Sarahah app is going viral, but what is it and how does it work?
There is a new viral hit on Instagram and it is called Sarahah. “Haha, what?” Yes, that is the exact question lots of web users have as they see the Sarahah screen shot popping up on their Instagram feeds. It is all over the place. You may have probably heard about the app already if you are on Instagram or Snapchat. You may have seen lots of posts shared by your friends via Sarahah. Wondering what is it all about? Let’s get all your questions answered here.
Where can I download it?
Well, this is an application which can be downloaded by both Android and iOS users. It is available on Google Play Store as well as on App Store since February 2017.
What is Sarahah app?
Sarahah is an Arabic term which means honesty. It is an anonymous messaging app that lets people send messages to any random person if that person has the app installed. To find that person either you will have the link to that person’s Sarahah profile or you can search for the profile through the user ID or email address. Although, given the anonymous nature of the app, the search functionality is not as good as what you get on Facebook or Twitter.
Sarahah, back in February was introduced as a website by a Saudi Arabian developer — Zain al-Abidin Tawfiq. However, the developer it seems later thought that the site can go viral with as an app. It was then released on June 13 as an app version of Sarahah on both the iOS App Store and Google Play.
The app works in a way that the receiver of the message doesn’t even get to know the sender’s identity or reply. Basically, it’s like those books people passed around as we cleared high school, a bunch of random messages from random people you can’t identify.
Is Sarahah app propagating cyber bullying?
Some reports claim that a bunch of people have been misusing the application and using the app as a means of cyber bullying. Considering the fact that people have the freedom to send anonymous messages to anyone, there are reports that some people are misusing the app and are using as a tool for rampant cyber-bullying. Though some users are taking this as a game and fooling around with friends, others are sending threatening messages to people and literally bullying them.
The app was introduced just a few months ago and already there multiple cases of cyber bullying related to it. A review that was posted on Google Play reads, “My 13-year-old sister uses this and she got a death threat aimed at our 2-year-old brother.” It is no wonder the app has been labeled “the newest platform for cyber bullying”. That said, there is now a report function that lets you flag messages that are offensive and/or invasive.
How to use the Sarahah app?
Now that you know about the app and understand its risks, let’s explain how you can use it.
The first step to becoming a Sarahah user is to download the application. After creating an account with the Sarahah app, you can directly share the link to your Sarahah profile with Facebook, Twitter, or any other social media platform to let your friends know.
Now that your friends now know you are on Sarahah, they’ll send you an anonymous message, and all you’ll get to see is the message. Similarly, you can also send messages to your friends. You can only receive the message and can’t reply to in anyway. However, it seems Sarahah will get that feature soon, as the websites state, “You can’t respond to messages now. We are studying this option.”
Note: The person you want to send the message via Sarahah must have installed the application. All you now need to do is type a message and send. This app is addictive, you have been duly warned.
This article was written by Capital Campus Correspondent Munene Mwarania.