Zoho Corporation’s indigenous messaging app Arattai is witnessing a surge in downloads and daily users, with many seeing it as India’s closest answer to WhatsApp. With its promise of a privacy-first approach and strong local backing, the Chennai-based company has positioned Arattai as a trustworthy alternative in a market where over 500 million people already rely heavily on Meta-owned WhatsApp for personal and business communication.

However, as the buzz around Arattai grows, privacy-conscious users have raised a crucial red flag. Despite its branding as a secure, privacy-driven app, Arattai currently does not offer end-to-end encryption (E2EE) by default for text chats—a safeguard that competitors like WhatsApp, Signal, and even parts of Telegram already provide across chats, calls, and video messages.

Privacy Concerns in Focus

At present, Arattai ensures that voice and video calls are fully encrypted. Yet, text conversations remain less secure unless users deliberately switch to a special “secret chat” mode. While this option does exist, critics argue that having to toggle encryption manually for messages makes the platform less convenient and leaves large parts of everyday communication outside the protection net.

The concern has become a talking point on social media platforms, where users have voiced that default protection should be a standard, not an optional feature. Addressing the issue, Arattai’s official handle on X (formerly Twitter) responded:

“Privacy is super important to us, and end-to-end encryption for chats is something we’re actively working on.”

This acknowledgment has reassured some, but many feel that until full E2EE is implemented, Arattai may struggle to convince security-conscious users to make a complete shift from WhatsApp.

What Arattai Offers

Despite this gap, Arattai has much to offer. The cross-platform application allows users to send text and voice messages, make high-quality video and audio calls, share documents, photos, and videos, create group chats, and even post stories. One of its standout features is multi-device support, enabling up to five devices to be linked to a single account with automatic synchronization of contacts, messages, and settings.

The app is also completely free of subscription charges, a move that lowers entry barriers for a wider audience. By storing all user data within India, Zoho further strengthens its privacy-first pitch, setting it apart from foreign competitors.

The Road Ahead

Arattai was originally launched in 2021 but only recently climbed to the top of India’s app charts. While this momentum has been impressive, sustaining it against WhatsApp’s deep-rooted dominance will be a major challenge. WhatsApp’s integration into India’s digital life—from family chats to online commerce and even government communication—gives it a strong edge, not to mention its expanding business ecosystem.

Zoho’s founder, Sridhar Vembu, has also spoken about making Arattai interoperable with other platforms, emphasizing that,

“We do not want monopoly ever.”

With growing demand for secure communication, Arattai has captured the nation’s attention. But to truly rival WhatsApp and earn user trust, implementing default end-to-end encryption across all chats will be a crucial next step.