Smartphone usage has led to over 6 billion active users of chat applications, significantly impacting user expectations for usability and functionality. Chat apps like WhatsApp, Discord, Slack, Messenger, and Telegram are crucial in facilitating human connection and knowledge transfer, offering features such as real-time messaging, voice and video calls, and file sharing. These applications utilize various technologies, including WebSockets, HTTP-based APIs, and WebRTC, to ensure efficient communication, although they face challenges like bandwidth strain, privacy concerns, and scalability issues. Many chat apps maintain feature parity, with common elements such as message reactions, which have become standard due to their popularity on social media. Understanding user needs and employing proven design patterns can enhance user experience by aligning with their mental models, thereby improving usability and meeting expectations across different technological backgrounds.