Introduction
In late 2025, Arattai has become a name on many people’s lips in India. Developed by Zoho Corporation, this homegrown messaging app has gained rapid popularity, driven by increasing concerns around privacy, data sovereignty, and user trust in global messaging platforms. Arattai promises many core functionalities found in established apps like WhatsApp, Telegram, etc., while adding features and a user experience tailored to Indian conditions.
This blog explores what Arattai is, what it offers, how it differs from existing players, its privacy & security posture, pros and cons, and what businesses / individuals should consider before adopting it.
Origins, Developer & Goals
- Who built it: Arattai is developed by Zoho Corporation, an Indian software company known for enterprise and collaboration tools such as Zoho Mail, Zoho Docs, CRM, etc.
- Launch timeline: While publicly talked about more recently, Arattai was soft-launched in Jan 2021 around the time when WhatsApp announced changes to its privacy policy. The app was initially restricted, then gradually made available in app stores.
- Name & meaning: “Arattai” means something like “casual chat/conversation” in Tamil. This reflects its positioning as a friendly, simple, conversational app.
- Why it was made: Key motivations include
- Rising concern among Indian users about data privacy, foreign jurisdiction of data, and dependence on global apps.
- A desire for a “Made-in-India” alternative that stores data locally and gives more user control.
- Zoho’s background in privacy and enterprise tools giving credibility and technical competency.
Key Features & What Arattai Offers
Here are the features as of latest reports (as of late 2025):
| Feature | What Arattai Provides | Status / Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Text messaging, voice notes | Send texts, voice recordings to individuals or groups. | Available. |
| Audio & Video calls | Supports calls including group calls. All voice/video calls are claimed to have end-to-end encryption. | Encrypted. |
| Media sharing & file sharing | Photos, videos, documents etc. can be sent. | Standard. |
| Stories & Channels | Users can post temporary stories; channels for broadcasting. | Yes. |
| Groups | Group chats are supported. Some reports mention group‐member limits (e.g. up to ~1000) | Probably good enough for common users. |
| Multi-device support | Up to five devices (smartphones, tablets, desktops) syncable. | Yes. |
| Platform support | Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux; also Android TV. | Good cross-platform reach. |
| Importing messages from other apps | Supports importing conversations from other chat platforms. | A useful migration tool. |
| “Pocket” / Personal storage | Arattai has a “Pocket” feature — a private space to store files/media/messages not part of chat logs, for one’s own use. | Distinguishing feature. |
| Special location sharing (“Till I reach”) | Instead of fixed-duration live location, you can share location until you reach a destination; stops automatically. | Nice usability touch. |
Privacy, Security & Data
One of the major selling points of Arattai is privacy and data sovereignty. Here’s how it stacks up:
- Calls are E2EE: Voice and video calls are encrypted end-to-end, meaning that only sender and receiver can decipher them.
- Text messages: partial encryption: Regular text messages (1-on-1 and group chats) do not yet have default end-to-end encryption everywhere; the company has acknowledged this and is working on making that happen. There may be a “secret chat” option for encrypted text.
- Data storage / data localization: Arattai stores user data in India; data residency is a core part of its positioning. This helps with regulatory compliance and resonating with users worried about cross-border data flow.
- Privacy policy / data collected: Arattai collects basic information like profile name, phone number, country code, contacts (optional), profile picture (optional). It has stated that data is not shared without specific consent.
- User permissions & control: Users can update or remove personal information. The privacy policy commits to responding to inquiries.
Popularity, Growth & Market Reception
- Arattai has recently seen a sharp rise in user sign-ups. For example, daily new sign-ups jumped from ~3,000 to ~350,000 in a span of few days.
- In app store rankings, it hit the #1 spot in “Social Networking” in India.
- The growth is being driven by the “Made in India” narrative (Aatmanirbhar Bharat), user concern over foreign app data policies, and desire for alternatives.
Strengths & What Arattai Does Well
- Made-in-India, Local Data Focus
Appeals to users concerned about foreign jurisdiction, and satisfies regulatory and national policy preferences favoring local storage. - Feature Rich with Some Unique Touches
- The “Pocket” private storage is handy for personal archiving.
- The “Till I reach” location sharing is more intuitive than default timers.
- Android TV support expands the possible usage scenarios.
- Free to Use, Clean Interface, No Ads (so far)
Arattai is free, doesn’t display ads currently, and doesn’t use user data for advertising. - Strong backing from Zoho
Zoho’s track record in enterprise tools, privacy, and infrastructure is a credibility booster.
Weaknesses, Risks & What’s Not There (Yet)
- Text message encryption is not yet default end-to-end: A major gap for privacy-sensitive users. Until messages are encrypted by default, it can be a point of concern.
- Network effect & ecosystem: Many people remain on WhatsApp; switching costs are high. Even though users may download Arattai, if their contacts don’t move, utility drops.
- Scalability and performance concerns: The sudden surge of users (100× growth) demands robust infrastructure scaling. Zoho has acknowledged this and is working to beef up capacity.
- Feature parity: Some features still being developed or optimized; possibly limited in mature features of WhatsApp or Signal (e.g. backups, mature group admin tools, bots/integrations).
- Trust & transparency: Users will expect audited security, open documentation, third-party reviews. Any ambiguity over encryption or data practices becomes a risk.
Comparisons with Other Messaging Apps
Here’s how Arattai stacks up vs other major players (WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram etc.):
| Comparison Point | Arattai | WhatsApp / Signal / Telegram |
|---|---|---|
| Encryption for calls | Yes, E2EE ⟶ strong | All generally support E2EE for calls. |
| Encryption for messages | Not yet default; partial / “secret chat” options; under development. | WhatsApp and Signal have default message encryption; Telegram has optional secret chats, etc. |
| Data Residency | Stores in India; local servers implied. | WhatsApp’s data is global; backups may go to cloud; jurisdiction issues complicated. |
| Feature innovations | Pocket storage; TV app; “Till I reach;” meeting scheduling. | Many exist; WhatsApp/Telegram also adding features; but some of these are unique or new in Arattai. |
| Monetization / Ads | Currently no ads, free usage; no revenue model declared yet. | WhatsApp currently doesn’t show ads heavily to users, but metadata usage present; other apps differ. |
| Ecosystem & integrations | Early stage. | WhatsApp has business APIs, wide 3rd party support; Telegram has bots, etc.; Signal is more focused on privacy. |
Who Should Use Arattai — Use Cases
Arattai makes sense in several scenarios:
- Users & communities who want a messaging app built in India, with better local control of data.
- People concerned about privacy, especially local regulation and jurisdiction, who want alternative to global apps.
- Family groups, friend groups, small communities who want modern features (stories, channels) but prefer simplicity.
- Users with multiple devices/screens; Android TV support is good for households.
- Organizations (non-critical or partially critical) wanting to pilot internal communication on a domestic app.
Considerations Before Adoption (for Businesses / Individuals)
If you are considering using Arattai more seriously, here are some things to check / plan for:
- Wait or verify default message encryption if you’ll be sending sensitive text data.
- Assess feature requirements: What do you use often in WhatsApp (file size limits, backups, group admin tools, bots etc.)? Check if Arattai matches them yet.
- Migration plan: If many of your contacts are still on WhatsApp, decide how to encourage adoption, or maintain dual apps during transition.
- Infrastructure stability: Be aware that rapid user growth can cause downtime or performance glitches. Arattai may experience scaling issues.
- Privacy audit & transparency: For organizations, demand clarity: Where exactly is data stored? Are encryption protocols open? Is code audited?
- User awareness & trust building: Branding, communication, trust-signals (privacy policy, visible encryption, data permissions, minimal data collection) will matter.
What’s New / What’s Next (Roadmap & Expectations)
Based on public information and user feedback, here are features or enhancements people expect or Zoho is likely to work on:
- Default end-to-end encryption for all text messages and group chats. This seems a high priority for privacy-conscious users. mint+1
- More mature group functionalities (admin tools, moderation, large group management).
- Better interoperability / integrations (e.g. business APIs, collaboration with other apps).
- Performance and reliability improvements as scale increases (servers, latency, app stability).
- Language/localization support, more regional language features to appeal to users across India.
- Backup solutions that are secure and user-controlled.
- Monetization model (if any) that respects privacy; perhaps premium features rather than ads.
Implications for Businesses & Digital Strategy
For people in digital agencies, companies, community organizations:
- Messaging & Customer Support: WhatsApp remains dominant, but Arattai could become an additional channel, especially for local or regional campaigns.
- Regulatory / Compliance: If laws tighten around data localization, apps like Arattai give businesses a viable domestic alternative, potentially simplifying compliance.
- Brand value & user sentiment: Using or offering services via a “Made-in-India / local data” app can have positive PR effect among certain user segments.
- Risk management: Early adopter risk includes incomplete features, possible security gaps, intermittent bugs. Businesses should keep backup plans.
Conclusion
Arattai is a promising, fast-rising messaging app that taps into real concerns around privacy, data sovereignty, and user trust. While it still has some catching up to do—especially around message encryption, mature business features, and scaling—it already offers a compelling package: good cross-platform support, interesting usability features (Pocket, Android TV, “Till I Reach” location sharing), and the credibility of Zoho behind it.
For users who care about privacy and want to support homegrown alternatives, Arattai is worth trying out now. For businesses, it may not yet replace incumbents like WhatsApp entirely, but can already be considered in a multi-channel strategy, especially in India. Over the coming 6-12 months, much will depend on how fast Arattai fills the gaps (encryption, reliability, integrations) and how well it handles scale under pressure.
