Social media giants Twitter and Facebook rose from humble beginnings to become the biggest platforms for billions of people from around the globe to interact. Both started as rudimentary platforms for peers in to message each other. They however expanded as members outside the confined social circles signed up.
While Kenyan innovators play second fiddle to tech giants from the US, Europe and Far East, it has not stopped the small African nation from making its mark at the global stage. M-Pesa, Ushahidi, iCow, M-Farm among other useful innovations have been birthed in Kenya. The trend seems to be on an upward trajectory with the creation of Kyote App.
The brainchild of education and social blogger Elvis Nyakang’i, the app is meant to give friends, campus students and scholars a platform where they can share relevant information. Elvis, who goes by the moniker ‘Nyakreal,’ runs the popular education blog Kenyayote.com which focuses on campus news, how to articles and trending issues.
Elvis says the idea for creating the app stemmed from the ever-growing need for users to interact online and the growing dependence on mobile phones for internet access. He adds that the app gives users the ability to interact with one another on a more personal level than they would on the blog’s comments section.
After installing the app, a user is prompted to sign up for an account. One can also use their existing Facebook profile to sign up. A user will be able to grow his/her community by sending and accepting friend requests. To find new friends, choose the ‘search’ option on the main menu.
Members with a common interest can create and interact in communities akin to WhatsApp groups. Communities on Kyote App are however more dynamic as they have features like location, website, and a drop-down menu with diverse subjects.
The app has a feed, similar to Facebook’s timeline, where members can make text (with emoji support), photo and video posts. Users can tag their location by tapping the drop pin icon. Users can also send private messages to other users.
You can access more features such as viewing and editing their profile, notifications, messages, creating or joining communities among others.
In the settings menu, you can tweak features such as allowing comments to your posts and photos, receiving messages from anyone, enabling or disabling push notifications, privacy control, password change, account deactivation among others.
For an app that is on it’s debut, Kyote App is really well-rounded save for minor bugs future updates will definitely smoothen.
Elvis says he envisions a bright future for Kyote App where it will be one of the top apps connecting scholars, not just in Kenya but all around the globe.
The app is available on Google Playstore
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