How to Create a Chat Application like WhatsApp?

Technology always has been evolving and newer technology supersedes the older. Chat emerged from having a chat room at inception, then came the era of Social networking sites and now it is Mobile Messaging Services like WhatsApp. The Objective simplified is messaging being fast, economical, secure, and at any time.

Instant messaging is a new way of communication in this era and soon in the next 4–5 years, all the telecommunication companies are going to give a bunch of data almost at negligible cost to their users. The Mobile Chat Application market is not going to subside anytime soon.

Let’s start discussing your requirement in detail and make Yet Another Awesome chat app.

Creating your own better instant messaging mobile app what things need to be taken care of?

• Stable and Fast
• Safe & Secure Connection
• User’s privacy protection
• Simple user interface
• Able to send an unlimited number of files
• Work on poor internet connection

These all have been covered with WhatsApp already.

The below article is going to cover a list of things mentioned below. More episodes coming for this in the coming days.

WhatsApp Architecture

Disclaimer: This information has been accrued from 3rd party sources and may contain inaccuracies.

OS

WhatsApp’s underlying architecture is LYME/LYCE, except for the Linux part. LYME stands for Linux Kernel, Yaws Web server, Mnesia Database, Erlang programming language. Commenting on their choice of FreeBSD over Linux Brian Acton, WhatsApp’s co-founder, responded, ‘Linux is a beast of complexity. FreeBSD has the advantage of being a single distribution with an extraordinarily good ports collection.’

Backend / API

Erlang is the primary programming language of WhatsApp, much esteemed for its outstanding performance. Its major advantages are speed and scalability and it updates the code on the fly.

Other chat apps, like Telegram or Kik, uses Node.js which is also a better option when you are sending multiple responses at a time to the server. The number-one choice for applications that must process a high volume of short messages requiring low latency.

Server

WhatsApp uses Ejabberd, a Jabber/XMPP instant messaging server that is written in Erlang language. It’s used for handling the message delivery system. Ejabberd server is based on set on pluggable modules which enables features like:

• One on One messaging
• Offline messages
• Group chat
• Archive management
• Typing indicator
• Privacy settings
• Simple blocking

Database

Mnesia is the database system that has been used by WhatsApp for the application. It provides the quickest request-response and improves the overall efficiency of the application. If it needed reconfiguration then it can be done in real-time.

On the outer surface, WhatsApp looks very simple, but its inner architecture is very complex. Here is the image of it explaining it more in detail.

Great products are not built overnight, they are built with proper planning, informed decisions, and determinations. Let us all stay focused and build a great product together.

Share your Chat Application requirement and get the estimation for the same at contact@itoneclick.com.