Every time you have told your friend “Whatsapp it to me“, “Whatsapp me your location” , “Whatsapp me the pics“, you have helped the company walk faster towards the collection of those rare brands that achieve - brand becoming a verb.
And, Whatsapp has entered that elite group in a relatively short span of time. A lot has been talked over the internet about the fast growth of Whatsapp but not much has been spoken about it’s user experience. In this article, I have tried to bring out the best UX practices and gaps that need improvement in the Whatsapp Android app. All these conclusions are based on the usability testing done on the prototype of Whatsapp’s latest app design.
Before getting into the details of the experience, I am sure you would want to experience the app yourself! So here it is. The task given to user was - “On-board the Whatsapp app and reply to a message your friend just sent.”
On-boarding the app
Whatsapp has a total of 10 on-boarding screens which includes 4 in-app permissions. So here are the basic steps of on-boarding it follows -
Having a huge user base, Whatsapp makes sure that it has quite a standard on-boarding process that most people understand.
#Observation
There was an observation about the heat map right on the second design screen. The second screen is an in-app permission screen that asks users to permit them for - “Whatsapp will access your contacts and devices’s photos, media and files; to easily connect with friends and family.” It was seen that most of the users opt for “NOT NOW” rather than accepting the proposal and clicking “CONTINUE”.
Takeaway - Stating the fact that, 80% of the users we considered for the prototype testing were first time users of Whatsapp, would explain the scenario better. The first screen of Whatsapp welcomes you to the app but as of now the user has no clue about the app. Just on the next screen the app wants a permission to access photos, contacts and device files. This is why most of the users opt for “NOT NOW”
(Users are hesitant to give instant access when they are just on the second screen)
(Maximum drop-offs in on-boarding flow is in the in-app permission screen)
The highest drop-off in the on-boarding process was observed on the screen that asks for in-app permission for accessing photos, media and files on the device. This might be due to the fact that users were not very comfortable and acquainted with the app before they could allow an app to access their personal stuff. Probably a short explanation about why the app needs permission usually increases the conversion rate by leaps an bounds.
For the record and reference, when educating the user about Cluster before asking for notifications access, acceptance increased from less than 40% to 66%.
#Being able to edit the number
There is no doubt about the fact that automatic verification of the screen is a big headache taken off the head by Whatsapp, but they additional option of editing the number upfront is a wise step. If we have a look at the heat map of this particular screen, we realize that although most users are comfortable with moving ahead, few of them do want to edit the contact number before moving ahead. A wise step taken by Whatsapp indeed.
Getting Started with the app
It’s kind of magical to start using the app and find your friends already there! The idea of having friends listed there already is amazing. For most other apps you need to follow people or select a list.
#Single and clear call to action (CTA)
The design screen that gates you to the app in use has a single and very clear Call to action - “CONTINUE”. Although i am not very sure why is “Why we don’t sell ads” exists there. From the heat map of this particular screen we see that not a single user showed any interest in why they don’t sell ads. The image on the top section is a topic of discussion among designers, whether or not it is appropriate. What I feel is it is just to give a sense of gifting.
(Clear Call-to-action - CONTINUE)
Wrapping Up
Once you’ve decided on the first set of features you want to build into your app, it’s imperative that you make it easy for the user to flow from one screen to another, or from one feature to another. That’s exactly what Whatsapp has been doing. The experience on the app is quite linear and easy. With few design tweaks (which would come up always) it becomes the ideal example for on-boarding and the UX flow ahead.
Wanna checkout a collection of on-boarding flows ? - It’s here.
Your opinion on their UX is truly welcomed and needed. Do leave your comments below or drop me a mail at monika[at]canvasflip.com