
  • The mesage was sent as a Viber message, not sms/text here, worked fine, but didn'get a notification.
  • Me too... also suddenly push notifications stopped coming on my 1520, no sound, only the tile changes showing the number of messages. Sms for Win8 app still not here...
  • Ooooohhh, I just realized it was a viber message this time, not an sms and as I said I don't get any viber notifications so I missed it.
  • Now BBM, Yes I'm looking at you!
  • Hey,which tablet is that? Is it available in India?
  • That's Surface RT... Nope, not available in India.
  • beautiful in Windows 8.1 and its fast, Kudos to you developers. but i could not find a way to upload and send videos