ISLAMABAD: ZapBuddy, a messaging app developed by a small tech-team from Islamabad, aims to challenge one of the world’s leading cross-platform instant messaging and voice over IP service, Whatsapp. Although it might seem like a tough task, the developers have made sure they provide features far more user-friendly than the likes of Whatsapp, Facebook, Line, WeChat and multiple others to attract the audience. One of the main features of the app is the Augmented Reality (AR) feature. AR allows users to locate an acquaintance’s position via phone’s camera and a special radar. It also allows users to find nearby places of interest, for example, restaurants, parks, shopping malls and what not. The app provides a distinctive location and display picture privacy feature, which allows users to set different profile pictures for difference categories of people. For example, users can set a special picture for their best friends to see, a different one for family and another distinctive picture for users not in the contact list. ZapBuddy also provides users with an app lock and end-to-end encryption option, similar to Whatsapp. Moreover, the notifications are as smooth as you like since users get a notification from a person in the exceptions list even if the chat is set on silent. Unfortunately for now, ZapBuddy is only available on iOS systems and is not available for android phones, but the developers are working on extending the app’s reach to a variety of systems and aim to give WhatsApp a run for its money. Published in Daily Times, February 11th 2018.