In Depth: 8 best messaging apps for Android Best messaging apps for Android Android phones are amongst the hottest on the market, currently accounting for around 70% of the European mobile market. Headlined by flagship handsets such as the HTC One (M8), Samsung Galaxy S5 and LG G3, and supported with the strong range of cheaper devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini and uber cheap Motorola Moto E, there is more demand for the Android market than ever. Whether youve just purchased a new Android device, or whether youre 23 months into a 24 month contract, youre going to want to make sure that you are getting the most out of your tech. Fortunately, there are a variety of different messaging apps available on the app store, to complement the variety of apps that come preinstalled. Google is famed for its Gmail service, one that has an amazing array of features such as labels and filters, as well as massive storage meaning you never have to delete anything. The search giant also throws Hangouts, its own IM and SMS service, into Android so that you can message all your Google (and non-Google) buddies quickly. Most Android smartphones also come with a separate SMS app (the Nexus devices just have Hangouts), although each manufacturer throws in varying levels of customisation, so there are too many offerings for us to comment specifically. What each app will do, though, is send a text (or similar). Below youll find our list of the best apps out there, to help you stay in contact with all your friends and colleagues. 1. WhatsApp (First year free, $0.99 per year thereafter) Now that Facebook has decided to pay a whopping $19 billion for WhatsApp, it has to be top on our list - its the biggest messaging app around by far with a user base thats in love with the service. WhatsApp is probably the most popular and well known cross OS messaging app out there, sending messages over your Wi-Fi or mobile internet signal. No longer completely free, although its only $0.99 per year with the first year free, WhatsApp covers all your basic needs from a messaging service. The sending of text, pictures, video and voice messages are all supported, as is group chat. Working with your mobile number, WhatsApp also doesnt require usernames, passwords and pins, and using the web rather than the mobile network means that there are no pesky international charges. In all, WhatsApp is popular for a reason. Its highly customisable, and very easy to use to message others on the service as it connects via your mobile number. Still dont want to use WhatsApp, why not try Samsungs ChatON? ChatON is a well designed, comprehensive (now cross OS) messaging app that even features a built in translator. 2. Kik (Free) With over 80 million users, Kik is another app that cant be ignored. Like WhatsApp, it is cross OS and features many nifty features. There are many similarities to WhatsApp, such as the ability to send photos, have group chats, as well as being able to search for YouTube links, images and self drawn sketches. More interesting features include downloadable emoticons, our favourites being Rage Memes and South Park characters. You can also create and send different memes from within Kik, or Photobomb your friends. The latter is Kiks answer to SnapChat, which we will cover later. Kik also prides itself on being personal and private, not having to share your mobile number or email address, rather a username that you can create. If Kik doesnt take your fancy, why not try BBM? BBM uses another private way of connecting, the same way it always has, taking a pin rather than username. It too supports both group and image messaging. 3. Skype (Free) First gaining prominence on the desktop, and gaining a lot of publicity following its sale to Microsoft, Skype is possibly the best known and overall best video calling app out there. It is also more than just a video and voice calling service, however. IM is fully supported, with Skypes custom array of smileys making their way over, albeit without the cute little animations that we are so fond of. Again, group messaging is supported, as is the sending of media files and video messages. Connection to Skype can be done through a dedicated username and password or through an existing Microsoft account, something you might have created to use Windows Live or Windows 8. Since the merge with Microsoft, the Redmond based firm is pushing to connect any existing Skype accounts to your Windows account. In the way of video calling alternatives, why not try ooVoo? Also free to download, ooVoo features video chat at its heart, whilst also supporting group messaging, video statuses and a speed dial. 4. SnapChat (Free) Chances are that you have heard of SnapChat, not least because of what you can use it for. It is becoming ever popular as a way to share images quickly and privately, with the added bonus that they dont hang around. SnapChat gained popularity because of the temporary nature of the images sent. Images are captured and then sent immediately, to select SnapChat compatriots, with a self destruct timer built in. Images, or videos, can be sent for anything up to ten seconds, and then wipe themselves off the receivers phone. Whilst there is nothing to stop a screenshot, senders are notified if this occurs. Image editing is also possible, but only to a narrow degree. A small level of text can be added, and images can be sketched over, so you can show your friends what you look like with a bright red cartoon afro. You can also save your own images. Not your thing though? Clipchat works on a very similar basis, though shows a pixellated preview of the image to receivers, so they have a rough idea of what theyre opening. More great messaging apps for Android 5. Facebook Messenger (Free) We have had to put this on the list of best apps to download, although there is a chance that it came preinstalled on your new device. Many OEMs are still omitting dedicated Facebook apps, but the Facebook Messenger app is available off the Google Play store. The two biggest draws of the Facebook Messenger app are the connection to Facebook, where we expect you will have the majority of your closest friends, family and colleagues, and Chat Heads, a feature we first saw on Facebook Home. The former of the two advantages is self explanatory. It connects directly to Facebooks chat and messages feature, allowing you to send messages instantly to all your Facebook contacts. Messenger also supports sending of photos, searched images and voice messages. Facebooks custom mobile smileys are also available, as well as the new stickers featuring massive smileys and cute kittys. When it comes to Chat Heads, new Facebook messages bring up a little round floating profile picture that sits above all other apps that are running, bar things like full screen video. We have to say we are a little glad there, as we can imagine having a random chat head pop up during Insidious to be pretty scary. Chat Heads can also be removed by swiping them to the bottom of the screen. If Facebook Messenger just isnt enough for your needs, you can always try Facebook Home. Replacing your existing home launcher with a dedicated Facebook launcher. Facebook Home brings Facebook messaging right to the heart of your device. 6. Twitter (Free) Another app that is included by some OEMs and not others is Twitter. The ever popular, 140 character social media site has a dedicated app for reading and sending tweets available from the Play Store, should you not have it. Its inclusion in a list of best messaging apps might seem a little strange, given that it is at heart a social media site. Then again, what is social media for if not for communicating with your nearest and dearest, and in Twitters case, everyone else as well. Twitters mobile app does everything that the Twitter site does, with direct messages and directed tweets being well managed, although the famous hashtags dont come with the same highlighting that they do on the site. Being so popular, there are many alternatives should you decide the native app isnt enough. TweetCaster packs multiple account support, a well managed splash page and a Zip feature that removes annoying tweets and keywords from your feed, without unfollowing that user. 7. GO SMS Pro (Free, Paid for version available) One of the beautiful things that youll hear any Android user say about the OS, is the extreme level of customisability that just isnt present on iOS, Windows Phone OS or even BB OS. This means that there are a variety of custom SMS apps present on the Play Store. There are so many to choose from, we struggle a little to suggest which one is best, although were happy enough to say that GO SMS is a decent and comprehensive SMS app. Among the many features are a paid version to remove ads, downloadable language packs and themes; think your iPhone is cool, look I can make my Android look the same. Emoji are available, and custom smileys to use instead of the native offering. Chats threads are laid out in bubbles. Of the more interesting features are the ability to schedule texts so that you dont forget something important, or so that you dont have to wake up at 4am to send THAT text, and the ability to customise notifications. This means that you can have differing icons, tones and vibrate patterns to help you differentiate between contacts without even looking at your phone. If, however, this isnt quite the app for you, why not try Chomp SMS or Handcent SMS. All three apps currently sit at 4.4/5 in Play Store reviews, and cover all your basic SMS needs. 8. IM+ (Free, Paid for version available) IM+ is not a dedicated messaging service in the way that WhatsApp, Skype or Kik are. Rather, it is an aggregator of various social accounts such as Windows Live Messenger, Skype, Facebook and more. Packing in multiple accounts can often mean that contacts from varying accounts can become hard to track, although there is the ability to sort by name or account, as well as being able to see or hide all those unsociable offline contacts. Nifty features such as a master password, favourite contacts and online notifications are also built in, alongside two themes that mean you can go for normal or high contrast mode. Push mode is also available. Within chats, pictures and audio can be sent. These are uploaded to IM servers with a link then being sent on, rather than sending the file directly. Files can also be resized for those on smaller data allowances. Should you decide that this isnt the app for you, why not try eBuddy? Having been around as a desktop aggregator via the web for as long as we can remember, eBuddy also connects to a plethora of messaging services. 9. EvolveSMS (Free) Despite the growing popularity of messengers that use data, most users will still want an SMS service to fall back on and EvolveSMS is one of the most stylish available. Its standout feature is undoubtedly tabbed messages, which allows you to swipe across from the left edge of the screen to bring up a list of conversation tabs and easily switch between them. But you dont even need to do that, as swiping left or right from within a conversation will take you to the next or previous one in the list. Add to that an elegant design, group messaging, an optional pop-up reply window and a variety of themes to choose between and this is surely one of the best SMS apps around. There arent many apps that look like EvolveSMS, but hello sms is one of them. It features the same tabbed conversations feature as Evolve as well as some interesting additions such as the ability to create and send GIFs and a night mode, which will switch it to a darker theme when the sun goes down. 10. Viber (Free) Viber, like Skype, allows users to have IM conversations and make phone and video calls, but unlike Skype it uses your actual phone number, so no separate account is necessary and it integrates with your contacts list so you can instantly get in touch with the people you know. You can also use it to share photos and videos, have group conversations with up to 100 participants and even follow public conversations with celebrities and companies, a little bit like a Twitter feed. It works with both phones and tablets and theres a desktop app too, so you can enjoy Viber in full screen glory when youre at your computer. If youre not convinced by Viber you could always give Line a go. It shares a lot of functions with Viber, including the ability to make free voice and video calls as well as send messages. Its also available for PCs and tablets, but its got a few tricks of its own, such as a timeline where you can post status updates, photos and videos for all your friends to see. 11. Dasher (Free) Unlike some messaging services Dasher requires a (free) account and you have to manually add people to be able to chat with them. But its worth the effort, as once youve got a collection of people using it theres a lot you can do. Sending and receiving messages is a given of course, but you can also share YouTube videos which can be played straight from the conversation window. Theres also the ability to share your location and, perhaps most usefully, you can delete messages after youve sent them, which should make this your go-to app whenever youve had a bit too much to drink. If you happen to live in the US then you can even send money to your friends in the chat window using your Venmo account, which could be handy on the morning after a drunken night when your friend reminds you that you mistook their living room for a bowling alley. Dont want Dasher? Then check out Wire. Its not as feature packed but you can still easily send messages and share YouTube videos and SoundCloud tracks, both of which can be played from the conversation window. Most importantly though its easily one of the most stylish messaging apps around with a clean, attractive interface.
Posted on: Wed, 24 Dec 2014 07:56:02 +0000
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