Tango app hits 100 million users, launches iPad app

The Tango app announced today that it has hit 100 million registered users and it has also released an iPad app to bring its video-calling service to even more users. 

Tango came out of the gate as a strong Skype competitor and its initial claim to fame was the fact that it did video calls over 3G network and you could use it between an iPhone and Android. That feature has proven to be extremely popular but Tango told me that it is looking to become more than just a communications tool and it wants to be a social network.

You may be asking: Do we need another social network? Tango believes so and apparently, at least 100 million users also think we do. By focusing on being a social network, Tango is also making sure that the communications aspects of its service remain free -- you can make video calls and send text messages to other Tango users on Wi-Fi or mobile data without being charged. 

Instead, Tango is looking to make money by selling content like games or in-call and in-text animations. It has partnered with other game makers and content creators to let you buy stuff from the likes of eCards, too.

Tango is also working on bringing more free features to users. For example, the Tango app update for the iPhone 5 now includes the ability to edit your photos, thanks to a partnership with Aviary. The new iPad app is also supposed to be optimized for the larger screen but in my brief time with it, I feel like it could make better use of that space. 

What's interesting to me is that we're starting to see a lot of communities build over communication services. Apps like WhatsApp, Kakao, Line2 and Snapchat are being used by tens of millions of users and it will be fun to see if these companies can build a compelling social network around their communication services or if users will hop to the next big thing. 

You can download Tango for your computer, iPhone, iPad, Windows Phone and Android here.