One of the oldest Indian messaging apps, Hike Messenger, has shut down. Launched in 2012, the app had more than 100 million active users in 2016, and the figure kept growing day by day. It competed with WhatsApp, however, it failed to become the number one messaging app. Despite all of this, Hike Messenger was loved by many.
Now the app has shut shop. The app was removed from Google Play Store and Apple Store. The company had made it clear that users had time until 14th January 11:59 PM to download their data from the app. This news comes after Hike’s founder, Kavin Mittal, announced the shutdown of the app on 6th January with a tweet.
The tweet said,
Today we are announcing that we will be sunsetting StickerChat in Jan’21. We thank you all for giving us your trust. We wouldn’t be here without you. All your data will be available to download in the app.
The company also sent a similar message to its users, announcing the shutdown of the app. The app had so many unique features that WhatsApp does not have. From interactive emojis to the timeline feature, from the hidden chat feature to the Hike wallet option. Hike kept users interested in their innovative features. This is why it was shocking to many to hear about the app’s departure.
The reason behind the app’s departure is not known, but it is clear that Vibe and Rush, Hike’s parent company’s apps are its successors. Both the apps have features similar to Hike.
It is worth noting that Vibe is an invite-only messaging app, and according to Mittal, more than 100000 users have applied to become a part of this community. Rush is more accessible compared to Vibe and is already available on the Apple Play Store. It will soon be available on Google Play Store as well.
If you were a teenager during the last decade, then we are sure you must have tried Hike Messenger. The app shutting down has made many people, including us, very nostalgic.