- Cross platform. It has to be available for communication no matter what device is being used: Android, BlackBerry, iOS, W7 Phone, Mac, Windows...
- Battery life. Most of the messengers that last use Push technology. If your app requires constant connection, the battery will drain quickly and nobody will use the app. It will be uninstalled faster than anything.
- Message confirmations. If all it does is send messages out into the vastness without any knowledge that the destination has been reached, there is no reason to use it instead of Google Talk or other IM apps.
- Group chat. There are plenty of other chat apps out there. Most don't have simple group chat capabilities. I miss the simplicity of BBM Group chat. I could join a group based on a theme and chat with others who weren't in my contact list, then add people to my list after I got to know them.
- File sharing. Got to be able to share images, links, and other things.
- Multiple connections. I have an Android phone and a tablet. The nice thing about GT is that incoming messages go to both devices. I can then pick up whichever one I want and start chatting. I can even go to my PC and chat from there, all without having to log out from the other devices. I also use Kik, but I can only use it on my phone. If I'm on my tablet, I have to stop what I'm doing, grab my phone and chat. I'd much rather prefer to keep on using whatever device I happen to be on at the time.
- NOT phone number based. I chat with a lot of people. Friends, family, acquaintances. Not everyone has my cell phone number, and I don't want to give it out to everyone. There are other chat apps based on phone number (to mimic SMS) and I refuse to use them. I prefer giving out a username.
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