If you think WhatsApp has every messaging feature you’ll ever need, think again.
There’s an Indian-made app quietly gaining attention for its privacy-first features, unique controls, and innovative tools that even WhatsApp doesn’t offer yet — it’s called Arattai.
Arattai (which literally means “chat” in Tamil) is developed by Zoho Corporation, the same company behind Zoho Mail and Zoho Workplace. While it may look similar to WhatsApp at first glance, it hides some brilliant security, privacy, and usability features that make it stand out.
In this article, we’ll go over 10 hidden Arattai app features that WhatsApp doesn’t offer — and why they might make you consider switching, or at least keeping it as your secondary secure messenger.
What Makes Arattai Different?
Before diving into the features, let’s understand why Arattai stands out among other messaging platforms.
The app focuses heavily on user control and data privacy, giving you settings that major apps like WhatsApp take years to release. It doesn’t rely on phone numbers for identity, which immediately boosts anonymity and safety — a crucial factor for users who prefer privacy over popularity.
Now, let’s break down each of its standout features one by one.
1️⃣ Hide Your Phone Number for Complete Privacy
Let’s start with one of Arattai’s most powerful privacy options — the ability to hide your phone number completely.
Unlike WhatsApp, which always shows your number to anyone you chat with, Arattai lets you choose who can see your number or even hide it from everyone.
🧩 How to Do It:
- Open the Arattai app.
- Tap the three lines (menu icon) in the top-left corner.
- Go to Settings → Security & Privacy → Phone Number Visibility.
- Set it to Nobody.
Once you do this, no one will see your phone number — not even people you message. This is an incredible advantage for anyone concerned about privacy or unwanted exposure of personal contact details.
👉 This also helps professionals, creators, and public figures communicate without revealing their private number.
2️⃣ Use a Unique Username Instead of Phone Numbers
Now, you might be wondering — “If no one can see my number, how will people find or message me?”
That’s where Arattai’s username feature comes in.
You can create a unique username, just like on Telegram or Instagram, and others can search and contact you using that instead of your phone number.
🧭 How to Set It Up:
- Go to Settings → Profile (tap your name at the top).
- Tap the pencil (edit) icon.
- You’ll see fields for Name, Bio, and Username.
- Create a unique username — for example,
@techrakeshor@yourbrandname.
Now anyone can find you using your username. Combine this with your hidden number setting, and you’ve got the perfect balance of accessibility and privacy.
3️⃣ Control Who Can Message You
We all know the frustration of random “Hi,” “Hello dear,” or “Are you there?” messages from strangers on chat apps.
Arattai solves this with a smart New Chat Privacy feature.
This lets you decide who can send you the first message — so you’re never spammed by unknown users.
⚙️ How to Enable It:
- Go to Settings → Security & Privacy → New Chat.
- Choose who can start a chat with you:
- Everyone
- Only contacts
- Nobody
If you select “Nobody,” only people you’ve previously messaged can text you — no more random “Hi baby” messages or spammy forwards.
This feature is especially useful for women, professionals, and public figures who want full control over their chat inbox.
4️⃣ Block Unwanted Calls with Call Privacy Controls
Another standout feature is Call Privacy, which lets you control who can call you — again, something WhatsApp users have been demanding for years.
🔧 To Enable It:
- Go to Settings → Security & Privacy → Calls.
- Choose from:
- Everyone
- Contacts only
- Nobody
If you set it to “Contacts only,” random users can’t video or voice call you.
And if you select “Nobody,” your Arattai app becomes completely call-free — perfect when you want peace and quiet.
This feature fills a huge gap that WhatsApp has long ignored, and it shows how Arattai focuses on giving users granular privacy control.
5️⃣ Screen Security – Hide Chat Previews in Recent Apps
This one’s both clever and underrated: Screen Security.
When you switch apps on your phone, Android shows previews of your recent apps in the multitasking view. In most chat apps, your last conversation is visible in that preview — which is a privacy risk if someone else glances at your screen.
Arattai fixes that with a simple toggle.
📱 How It Works:
- When enabled, the app hides your chat content from showing in your phone’s recent apps list.
- Instead, you’ll see a blank or white screen preview.
🔒 To Turn It On:
- Go to Settings → Security & Privacy → Screen Security.
- Toggle it On.
This ensures that even if you switch apps or hand over your phone to someone, your chats remain hidden from view.
It’s a thoughtful addition that most Android devices lack by default.
6️⃣ Get Alerts When New Contacts Join Arattai
Ever wished you could know when your friends or colleagues join a new messaging platform?
Arattai makes that possible through a built-in New Contacts Notification feature.
Whenever someone from your contact list installs and registers on Arattai, you’ll receive a small notification alert — just like early days of WhatsApp, when it used to tell you who joined.
🧭 To Enable or Disable:
- Go to Settings → Notifications.
- Scroll down and find “New Contacts Notification.”
- Toggle it On or Off depending on your preference.
It’s a neat way to grow your contact base organically within the app.
7️⃣ Do Not Disturb (DND) Mode for Peaceful Messaging
If you often get overwhelmed by constant pings, the Do Not Disturb feature in Arattai will become your best friend.
It lets you temporarily mute all chat and call notifications — without needing to disable app permissions or manually mute every conversation.
⚙️ How to Use It:
- Go to Settings → Notifications.
- Enable Do Not Disturb.
Now you can enjoy uninterrupted focus, gaming sessions, or bedtime without worrying about any “ding” or vibration.
WhatsApp, surprisingly, still doesn’t have a full DND toggle built into the app.
8️⃣ Auto-Delete Media and Manage Storage
One of the most practical features Arattai offers is Storage Usage Control.
We all know how group chats flood our phones with photos, videos, and memes that eat up gigabytes of space.
Arattai lets you limit how long media files are stored in your device.
🧩 Steps to Configure:
- Go to Settings → Data and Storage → Storage Usage.
- Under “Store Media For”, choose how long media should remain before auto-deletion:
- 3 days
- 7 days
- 30 days
- Forever (default option)
If you prefer keeping things tidy, select 7 or 30 days.
This ensures your phone stays clean and fast without manual cleanup.
9️⃣ Built-in Meetings Feature Like Zoom or Google Meet
Now this one’s truly surprising — Arattai includes a dedicated Meeting feature, built right into the app.
Unlike WhatsApp, which only allows video calls or group calls, Arattai offers a proper “Meetings” interface similar to Google Meet or Zoom.
🎥 What You Can Do:
- Create or join a meeting directly from the app.
- Share your screen for presentations.
- Mute/unmute participants.
- Record meetings (in supported builds).
- Use it for work meetings, study sessions, or casual video catch-ups.
It’s ideal for small teams and remote professionals who don’t want to juggle multiple apps for communication and video conferencing.
🔟 Missing Feature: End-to-End Encryption (Coming Soon)
Currently, Arattai does not yet offer full end-to-end encryption (E2EE) for chats, though the company has confirmed that it’s in development.
While this might sound concerning, all messages are still transmitted through secure encrypted channels, meaning they’re safe from third-party interception.
However, E2EE ensures even Arattai itself can’t read your messages — so once this feature arrives, it will make the app even more privacy-oriented.
Until then, if you’re sharing sensitive data, keep this limitation in mind.
FAQs
Q1. Who developed the Arattai app?
Arattai is developed by Zoho Corporation, an Indian software company known for business tools like Zoho Mail and Zoho CRM.
Q2. Is Arattai available for iPhone and Android?
Yes, Arattai is available for both Android and iOS users.
Official website: https://www.arattai.in
Q3. Does Arattai support file sharing and media sending like WhatsApp?
Absolutely. You can send photos, videos, voice notes, PDFs, and documents easily. It also supports HD quality image sharing without compression.
Q4. Can I use Arattai without a SIM card?
Yes, you can log in using any number initially, but once your username is set, you can communicate via username — no visible phone number required.
Q5. Is it safe to use Arattai for business communication?
Yes. Arattai is backed by Zoho’s enterprise-grade security infrastructure and hosted on Indian servers, which comply with strong data privacy standards.
Disclaimer
The information in this article is based on the latest Arattai app version (as of October 2025).
Feature availability may vary slightly by device and OS version.
Always download the app only from trusted sources like the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.
Arattai is owned and managed by Zoho Corporation; this article is not affiliated or sponsored by them.
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