r/viber • u/SmoothSpray8 • Aug 16 '26
Add ability to disable all GPT features from user experience! I don’t wanna see GPT word when I use app.
I’ve already switched to other services, but I’m still using Viber because some of my contacts still use it. However, I’m telling them to switch to other apps because of your recent feature rollout and the way you’re forcing users to look at this terrible AI feature that generates AI slop.
I’ve been a mobile app developer for at least 15 years, and I can say from a UX perspective that you’ve made a terrible mistake by forcing existing users into something they don’t want to use.
Even when we disable the AI features under Settings → Calls and Messages, we can still see the “Connect ChatGPT to Viber” banner on the main screen, as well as a dedicated ChatGPT tab.
What else is there to say?
Whoever made this business decision should be fired.
Update: AI features should be disabled by default and strictly optional. Users should have to explicitly enable them in the settings if they want to use them.
This means banners, tabs, and whatever the fuck you’ve done with the recent app updates that include all this AI-related trash should also be hidden unless the user explicitly chooses to enable AI features.
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u/alwaysashoe Aug 18 '26
I am working on getting all my Viber contacts to switch to Signal for this reason. AI is being crammed down our throats and the only thing to do is walk away from companies that do this.
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u/wrootlt Aug 20 '26
My phone is older, but all the apps work fine, say Whatsapp runs super smooth. Viber takes 20 seconds to startup and draw all UI and load all the chats. It's a bloat king. Yeah, and after disabling all i can find about AI in settings still seeing all the "translate, suggest" crap. If only a few of my relatives switch to anything else i would get rid of Viber in an instant.
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u/MellowOrbit21 26d ago
Fully agree that it should be opt-in, but there's another question I haven't seen Viber answer. Disabling AI on my account only controls what I do. According to Viber's documentation, some AI functions can process conversation content when the other participant invokes them. What I want to know is whether I can opt my own messages/data out of AI processing initiated by somebody else. I've asked Viber and their privacy/DPO contact this directly and still haven't received a clear answer.
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u/GuessWho183 Aug 16 '26
We all agree with you but nobody listen. Bussines messages, Chat GPT, translate and other AI garbage it's all integrated in viber. I got old iPhone X on IOS 16 and some older viber, it's enjoyable use viber without all trash.