REVOLUTIONARY INVENTION HIKELAND — JOURNEY FROM LAUNCH TO LAND

4 min readJun 22, 2020

Revolutionary invention Hikeland introduced by Popularly known as Messenger app or Sticker Chat, Hike is an Indian cross platform messaging and voice IP application which was launched on later in 2012 by Kavin Bharti Mittal and is now owned by Hike Private Limited. With the multi-platform support, Hike can also work offline through SMS. The app registration uses standard just one occasion password (OTP) based authentication process. With abundance of low-cost data, Hike decided to travel from one super app strategy to multiple app approach, in order that it can focus more on the core messaging capabilities. From version 6, the user-interface was revised and therefore the app not supports features like news, mobile payment, games or jokes. As per CB Insights, $1.4 billion is that the valuation of Hike with quite 100 million registered users till August 2016 and 350 employees performing from Bengaluru and Delhi.

Table of Contents

PRIMARY MOBILE PAYMENT SERVICE

From version 5.0, it became the primary social messaging app to start out a mobile payment service in India. On multiple request, they finally launched, timeline feature came back and introduction of a customized digital envelope called Blue Packets for sending monetary gifts through built-in wallet. In 2017, third party developers service was announced with the collaboration of Bengaluru based start-up company to enable third-party platform. From 2018, Hike decided to bring 1 billion users online by targeting tier-2 and tier-3 cities by offering more localized services.

MIRCRO APP

The new feature called microapp as a mother’s day tribute, was there on hike for 2 days on 8 May 2016 during which users can add images, quotes or messages as a token of affection with customized e-cards and stickers on their timeline not only on Hike, but also on other platforms. On 26 October 2016, Hike Messenger unrolled the beta version of a video calling feature before WhatsApp starting with the Android users which also lets recipients preview a video call before deciding to require it and is optimized to even work under 2G conditions. On 24 December 2016, Hike unrolled a brief 20-second Video Stories feature which will be directly shared with friends or posted on a public timeline with different filters together with content creators with an equivalent 48-hour deadline before being automatically deleted. The Stories feature continues to receive constant future updates to incorporate and enable content, public story option, private user messaging and Geo-tagging.

In June 2017, Hike finally launched version 5.0 with multiple new features like User Chat Themes, Night Mode and Magic Selfie. Alongside a built-in Wallet partnered with Yes Bank. This feature was first unrolled to Android users followed by iOS users at a later stage.

COLLABORATION WITH AIRTEL PAYMENT BANK

Hike collaborated with Airtel Payment Bank to power its digital payment wallet by November 2017 where Hike users have access to Airtel Payments Bank’s merchant & utility payment services and know your customer (KYC) infrastructure with 5 million transactions happening from services like recharge and P2P. Hike formed a partnership with Ola Cabs to bring a taxi and auto-rickshaw booking facility from 14 February 2018. Users can now also book bus tickets with 3,000 operators, buy electricity, cooking gas, DTH and landline bills with 60 operators through Hike Wallet.

INTRODUCED HIKELAND

Tencent-backed Hike Messenger has introduced a replacement offering called HikeLand which may be a mobile virtual world where people can participate in many activities. The move has come when sharing experiences via social networks has strengthened thanks to people staying at homes. After a singular social experience created by Houseparty within the last three-four months, Hike decided to urge onboard the trend and introduce its own HikeLand. “HikeLand was born out of a thought to push the boundaries on the UX and transcend the decade-old user experiences like messaging and feed etc,” the corporate said during a statement. HikeLand is now available in early preview.

HIKELAND PREVIEW ON LARGE SCREENS

The company informed via its early preview that there’ll be two unique shared experiences for users in HikeLand, Home and large Screen. It explained that the house screen is going to be just for the user themself, more sort of a private space. during this mode, users can watch YouTube videos and mention it with another user. there’ll be eight themes to settle on from and therefore the home screens are often customised counting on the likes of the user. nobody who is uninvited can enter this room.

Big screen, on the opposite hand, is unlike Home and is more open. Users that enjoy similar content are often a neighborhood of it. consistent with the corporate, this will give users a chance to interact with others who they are doing not know and make new friendships. Within this space, there’ll be a spread of videos including those of comedy, sports among others. While viewing the show/video of choice, users can determine more about others watching an equivalent content through their profiles and even message them.

TIME FOR SOCIAL MEDIA TO EVOLVE

The Founder and CEO of Hike said that The world has evolved and similarly it’s time for social products also. With HikeLand, hike has launched the world’s first mobile-first Virtual World. A fresh combat how people can hangout online, transcending beyond the restrictions of the offline world.”

Hike emphasized that the homegrown product has been built keeping in mind the Indian audience only. the corporate claimed it to influence the innovation within the UX majorly as Hike has built this for a vertical view and not horizontal. “Leveraging diversity of art skills and resources, HikeLand also brought together a design team of not only UI and UX but also Fashion, Art, and 3D artists,” it said. Users (android/ iOS) will need to update their Hike to access Hikeland.