FireChat Now Available For The Google Nexus 5
The local chat app FireChat is now available for download on Google Play.
FireChat, the highly popular Apple iOS app that allows two or more local phones to communicate with one another via Bluetooth or WiFi, is now available for download on Google Play. If you’re the proud owner of a Google Nexus 5 and have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of FireChat, you’ll be glad to hear that it’s officially arrived.
When FireChat originally launched, it was limited strictly to Apple iOS devices. This was likely due in part to Apple’s messaging protocols, which seemed to offer a higher level of functionality with the FireChat app. However, the app’s developer, Open Garden, has been working around the clock to bring FireChat to Android users.
How FireChat Works
Traditionally, two smartphones communicate with one another over their respective cellular networks. If one of the phones does not have an active service with a cellular network, it won’t be able to send or receive calls. FireChat takes a different approach, however, by using either WiFi or Bluetooth connectivity to create a line of communication between two more mobile devices.
The real beauty of FireChat comes with its ability to create large local chat rooms filled with multiple users. College students who are eating lunch in the cafeteria, for instance, could connect with one another to study, share notes, bring up project suggestions, etc. Of course, this is just one of the many instances where FireChat would prove useful.
List of FireChat Features:
- Allows messaging without an active internet connection or mobile coverage.
- Chat with a single person or an entire group of people.
- Use the “Everyone” mode to see what others are chatting about around you.
- The “Nearby chat” features restricts communication to a radius of 30 feet around your location.
- No Facebook or email login required.
“We are finding a lot of people are using it when they are just looking for something to do for a few minutes,” said Christophe Daligut, marketing director for Open Garden. “Some of the discussions there are turning out to be more interesting than anything they can find on Facebook.”
But there’s a catch to FireChat: it’s user base is still minimal, which means you probably won’t be able to strike up conversations with strangers unless you’re standing in the middle of Time’s Square.
Are you a FireChat user? Let us know what you think about the app in the comments section below!
