Qik: New Ephemeral Messaging App, Too Soon?

Skype is combining its video calls with ephemeral messaging with the Skype Qik. Instead of text messages and photos, Qik is a video message app that exchanges 42-second videos between users. Each video lasts for two weeks, wherein it will be deleted after.

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Qik was formerly just a video sharing application when it started as a Silicon Valley start-up. This type of service continued even after Skype had acquired the company for US$150 million. It was eventually shut down earlier this year before being relaunched today as an ephemeral messaging app.

Aside from the usual offering of messaging apps, Qik allows its user to pre-record 12 mini-videos as substitute emojis. Not satisfied with a “:)” or an emoticon? Send a more personalized version. This feature is called Qik Fliks.

We’d have to wonder how Qik stands with the emerging issue with ephemeral messaging. In what is now being dubbed “The Snappening,” tens of thousands of Snapchat (supposedly) deleted photos resurfaced allegedly because of a third-party app that discreetly saved all these photos on its servers. With issues of privacy hitting headlines, we have to wonder how Qik addresses privacy and secrecy. Not much. In fact, its site even has a fine print tucked away at the bottom of the home page that says “it may be possible for recipients to capture and save videos elsewhere before they are deleted from Qik.” It’s not exactly the answer that would put any concerned user’s mind at ease. But will ephemeral messaging be totally safe, anyway? Sure, Qik can set-up some sort of internal system that would prevent any of its files from being taken in any way, but what’s to stop predatory users from taking a video or a photo from another phone, thus rendering any deleting useless? The fate of ephemeral messaging’s security is still up in the air. But that doesn’t mean to discount the value of Qik. It’s a refreshing idea to send personalized video messages instead of an expression-less text message. Just remain vigilant with what you share and who you’re sharing it with.

Qik is available for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone. The Qik Fliks feature is not available for the Windows Phone yet.