Version 3.0 of
Haptik, the messenger assistant app for Android and iOS, is now live on the App Store and Google Play. The two-year old app had its last major revision in January this year, and the latest update brings tasks and actionable messaging to the user experience.
Haptik 3.0 tries to be more simplified and efficient with a user's time and cognitive resources by reducing the sum of all interactions to just two screens. The home screen serves as an Inbox, with list of permanent "channels", while tapping a channel takes you to the conversation screen.
Actionable messaging simplifies the user experience further, providing a structured way to provide information to the personal assistant. According to Aakrit Vaish, Co-Founder and CEO of Haptik, it's the only app that has "actually managed to find a way to put forms right inside a chat interface."
Haptik's channels now have a set of preloaded tasks below the message bar, where the most common tasks can be accessed with a series of taps. These have been compiled to answer the needs of 80 percent of the users. For example, in a category like Travel, you're presented with the four most-asked questions: find me the best flight, find me a hotel, Web Check in for my flight, and PNR status of my train ticket.
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NDTV Gadgets took the app for a quick test drive, and asked the personal assistant for recommendations on a workstation chair with neck and lumbar support. The personal assistant took a while to zero-in on our needs, and then sent us a link to a listing on Snapdeal. Another personal assistant was able to fulfil arcane requests like the nearest keymaker in the locality, and respond with an address and a phone number that can be dialled from the app. Overall, this use-case scenario seems easier than using Justdial.
Founded in 2013, Haptik received $1 million (roughly 6.5 crores) in funding in September 2014 from Kalaari Capital. Haptik has partnered with companies like
Freecharge, Indiaproperty.com, DineOut Concierge, as well as Hammer and Mop, and provides support for over 200 brands and services.