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Arattai messaging app from India offers a wide range of features for chats and calls like WhatsApp but what about user privacy?
Arattai messaging app offers encryption but what about your privacy?
Arattai is the new messaging app sensation (not new per se) that is looking to tap into the ‘swadeshi push’ from the Indian government in recent weeks. WhatsApp has been the de-facto messaging app for millions in the country but the recent push for local products has brought Zoho’s Arattai to the forefront.
As we have seen before, this is not the first platform looking to compete with WhatsApp but the people behind the platform seem intent on making things work for the long run.
We’ve covered Arattai from most of the aspects but like every other social media app on your phone, what about the user’s privacy and what features it needs to run on the phone? Here’s a detailed look at all the security features of Arattai and other sides.
Arattai Messaging App On Android and iOS: What It Accesses On Your Phone
The Arattai app available on Android and iOS app store needs version 6.0 (or later) and iOS 14 or higher, respectively, to run on the phone. The company has claimed that it will ensure Arattai works seamlessly on low-end phones as well but we expect that to happen gradually.
Now, let’s take a look at what the Arattai apps seeks to use on your Android or iOS device:
Arattai App On Android
- Camera – take pictures and videos
- Contact – read yours, find account on device, modify contact
- Location – access approx location access precise location
- Mic – record audio
- Telephone – directly call phone numbers, read phone status and identity
- Storage – modify or delete contents
- Others – read user select image and videos, prevent phone from sleeping, receive data from internet, connect to paired BT devices, access do no disturb and more
Arattai App On iPhones
- User ID
- Device ID
- Contact info – name, phone number
- Contacts
Going through the list, you can see that Arattai needs to access a good chunk of the features on your phone. But most of these are applicable for all messaging apps and nothing out of the ordinary which will be a concern for people trying to jump ship.
Arattai Messaging App: Is It Fully Encrypted?
This is where things get intriguing because the platform’s support says that all the calls made via the app are end-to-end encrypted. But that terminology is not used for messages which does raise some questions and hopefully the company will have more to share in the coming weeks. Not having chats encrypted is a big red flag and that might deter people from signing up with the platform.
The company behind Arattai also claims that being a made in India app means all the data is stored within the country with all the conversations and titles encrypted in storage.
S Aadeetya, Special Correspondent at News18 Tech, accidentally got into journalism 10 years ago, and since then, has been part of established media houses covering the latest trends in technology and helping fr…Read More
S Aadeetya, Special Correspondent at News18 Tech, accidentally got into journalism 10 years ago, and since then, has been part of established media houses covering the latest trends in technology and helping fr… Read More
Delhi, India, India
September 30, 2025, 11:05 IST
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