A journey with beeper the all in one messaging app
Recently, I embarked on a journey with Beeper, an app that promises to unify all your messaging applications into one. The idea of having a single hub for all my conversations was intriguing, and I was eager to see how it would pan out. Here are my thoughts after a few weeks of using Beeper.
The Promise of Unity
The concept of Beeper, a one-stop-shop for all messaging apps, is a compelling one. However, as I realized(finally lol), each messaging app has its unique features that make it special. Translating these unique features into a single app is a Herculean task, and it’s understandable if some features get lost in translation.
The Beeper Experience
Telegram on Beeper
I started my Beeper journey on my Mac, integrating it first with Telegram. It was a breeze to see all my message history and groups in one place. However, I missed some of Telegram’s unique features like group searching, group detail view, adding users to groups, and sharing group links. As a result, I found myself keeping Telegram installed alongside Beeper.
WhatsApp on Beeper
Next, I integrated WhatsApp. While the basic messaging function worked well, I found that video-audio chats, status shares, and separated views for files and media were missing. This meant that I had to keep WhatsApp installed as well.
Android SMS Gateway on Beeper
When I integrated the Android SMS gateway, I had to install Beeper on my phone. It was convenient to have all my integrations on my phone, but I soon noticed that I was receiving duplicate notifications - one from Beeper and one from the original app. This was a bit overwhelming, and I found no way to disable notifications by integration. However, I didn’t want to disable all Beeper notifications as it had become my default SMS app.
Slack on Beeper
Integrating Slack brought a unique challenge. Finding the right Slack group via search in Beeper was tricky, as it always included “slackbot” as a second user in the chat. For instance, if I searched for “Daniel,” I would see “Daniel & Slackbot.” This was a bit confusing. Additionally, I missed the thread feature that Slack offers.
Discord on Beeper
Finally, when I integrated Discord, I had to bid farewell to audio chats, a key feature of Discord that I use frequently.
The Verdict
In summary, while Beeper’s mission to assemble all messaging apps into one is ambitious and innovative, it still has some way to go in terms of UI/UX. The Beeper inbox tends to get crowded quickly, making it easy to lose track of conversations.
Suggestions for Beeper
Despite my decision to stop using Beeper for now, I believe in its potential and look forward to future updates. Here are a few suggestions for the Beeper team:
- Consider allowing users to disable notifications by integration to avoid notification overload.
- Improve the search function, especially for Slack integration, to make it more user-friendly.
- Work towards integrating more features from the original apps, like audio chats for Discord and group details for Telegram.
Beeper is a step towards a future where we can manage all our conversations in one place. With some improvements, it could become a game-changer in the world of messaging apps.