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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
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The verdict on

Rakuten Viber Messenger

55
User verdict / 100 High confidence Divided

Viber remains a functional messaging app with good call quality and privacy features, but recent updates have alienated many users due to the forced integration of ChatGPT and persistent technical issues.

4.6★ lifetime (831,871) Free + in-app purchases since 2010 by Viber Media SARL. updated 0.1 mo ago recent negative 60% 120 reviews across 4 regions
ChatGPT Integration Technical Issues User Experience & Clutter Reliability & Communication Privacy & Security
5★272
4★49
3★52
2★68
1★490
recent reviews across 4 regions, vs the 4.6★ lifetime average

Rakuten Viber Messenger is generally praised for its reliable messaging and calling features, with many users appreciating its privacy and ease of use. However, recent updates have introduced significant frustrations, primarily due to the unremovable ChatGPT integration and various technical glitches affecting media sharing, notifications, and login processes.

What users like

  • Reliable messaging and call quality, even on spotty connectionsR8R89R82
  • Good for international communication and staying connected with familyR8R92R56
  • User-friendly design and easy to use for business communicationR8R123R69
  • Strong privacy and security featuresR39R91
  • Responsive user support teamR51R64

What users complain about

  • Forced and unremovable ChatGPT integration, causing annoyance and privacy concernsR6R9R12R14
  • Frequent issues with sending images and videos, often failing or taking a long timeR68R110R329
  • Login and account activation problems, including blocked accounts and failure to receive verification codesR2R4R131R385
  • Notifications are unreliable, with users often not receiving messages promptlyR433R635
  • Excessive ads and promotional content, including for Viber PlusR98R317R41
  • Poor translation feature performance after recent updatesR3
  • Inability to delete multiple chat threads at onceR289R615
  • Issues with voice call quality and video functionalityR260R371R637
  • Inability to access or retrieve older images and files, which sometimes expireR123
  • Users are frequently added to scam groups without consentR560R627

Latest update · v28.3.0

What the developer says changed (the verdict above weighs this against what reviewers report):

The Rakuten Viber experience just got better! Update now and feel the difference. Like what you see? Rate us and submit a review today.

Recurring themes

ChatGPT Integration negative
Many users are highly frustrated by the forced integration of ChatGPT, which appears as unremovable chat threads and pop-ups. They view it as unnecessary, privacy-invasive, and cluttering the app, with attempts to disable or disconnect it often failing. This directly contradicts the developer's vague update notes about a 'better experience'.R6R9R12R14
Technical Issues negative
A significant number of recent reviews highlight various technical problems, including difficulties sending images and videos, login and activation failures, unreliable notifications, and poor call quality. Some users also report issues with the translation feature being slower and older files becoming inaccessible.R68R110R4R131
User Experience & Clutter negative
Users complain about the app feeling cluttered with ads and the forced ChatGPT feature. There's also frustration over the inability to perform basic actions like deleting multiple chats or easily transferring accounts. The overall sentiment is that the app's usability has declined.R98R317R41R289
Reliability & Communication positive
Despite the negative trend, many users still praise Viber for its core functionality: reliable messaging, clear call quality, and ease of connecting with friends and family, especially internationally. It is considered a good tool for both personal and business communication.R8R89R82R92
Privacy & Security mixed
While some users appreciate Viber's security and privacy, others express significant privacy concerns due to the forced ChatGPT integration and the prevalence of scam messages and groups from unknown numbers.R39R91R12R37

Who it's for

Viber is for users who need a reliable messaging and calling app for international communication and value good call quality R8R89. It's also suitable for those who use it for business communication R123. However, it is NOT for users who dislike forced AI features, are sensitive to ads, or require flawless login and media sharing functionality R6R9R4R68.

Evidence note: The recent reviews skew heavily negative, particularly regarding the ChatGPT integration and various technical bugs. This contrasts with the high lifetime rating, suggesting a significant recent decline in user satisfaction. The developer's release notes are too vague to address the specific issues raised by users.

Frequently asked

Can I remove ChatGPT from Viber?
No, many recent reviews indicate that while there might be an option to 'disconnect' ChatGPT in settings, it often fails or gives an error, and the ChatGPT threads remain unremovable in the chat list, making it a forced feature R6R9R12R35.
Are there issues with sending photos and videos on Viber?
Yes, several users report persistent problems with sending images and videos, stating that they often fail to send or take a very long time to upload, regardless of Wi-Fi or data connection R68R110R329.
Is Viber good for international calls?
Yes, many users praise Viber for its excellent call quality, even on unstable connections, making it a reliable choice for international calls and staying connected with family abroad R8R89R56.
Why am I not receiving notifications from Viber?
Several recent reviews indicate that users frequently do not receive notifications for new messages, even when all settings are enabled, leading to missed important communications R433R635.

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R8] 5/5 · US Amazing App, Please Add Apple Watch Support! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: Viber is an amazing messaging app! The call quality is great, messages send quickly, and it's easy to stay connected with friends and family. The app is reliable and has a clean, user-friendly design. The one feature that would make it even better is an Apple Watch app. Being able to send and receive messages, answer calls, and view notification
  2. [R89] 5/5 · US Absolutely one of the best if not the best now: Absolutely transformed how I communicate with family members. Unlike WhatsApp, Viber. The call quality is crystal clear even on spotty connections, and the interface is so smooth. Zero dropped calls in three months of heavy use. The Viber app has completely replaced three separate services I was paying for. Highly recommend. I did a quick search and
  3. [R82] 5/5 · US Viber is Reliable: I have been using Viber for 6-7 years and never han any issues sending, receiving of calling. Fantastic tool! Thank you for keeping it free.
  4. [R92] 5/5 · US Easy to keep in touch: Love that Viber allows me to text my loved ones, all over the world, for free.
  5. [R56] 5/5 · US LIFESAVER: I was solo backpacking internationally and my card to withdraw money had been blocked. In order for the bank to unblock my card I needed to call customer service. Being international, I had a different SIM card and couldn’t call international to my American bank. Searching through Reddit, I found this app after trying about 5 others. I was panicking at this point having no money, but th
  6. [R123] 3/5 · US Feedback for Viber: I find Viber very convenient and easy to use for business communication. It’s user-friendly and I personally prefer it over many other communication apps. However, there is one issue that I often face. Images and files that were sent earlier sometimes expire or become unavailable over time. When I need to search for important files again, I’m unable to find or access them. I wo
  7. [R69] 5/5 · US Best communication app ever: Easy and quick to use
  8. [R39] 5/5 · US Viber: Viber provides excellent messaging and calling features with great security and reliability.
  9. [R91] 5/5 · US Honest Review on using Viber: The best application and most reliable in privacy.
  10. [R51] 5/5 · US User support: I really appreciate user support team's effort. Good job.
  11. [R64] 5/5 · US Number change: The support team helped resolve the issue of transferring the app to a new number. Everything was done quickly and efficiently. · translated
  12. [R6] 1/5 · US No way to remove ChatGPT: Overall app is good. Latest update installed ChatGPT and when trying to disable/disconnect it gives the error message that something we wrong, try again later. It’s been 2 weeks and same error message.
  13. [R9] 1/5 · US 5 ChatGPT threads in chat: I have 4 ChatGPT threads in chat after the most recent update. I’ve used Viber regularly for the past 14-15 years and I think it’s time to delete the app since I can barely access my chats anymore without scrolling a full window of ChatGPT threads. First one appeared and then the next time 4. If devs are interested, I can upload a screenshot somewhere. Why isn’t there an
  14. [R12] 1/5 · US Fine until they added AI: Why would you add ChatGPT to an app that touts encryption?? There is a button to remove ChatGPT but it doesn’t work. Fix that bug please.
  15. [R14] 2/5 · US Enough with the Chat GPT: I use Viber to connect with family, and lately it has been unrelenting with its pushes to use Chat GPT. No, I don’t want Chat GPT to summarize the conversation with my family, I don’t want Chat GPT to mess with my photos, and I don’t want to *invite* Chat GPT to our conversation. I also don’t want to chat with Chat GPT, and resent that I can’t delete that forced conversat
  16. [R68] 3/5 · US No: Recently, sending pictures and videos has been inconvenient. · translated
  17. [R110] 3/5 · US Inconvenient: When sending pictures and videos, they take a long time to go through. Whether on Wi-Fi or data, it takes a long time to send. Sometimes, I can't even send pictures. · translated
  18. [R329] 3/5 · GB Voice messages: My friends and family cannot hear my voice messages or see my attachments (pictures, videos, etc..) when sent. It takes a while before they can listen to them. They eventually come through. We tried it both 4G full signal on both sides and Wi-Fi connection. I can see all their attachments and voice messages tho. App is up to date on all our devices. My mic settings are all ON! I tr
  19. [R2] 1/5 · US Account blocked by Viber: Viber suddenly blocked our account Einstein , MD claiming the number was formerly used by a spammer? This is inappropriate and unfair to those who have not committed any wrongdoing.
  20. [R4] 1/5 · US Can’t login into my account: After logging out once, it won't let me log in or register again. Useless support that only sends standard messages from a bot and doesn't help at all. It's just terrible. Now I can't log in to communicate with my family.
  21. [R131] 3/5 · US Login problems: Constant login problems, either the code doesn't arrive or activation fails. · translated
  22. [R385] 3/5 · GB Rubbish: Was working fine then I had to re down load said I’d get a call to copy last 4 digits to finish on log in no call or tex and no rely to emails find other way to communicate
  23. [R433] 3/5 · GB Not receiving notifications: Most of times I don’t get notifications when I have messages. No sound , no notification. Everything is on on the phone and in the app however, no joy. It happens every now and then and no matter what I do I cannot make it work is it an I phone thing? I have an I phone 14 .
  24. [R635] 3/5 · CA Notification: I don’t receive notification when I have a message from Viber. So I miss important messages and I’m use another app.
  25. [R98] 3/5 · US Too many adds: Every time I get rid of a add I get another one of viber plus which makes it even more frustrating than the original add
  26. [R317] 3/5 · GB How many times to see the new features ad before it goes away?: Read it once, all I need to really, but every time I load Viber it’s there right in the middle of the conversations list - once or twice ok, but permanent? Spoils an otherwise good app.
  27. [R41] 2/5 · US Functional with a few caveats: So I’ve been using this since most of my workmates prefer this over other messaging applications, and sure, it does what it says on the box- no more, no less. On what isn’t value adding though- the ads are so pervasive that simple holiday greetings in messages would instantly turn into links to [insert business brand here]. Add to that the new and trendy addition of
  28. [R3] 2/5 · US ChatGPT translation: I enjoyed using Viber to communicate across the different games with fellow players until the recent update for translation. It takes forever now to read a conversation your having in a room with 10 other people, it was much faster before. It was bad enough that even paying you couldn’t get auto translate like in Telegram but now it’s horrible. I may see if my groups would swi
  29. [R289] 3/5 · GB Living in 2006!: You have to delete peoples chat one by one manually. So if you have 100 chats and want to delete for example 90 of them because they are not important then it will take you half an hour because Viber doesn’t have the feature of selecting multiple chats and delete them at once! Just another reason why people prefers WhatsApp!
  30. [R615] 3/5 · CA Can’t delete multiple threads: I can delete specific threads in message. App only allows me to delete one and then doesn’t allow me to delete others
  31. [R260] 3/5 · GB Viber cacat: Nu se aude cum trebuie atunci ca de vorbesc
  32. [R371] 3/5 · GB Voice quality issues: Voice call need to improve
  33. [R637] 3/5 · CA Voice /camera: When in a call can’t hear the other person well it happens with both callers or the video is black and can’t see the other person frustrating
  34. [R560] 3/5 · CA Scam groups become unbearable: It is unbearable always getting added to scam groups. Today only I got added to 5 calls from these scam crypto groups.
  35. [R627] 3/5 · CA Overall decent: My one criticism is that you can get added to random groups. I know you can disable that but most people don’t know that. The default setting should be that you can only get added to groups if your friends invited you. Lots of cripto and investment scams going on.
  36. [R37] 1/5 · US ChatGPT now built in and inescapable. Why??: Nobody asked for your AI slop. We know that the only way Viber is providing ChatGPT to users “for free” is by selling our data to OpenAI. Nobody wants this malignant technology built in. Will be deleting my Viber account and removing the app from my phone. Genuinely disgusted.
  37. [R35] 1/5 · US Forced AI integration without consent: Viber pushed ChatGPT features on me that is intrusive. It is impossible to delete ChatGPT from my chat list. ChatGPT will appear in my chats with other users asking me to prompt things like remixing pictures. The app errors when I try to disconnect ChatGPT in the settings. Effectively, there is no option to fully remove the ChatGPT integration, which makes th

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store