date: 2018-03-02 00:03:12
slug: too-man-chat-apps
status: published
link: https://jj.isgeek.net/2018/03/too-man-chat-apps/
display_format: entry
syndication: https://twitter.com/jjdelc/status/969362454554796034
title: Too many chat apps!


Nobody seems to be annoyed by it. This is what's currently installed on my phone that allows conversations:

 * Whatsapp
 * Facebook Messenger
 * Google hangouts
 * SMS
 * Telegram
 * Slack
 * Skype
 * Instagram O_o
 * Allo/Duo...

We are seeing an increase of private messaging systems to "graduate" to proper chat systems. It may start with just an UI change which later a better backend change to be a proper chat app and ends up as an extra chat app to carry on your phone.

Right now the future aims forward with little sign of reducing chat programs, as it doesn't seem to be a pain point to anybody. Each new network is happy to introduce their new conversation system, (Reddit, Vero) and nobody complaints of "yet another" chat app to pay attention to.

The dream of a [unified chat protocol](https://www.jabber.org/) seems well forgotten by now. Private corps could always improve with binary formats and innovate quickly without needing consensus making chat clients with all the candy needed available at the same time for a full network. This makes it difficult to think of a standard that can drive as many users as long as people don't value control of their data highly.

The spreading of information and no control of conversations is a problem nobody wants to acknowledge or maybe not a real problem for most to have chat logs lost in time or between apps.