DNA Explainer: After Koo vs Twitter, here comes Sandes to take on WhatsApp

After India's version of the 'Koo' App in response to social media platform Twitter, there is yet another App named 'Sandes' which is in lines with the popular instant messaging platform WhatsApp. Only a day ago, the Supreme Court issued a notice to Facebook and WhatsApp over the company updated privacy policy that it has postponed for the next three months.

The National Informatics Centre (NIC) under the Central government's ministry of Electronics and Information Technology launched the instant messaging platform on the lines of WhatsApp called 'Sandes'.

Why was 'Sandes' App launched'?

To curb the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Indian government imposed the nationwide lockdown which resulted in 'work from home' concept. It was at this juncture that the government felt the need to build a platform to ensure secure communication between its employees.

Due to security concerns, the Ministry of Home Affairs had in April last year issued an advisory to all government employees to avoid using platforms like Zoom for official communication. 

In August 2020, the NIC released the first version of the app, which said that the app could be used by both Central and State government officials 'for intra and inter-organisation communication'. The app was initially launched for Android users and then the service was extended to iOS users.

The launch of the app is also a part of the government strategy to push for use of India-made software so as to build an ecosystem of indigenously developed products. Open initially only to government officers, it has now been released for the common public as well.

Unlike WhatsApp though, while the Sandes app allows users to backup chat histories to a registered email, it does not allow users to change their mobile number or email address registered with the app. 

Special features of 'Sandes' App

The instant messaging app, has an interface similar to many other apps currently available in the market.

The chats on this instant messaging systems or GIMS can be backed up to a users' email.

GIMS, like other instant messaging apps uses a valid mobile number or email id to register the user for the first time.

It also offers features such as group making, broadcast message, message forwarding and emojis.

It allows a user to mark a message as confidential, which the app's description says, will allow the recipient to be made aware the message should not be shared with others.

The confidential tag, however, does not change the way the message is sent from one user to another.

The app does not allow the user to change their email id or registered phone number.

The user will have to re-register as a new user in case they wish to change their registered email id or phone number on the app.