Sarahah is the latest social media app which is gaining popularity for its anonymity. The social media app allows users to send anonymous messages to friends, but the major concern about the app is that it can be used for cyber bullying as well. Sarahah is a messaging app which has taken the social media world by storm. It was developed by a Saudi Arabia based developer Zain Alabdin Tawfiq. This app has already been downloaded by more than 5 million times on Google Play Store; it is also available on the desktop as well as the App Store.

It has got youngsters hooked to it due to the option to send anonymous messages and help their friends discover their weaknesses and strength. The app is free to download and it asks the users to create a profile with a username, an email ID and a password to keep the account secure. It is different from the Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp due to its one way interaction, where the users can leave a message for a friend or a colleague while remaining anonymous. Sarahah keeps the identity of the senders hidden unless the sender wants to reveal it.

In contrast to other social media platforms, the users do not have to send or accept friend requests, all they have to do is find the friend’s profile on the app. In order to ensure that the profile can be easily discovered, the users can add a photo or share the name of their profile on Facebook or Twitter. The app comes with a simple layout. The receiver of the message can see the message in the received section of the app. There is no option to share images or videos which makes it lighter as compared to other similar social media apps. The app also launches quickly and loads the pages faster.

The app is quite similar to the social media app Secret, which is discontinued now. The app also allowed the users to send messages to their friends or friends of friends while maintaining an anonymous identity. It was also used by marketers to put their ad campaigns. The usefulness of Sarahah is based on the fact that people are more honest with comments when they know that their identity will not be revealed. This allows them to put their viewpoint without having to worry about spoiling their relationship with others.

There is always a dark side of such apps. This one could lead to cyber bullying. Due to the anonymity factor, the app could encourage people to bully, slander or send across threatening messages to someone they do not like. In order to protect the users against this, the app gives an option to block any unauthorized users from sending messages to them. It will be interesting to see how the users adapt to his app and how well does it fulfill the purpose of enabling individuals to discover their strengths and weaknesses.