Viber just unveiled a new version of its app today at Microsoft Build in San Francisco.
Viber’s new design is fully optimized for Windows 10’s responsive OS, creating a well-integrated product that blends seamlessly into the user experience of Windows 10.
During the keynote presentation, a demonstration showed how Cortana voice commands could be used to send Viber messages and to start chatting with contacts quickly. Attendees were shown deep integration of Viber contact card data within the platform, allowing users to send messages and make voice and video calls via Viber more easily.
Best of all, no matter which device you use and on what size of screen, the new Viber will work seamlessly across all of your Windows-based devices. Live Tiles are, of course, a big part of the experience and allow you to pin the Viber app itself, or even a specific conversation, to the Start Screen or Start Menu, letting you see notifications without having to open the app. You can even respond to messages directly through actionable notifications, as users of the Windows 10 for Phones preview have been doing with SMS messages since the software was released last month.
“We’re really excited about Windows 10 and the opportunities it offers to developers”
“We’re really excited about Windows 10 and the opportunities it offers to developers,” said Michael Shmilov, Viber’s COO. “The Universal Windows Platform has allowed us to create a unique version of Viber that lets users switch to the device that suits them at any given moment and stay in complete sync, without compromising their experience. Beyond that, the integration with Live Tiles and Cortana, plus the social extensibility that Windows 10 offers will enhance the way people communicate with Viber. We will keep working closely with Microsoft in order to ensure the best possible experience for Viber users on Windows 10.”
“As one of the first chat apps to embrace Windows 10, Viber has taken advantage of new OS features to enhance a user’s communications experience on any Windows device ,” said Steven Guggenheimer, Corporate Vice President and Chief Evangelist at Microsoft. “Today’s demos have highlighted how our investments in the Universal Windows Platform empower partners to deliver innovation and choice to their users, through the breadth of all Windows 10 devices.”
Viber for Windows 10 will be available later this year.
Viber for current versions of Windows can be downloaded here.