Viber Adds Photo, Location Sharing Abilities To Its Android, iPhone Apps

Viber Media, maker of fine Android and iPhone applications that let you call and text your buddies for free, is today releasing upgraded apps for both aforementioned platforms.

Viber 2.1 comes with a fresh voice engine, providing users with HD-quality VoIP calling and improvements of call quality when calls are made over low-bandwidth networks.

Also new is the ability to share photos, enabling users to exchange picture messages by adding new or previously taken photos to texts, or sending photos by email or via Facebook. In addition, Viber is introducing location-tagged messages that allow users to identify their whereabouts to recipients.

Turning the latter feature on and off can be done simply by tapping the location icon.

Finally, Viber has made some minor changes to the app’s user interface, including the introduction of ‘landscape’ support for messages, and a new option to send a text message when a user is busy or doesn’t answer a call, among other improvements.

Viber, which first launched its iPhone app 10 months ago, says over 30 million users have registered for the service to date, and roughly 18 million users actively use its apps on a monthly basis.