Hike is a messenger with a difference. And this will be justified throughout this review. Going by the statistics, WeChat application is the largest messaging application with 300 million plus downloads, and WhatsApp with 200 million plus user base. Only people who think different can recognise the drawbacks and come up with a solution to those problem in a form of a new application. Hike messenger is that.
Getting Started
Hike for iOS weighs 18.4 MB and on Android its about 10 MB which takes hardly a minute to get started after configuration. It automatically scans your contact list (yes, like WhatsApp) and lists contacts online on Hike. When you use Hike for the first time, the interface will remind you of WhatsApp. Cleaner and minimalistic. But hey, it offers a lot more newer features than its contemporaries.
Hike Offline
With Hike offline you will be able to communicate with your friends on hike even if you don’t have Hike app installed. That is through SMSes. So next time if you don’t have a data plan, feel free to chat through SMSes. And whats more amusing is that the replies won’t be sent to the friend’s inbox but in the same message thread under the Hike app.
Even if your phone battery drains out, Hike will save your messages and will display it again when you turn on your phone.
Why Text when You can Speak
You should have come across this feature earlier while using the WeChat application. You press space and record your voice, then send it to your friends. Same can be done in Hike and they call it Walkie Talkie. In our tests on iOS as well as android and it turned out to be really instant and fun.
Lets Communicate Via Stickers
Stickers in Hike are another fun thing to do which other messaging applications lack. There is a predefined list of commonly used phrases converted into beautiful caricatures. My favourite was “got to go” and “Snuggles”.
Apart from these few breakthrough features there are multitude of other things that help Hike to score over its contemporaries.
Hike has also brought in the much taunted “Last Seen” (like WhatsApp) feature in the application. The “Buzz” feature in Yahoo Messenger is “Nudge” in hike. To nudge a friend just tap in the chat box. Feeling angry or sad? Don’t just update it through text but use moods to post updates.
Overall the Hike app is certainly a good alternative of messaging apps. Its availability across all major platforms (Apple, Android, Windows Phone, Blackberry, and S60) is a big plus point. However the problem is the empty contact list. People (my friends) are still not ready to take a shift from WhatsApp and WeChat and hence online list in Hike feels a lonely place.
On my persuasion few friends of mine have switched to Hike from WhatsApp, WeChat and Nimbuzz. After an extensive use of this app, i think its time to give this messaging application a chance. See you on Hike then.