KChat is a secure, privacy-first messaging app for iOS and Android, designed to be fast, local, and trustworthy. Built for users in Southeast Asia, it combines strong encryption with a native, culturally relevant experience.
Role
Product Designer
Team
2 Product Designers
8 Engineers
2 Product Managers
Year
2025
The Problem
Southeast Asian users—especially in Vietnam and Thailand—expect messaging apps to be expressive, lightning-fast, and personal. But they’re also becoming more privacy-conscious.
We needed to build a messaging experience that:
• Felt familiar to users used to Zalo, and Telegram
• Respected their privacy with end-to-end encryption and MLS
• Worked instantly, with no confusion around login, sync, or permissions
• Looked and felt native across iOS and Android
Goals
We needed to deliver a user experience that was not only fast and secure, but also aligned with business priorities for launch and scale.
User Goals
• Build instant trust, with transparent onboarding and strong encryption
• Feel familiar and expressive, using native design patterns and smooth interactions
• Minimize friction, through automation and simplified flows
• Work seamlessly across platforms, with no compromises between iOS and Android
The Research
To design a messaging experience that felt both secure and native to users in this region, we grounded our research from two key sources:
Competitor Audit
To design a messaging experience that felt both secure and native to users in this region, we grounded our research from two key sources:
Zalo
Zalo dominates in Vietnam with deep local integrations—but its infrastructure still relies on device-bound data. Users face serious friction when switching devices or recovering accounts.
Main paint points:
#1
No cloud backup → Chat history is lost when switching devices
#2
No multi-device sync → Logging in elsewhere wipes current session
#3
Manual SMS verification → Disruptive and high drop-off risk
Telegram
Zalo dominates in Vietnam with deep local integrations—but its infrastructure still relies on device-bound data. Users face serious friction when switching devices or recovering accounts.
Main paint points:
#1
Encryption on 1-on-1 chats is not on by default, unless you use Secret Chat
#2
Group chats unencrypted → No E2E in public or private groups
#3
Concerns about transparency and sharing metadata when legally requested
Internal Survey
We ran a targeted internal survey with over 50 early testers across Vietnam and Thailand. The goal was to understand their day-to-day messaging behavior, pain points, and expectations around security, sync, and UI.
Main findings
78% use at least 2 devices (phone + desktop/laptop) to message
52% weren’t sure if their current messages are encrypted
69% found permission prompts (camera, contacts, notifications) intrusive if shown too early
66% had been locked out of a messaging app before
57% said the recovery process felt unclear or unhelpful
Key takeaways:
#1
Sync is not a bonus feature—it’s a core expectation.
#2
Users value security, but won’t configure it—defaults matter.
#3
Easy data recovery is key to user retention and trust.
The Solution
We set out to design a messaging experience that respects privacy, removes friction, and feels instantly familiar—without overwhelming the user. Here's how we did it:
Onboarding
We simplified onboarding into a fast, friction-free flow that feels familiar and trustworthy from the start.
No “Sign up or Log in” screen — users enter their number, we handle the logic
No permission requests during onboarding unless necessary
The UI follows native platform patterns to reduce learning curve
Security & Privacy
Users care about privacy, but don’t want to configure it. KChat makes end-to-end encryption the default, with no setup required.
All 1:1 and group chats are end-to-end encrypted by default using the MLS protocol
Encryption happens automatically—no toggles.
Permission prompts are delayed until they’re relevant and contextual
Sync
One of the most consistent pain points across competitors was losing data when switching devices. We tried to solve this by making the process seamless and familiar.
Multi-device login with persistent chat history
Encrypted cloud backup and restore
Connected devices can easily be added/removed
The Result
While KChat is still in internal testing, the early signals validated our design decisions:
Successfully Onboarded
93%
in one uninterrupted flow
Onboarding Time
50%
Reduction compared to
regional competitors
Data Switching
100%
successful data switching
between devices
Qualitative Insights
We had a short interview with a random group from the internal participants to get their thoughts on Kchat. here are the highlights:
86% said “felt more private” when they weren't asked for a lot of permissions upfront.
Participants appreciated the consistent visual experience across platforms — something they felt
was lacking in other messaging apps.
70% of participants said they would switch from their default messaging app to Kchat.