Rakuten Viber launches customizable chat folders in the Philippines

 Rakuten Viber, the global leader in private and secure messaging and voice-based communication, launches chat folders in the Philippines, enabling users in the country to quickly find specific conversations and enhance the way they manage their communications. Designed with user convenience in mind, chat folders streamline chat organization by allowing effortless categorization based on topics, groups, or individuals. 

The new feature allows users to create up to five custom folders, in addition to an ‘All’ tab which automatically includes all other chats. For example, users can create a folder for work, friends, family, or favorites. Chats can even be assigned to multiple folders, and there is no limit to the number of chats that can be added. Users can also rename folders or mark all chats within folders as read making it easier to categorize and streamline their communications. 

According to a 2024 report by social and media intelligence firm Meltwater and socially-led creative agency We Are Social, the Philippines ranks fourth in the world in terms of using social media and chat apps daily, and the top reason why they do so is to keep in touch with friends and family. 

Messaging apps have become a predominant medium for this and for all other communication across many different areas of every Filipino’s life. Folders can provide an efficient and user-friendly way to manage or search these conversations, and customize the chatting experience. For example, by keeping all colleagues’ chats in a folder labeled ‘work,’ users can easily manage projects and tasks or coordinate a birthday gift for another colleague during the work week. As the weekend hits, folders labeled ‘friends’ or ‘family’ can be set as priority, making it easier to set up dinner for Saturday night, or organize a parent’s birthday present in a sibling group chat. 

The unread badge with a number on top of each folder indicates the number of unread chats within that folder. All one-on-one chats, group chats, channels, and communities can be added to these custom folders. Certain exclusions apply, as hidden chats, messages from businesses and customer interactions cannot be included in these folders. 

“In today’s fast-paced digital world where messaging apps play a paramount role in people’s everyday lives, Rakuten Viber steps in with Folders. Our latest feature is here to elevate conversations and preserve meaningful connections by unlocking time-saving potential and embracing the advantage of simplicity,” comments Ofir Eyal, Rakuten Viber’s CEO.

Folders are gradually rolling out globally and will become available to all users with Rakuten Viber version 22.0 and above in the next couple of months. Users with more than 10 chats will be introduced to the feature once they open the app. Folders can be also activated by going to More on the main chat screen, then selecting Manage Folders and adding chats to them.