Our verdict: Viber's desktop app is handy if your friends and family already use Viber: you get your chats, calls and groups on the PC keyboard and screen. It cannot be used on its own, though, because it needs an active Viber account on a phone, and the app shows ads and pushes paid calls.
About Viber
Viber is a messaging and calling service owned by Rakuten. Viber for Desktop is a companion to the mobile app: it is synced to your mobile account, and you activate it by scanning a QR code with Viber on your phone.
Messages and calls between Viber users are free over the internet, including group chats, communities and video calls. Viber Out is a paid service for calling regular landline and mobile numbers. Viber states that one-to-one and group chats are end-to-end encrypted.
What it does well
- Free messages and calls. Chat and make voice or video calls to other Viber users over the internet.
- Synced with your phone. Chats and contacts from the mobile app appear on the PC.
- Groups and communities. Join group chats and large communities and channels.
- Call transfer. Move an ongoing call between your phone and computer.
- Viber Out. Paid calls to landlines and mobile numbers that do not use Viber.
Who it is for
Good fit
People whose contacts already use Viber and who want to chat and call from their PC.
Look elsewhere
Users without a smartphone, or anyone who wants an ad-free, open-source messenger.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Free calls and messages to Viber users
- Chats synced with your phone
- Video calls on the desktop
Cons
- Requires an active Viber account on a phone
- Shows ads and promotes paid Viber Out calls
- Closed source
How to install Viber
Install Viber on your phone and register first. Then run the Windows installer, scan the QR code shown on the PC with Viber on your phone, and choose whether to sync your chat history.
Questions about Viber
Is Viber free?
Yes. Messages and calls between Viber users are free. Calls to regular phone numbers through Viber Out are paid.
Can I use Viber on a PC without a phone?
No. Viber for Desktop needs an active Viber account on your mobile phone to activate it.
Is Viber end-to-end encrypted?
Viber states that one-to-one and group chats between Viber users are end-to-end encrypted.
