iWorld
Indians binge watch Netflix faster than global average
MUMBAI: India saw a massive rise in Netflix binge-watching this year. Here’s a flashback at the most intriguing streaming moments that defined the platform’s viewership in 2017.
Netflix members around the world watched more than 140 million hours of TV shows, movies, documentaries and more per day – that’s about one billion hours per week. The average global member watched 60 movies on Netflix this year.
A member in India watched The SpongeBob SquarePants movie 171 times in 2017. The most popular day for streaming in India was 29 October 2017.
Indians binge watch faster (3 days) than the global average (4 days). Interestingly, while Indians are among the top mobile downloaders in the world for Netflix content, TV devices continue to be important for streaming, with more than a third (34 per cent) of Netflix viewing hours in India being through connected TVs.
Narcos, Stranger Things and 13 Reasons Why were the top watched shows in India. Shows that got the family on the couch included Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life, Fuller House and Riverdale. In some cases, more than two hours were given to shows such as Marvel’s Iron Fist and The Defenders along with sci-fi series The Mist. Shows that were seen for a little less than two hours were Neo Yokio, Big Mouth, You Me Her and One Day at a Time.
The Shows That Got India Cheating in 2017
We couldn’t resist the thrill of a thrill and shamelessly watched ahead of our significant others on Narcos, Stranger Things, Mindhunter and more.
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1. Narcos 2. Stranger Things 3. 13 Reasons Why 4. Mindhunter 5. Black Mirror |
6. Marvel’s the Defenders 7. Orange is the New Black 8. Riverdale 9. The Crown 10. Better Call Saul |
The Shows That Brought India Together in 2017
Whether for adventure, Chief Hopper or bromance (#DadSteve), Netflix members ranked Stranger Things as the top show to watch together as a family. Nostalgia also scored top points for family watching via Star Trek: Discovery, Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life and Fuller House.
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1. Stranger Things 2. 13 Reasons Why 3. Chef’s Table 4. Riverdale 5. Star Trek: Discovery |
6. ASQUE 7. Fuller House 8. Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life 9. Atypical 10. The Good Place |
The Shows India Devoured in 2017
We took an escape from reality, sought thrill and adventure, by devouring (watching more than two hours per day) superhero shows likeMarvel’s Iron Fist and Marvel’s The Defenders as well as sci-fi series The Mist.
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1. My Only Love Song 2. 13 Reasons Why 3. Marvel’s Iron Fist 4. The Mist 5. Shooter |
6. Riverdale 7. Terrace House: Aloha State 8. Greenleaf 9. American Vandal 10. Marvel’s The Defenders |
The Shows India Savored in 2017
We savoured (watching less than two hours per day) the heartwarming moments in shows such as Neo Yokio, Big Mouth, You Me Her and One Day at a Time.
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1. Midnight Diner: Tokyo Series 2. Samurai Gourmet 3. Big Mouth 4. Disjointed 5. Neo Yokio |
6. You Me Her 7. The Crown 8. One Day at a Time 9. ASQUE 10. The Confession Tapes |
iWorld
X launches XChat messaging app on iOS with calls and encryption
Standalone app marks shift from “everything app” vision, adds E2E messaging.
MUMBAI: From one big app to many small chats, X seems to be splitting its ambitions. X has rolled out its standalone messaging app, XChat, to iOS users, opening up a new front in its evolving product strategy. The app allows users to connect with existing X contacts through private and group messages, file sharing, as well as audio and video calls. The launch follows a limited beta phase, where the platform tested the product with a smaller user base to refine the experience. Now available publicly, XChat marks a notable pivot from earlier ambitions championed by Elon Musk to turn X into a single “everything app” combining messaging, payments, commerce and more.
Instead, the company under xAI ownership and backed by SpaceX appears to be building a suite of standalone applications, each targeting specific use cases while expanding its broader ecosystem.
At launch, XChat includes end-to-end encrypted messaging, PIN-based access, disappearing messages, and features such as message editing, deletion for all participants, and screenshot blocking. The company has also said the app is free from advertisements and tracking mechanisms, positioning it as a privacy-first alternative in a crowded messaging space.
However, security claims around the platform are likely to face scrutiny. Earlier iterations of XChat drew criticism from experts who argued it fell short of established encrypted platforms like Signal. With the wider rollout, the app is expected to undergo fresh evaluation to assess whether those concerns have been addressed.
Beyond messaging, XChat will also house X’s Communities feature, which is being discontinued on the main platform due to low usage and spam concerns. Migrating these users could provide an early boost to adoption, effectively turning XChat into both a communication and community hub.
The move underscores a broader recalibration at X less about cramming everything into one app, and more about spreading bets across multiple touchpoints, one message at a time.
