

Only licensed mobile services such as Etisalat's Botim are universally available.

However, VoIP from services such as WhatsApp, Skype and FaceTime are restricted in the UAE. GoChat offers a range of services as well as chatting to friends and family. Video calling, which runs on voice over internet protocol (VoIP) technology, become an integral part of daily life for much of the world during the coronavirus pandemic when working from home became widespread and friends and family tried to stay in close contact faced with travel restrictions. Messages sent overseas were found to take a few moments longer to be delivered.įor voice messages, it's again a case of hold the record icon, talk away and then send. There's the usual note at the top of the screen stating that messages and calls are "secured with end-to-end encryption". Very much like WhatsApp, only WhatsApp video calls do not work in the UAE.įirst, text chats are almost identical to WhatsApp, with the one tick displayed to show a message has been sent, two ticks for delivered and coloured ticks to show that the message has been read. The app will then request whether you wish it to sync with your phone contacts, so it can automatically find people who are already using the app. Once downloaded, you are asked to enter your phone number and go through the security verification. It's a simple start, because the app is available in the Apple store and the Google Play store for users of phones that run the Android operating system. Here's all you need to know: How to download GoChat Messenger We took the app for a spin to see how it functions and, most importantly, how those video calls work.

Etisalat by e&, the UAE telecoms operator, has launched a new app, GoChat Messenger, which allows for voice and video calls and includes a host of other useful functions.
