The Sarahah app: What, how and why?
Sarahah was created by a developer from Saudi Arabia called ZainAlabdin Tawfiq as a way for people to share honest thoughts.
You might have noticed a gradual ascend of one of the apps called ‘Sarahah’ making it to the top of your social networking platforms in the recent weeks. The messaging app that primarily focuses on privacy, was developed and introduced by Saudi Arabia-based ZainAlabdin Tawfiq back in June. The platform quickly gained recognition in regions like Egypt and Saudi Arabia, a BBC report reads. It seems like Sarahah has now become an instant hit in India as well.
What is Sarahah?
The Sarahah app is designed to allow users to send each other anonymous messages. The word, ‘Sarahah’ is an Arabic word for ‘honesty,’ or ‘candour,’ and allows users to receive honest feedback about what people think about them. The platform was initially introduced as a form of workplace feedback tool, but quickly gained recognition among the youth when teens started making use of it on Snapchat. "Sarahah helps you in discovering your strengths and areas for improvement by receiving honest feedback from your employees and your friends in a private manner," the app’s description reads.
What is the purpose of Sarahah?
The app’s main objective is to allow users (at work) to discover their strengths and weaknesses in terms of how they conduct themselves at office. Since the platform has gained popularity outside of the office as well, many use it as a tool to communicate honestly with one another. Users have no means of communicating directly, and there is no reply mechanism either. Moreover, the users have no idea as to who a particular message is from.
How does Sarahah work?
Users are required to download the app, and create an account. Thereafter, they can share their profile with their friends or other social media accounts so that they can send and receive anonymous messages. “New messages appear in a feed on the app, which can be favourited, forwarded or deleted. The sender isn't alerted about any of these actions,” a report by The Telegraph reads. Users even have the option of blocking certain users if they want.