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If you've found yourself confused by all the various messaging apps that you are now being "forced" to use (why can't all your friends and colleagues just use one app?) to communicate with various people in your life, then what you need is just one app where you can read all your incoming messages. That's the thinking behind the new app, Snowball, which is still in its beta version but may save your sanity to some extent.
If you use Facebook Messenger, Google Hangouts, WhatsApp, Snapchat, LINE, WeChat, Slack, Twitter and even your phone's own SMS, then you'll be able to just view them in Snowball. It follows the "Chat Head" design format of Facebook, and will just be floating on top of your homescreen. It will show you how many new messages you have in any of the apps that you use. Just tap on it to expand and read the messages and if you want to respond, you can launch the messaging app you need from the chat head and it should switch you to said app. To avoid confusion when viewing the messages, there is a small icon that tells you from where the message came from.
The developers don't want to become just another messaging app, and that is probably why you can't reply from the chat head itself. They want "to become synmbiotic" with all these apps and in fact, would like to work directly with these current apps that they are supporting, and those they'd like to add in the future. This could lead to an even better messaging interface and it might even lead to you being able to see what other messaging apps your friends are using.
Some user complaints have said the transition from Snowball to the other apps isn't that smooth, and of course, there are lots of other requests for other apps to be included, like Kik, Viber, Instagram, etc. Since the app is still in its beta phase, there will probably be more improvements in the later updates. Also, right now, it is only available in the US. So if you live in the country and would like this kind of app on your smartphone, you can download Snowball for free from theGoogle Play Store
If you use Facebook Messenger, Google Hangouts, WhatsApp, Snapchat, LINE, WeChat, Slack, Twitter and even your phone's own SMS, then you'll be able to just view them in Snowball. It follows the "Chat Head" design format of Facebook, and will just be floating on top of your homescreen. It will show you how many new messages you have in any of the apps that you use. Just tap on it to expand and read the messages and if you want to respond, you can launch the messaging app you need from the chat head and it should switch you to said app. To avoid confusion when viewing the messages, there is a small icon that tells you from where the message came from.
The developers don't want to become just another messaging app, and that is probably why you can't reply from the chat head itself. They want "to become synmbiotic" with all these apps and in fact, would like to work directly with these current apps that they are supporting, and those they'd like to add in the future. This could lead to an even better messaging interface and it might even lead to you being able to see what other messaging apps your friends are using.
Some user complaints have said the transition from Snowball to the other apps isn't that smooth, and of course, there are lots of other requests for other apps to be included, like Kik, Viber, Instagram, etc. Since the app is still in its beta phase, there will probably be more improvements in the later updates. Also, right now, it is only available in the US. So if you live in the country and would like this kind of app on your smartphone, you can download Snowball for free from theGoogle Play Store
