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Privacy Statement. See System Requirements. Available on Mobile device. Description Keeping in touch made simple. People also like. Spotify Free. Messaging VK Free. Bookmark Tiles Free Free. Friendbook Lite Free. Skype Free. The subscription cost is much cheaper than most of its competitors. That makes it the cheapest non-free option available on the list. See also: The best Android apps available right now. It works as a free standalone SMS app.
You can then turn it into a multi-device SMS app with its browser extensions or its web messenger. You can do all of the basic stuff. That includes responding to text and MMS messages. It also allows you to deny list numbers, schedule messages, archive conversations, and it even has dual-SIM support. The app was purchased by Maple Media in and the transition has been a bit rough.
Pushbullet caught some fire for being among the first of these services to charge money. It uses the typical browser extension method, along with installing the app on your phone. On top of sending texts, you can send files, see notifications, and a bunch of other things. You can use the service for free. Doing so will limit you to texts per month. Upgrading to the pro subscription will remove all restrictions. See also: How to use PC internet connection with your Android phone. TextFree is something a little different.
The service gives you a random phone number that you can use to text people. Sending text and SMS messages from the app is free, but you will have to pay for minutes to call someone using the service. The in-app purchases are for sticker packs mostly. TextNow is a lot like Text Free. Unfortunately, like Text Free, the service gives you a random number to do so. Telegram is one of the original secure messaging apps that puts security at the heart of the app.
You can use it to send text messages, photos, videos, and files to other Telegram users, you can create group chats with a whopping , participants, and your conversations are stored in the cloud and accessible from any Telegram client.
Telegram's "Secret Chats" encrypt messages on both ends: Just start a new message then choose New secret chat from the menu. You can also set self-destruct timers for any secret messages you send so that they won't hang around once they've served their purpose. Secret chats aren't stored in the cloud like regular chats. But even your regular chats in Telegram are encrypted, stored on the server, then decrypted when they're downloaded. This gives you the option of choosing between highly secure messaging and a more convenient, slightly less secure option.
You can use both interchangeably, as you see fit. By distributing their servers throughout the world, Telegram claims to be the fastest chat service—and it certainly passed our tests. Unlike many competing services, Telegram doesn't cater to voice or video calling.
This is strictly a messaging app—one that looks and feels very similar to WhatsApp, right down to the busy decorative backgrounds that you can change under the Appearance menu.
It's basically a WhatsApp clone in all but its security practices. Finally, Telegram has an open API, which means users are free to build their own unofficial apps for use with the service.
This has given birth to projects like Unigram, a Windows optimized third-party client, and a command line version of Telegram for Linux users. Telegram Price: Free. Best texting app for simplicity. Signal is one of the most unremarkable-looking texting apps.
It features a single screen for all of your chats and a single compose button. There's little in the way of customization available. It's frequently recommended as a WhatsApp alternative: While chatting, you'll even notice WhatsApp-style double ticks to denote message status.
Signal also includes free one-on-one voice and video calling to other Signal users. These chats are encrypted just like other messages sent via the app. You can send text, photos, videos, documents, and voice messages to individual or group conversations, but unlike with WhatsApp, there's no limit on the number of people you can add to a group. The app uses end-to-end encryption to secure all messages sent via the service, with the option of setting expiration dates for each conversation.
Once your messages expire, they're no longer recoverable. There's also a handy "Note to Self" contact for you to store your thoughts. You can download a desktop app for Windows, Mac, and Linux to bring the full suite of Signal features to your computer too.
This allows you to send Signal messages and regular SMS messages to non-Signal users from a single interface. This doesn't work for iOS users on account of how messaging works in the Apple ecosystem. Signal Price: Free. Best texting app for security. If security is of primary importance to you, there's certainly no shortage of chat apps to choose from.
But Wickr Me might be the most secure app of its kind, thanks to a few features not seen in Telegram, Signal, or elsewhere. The app is a standard messaging app for individuals or groups of up to 10 people. You can send text, video, images, and files of less than 10MB securely and privately. End-to-end encryption is standard, with all new correspondence sent with a new key. Wickr Me includes limited voice calling between two users, which is also encrypted on both ends.
All messages expire up to six days after being delivered, and a feature called Shredder overwrites your deleted messages to make data recovery next to impossible. You don't even need a phone number or email address to get started with Wickr Me, which means no identifying information is tied to your account. Instead, you must register a username and make a note of your password somewhere secure if you lose the password, there's no recovery option.
Wickr's secure roots are evident from the moment you start using it. All chats are locked by default, which means that you have to tap on a message to reveal its contents.
You can also opt to require your password each time you open the app. While chatting, you have quick access to both the "Burn on read" timer and the "Expiration timer" alongside the chat box, just in case you need to adjust them on the fly. Wickr Me Price: Free. Best texting app for doing more than just chatting. Contrary to popular belief, you don't need a Facebook account to use Facebook Messenger.
The company only requires you to sign up with a phone number to talk to anyone else using the service. If you do already have a Facebook account, you can jump straight in and message any of your Facebook friends and other Facebook users who've signed up for Messenger. The app includes all the basic messaging features you'd expect—and some you probably won't.
Send texts to individuals or groups of up to people, and react to messages with stickers, GIFs, and emoji. You can send voice messages, photos, and videos, or capture your own media using Messenger Camera and its fun Snapchat-like filters. You can even create polls to quickly get a group opinion on an idea.
But Messenger isn't just a chat service. Tap the four-dots icon in any message to see a list of activities you can start. These include playing games, watching videos together, sharing music, and—in some territories at present the US, UK, and France —sending money via PayPal. By default, Facebook has no end-to-end encryption. But if you tap on your contact's name in any conversation and select Go to Secret Conversation , you'll enable encryption on both ends.
Do this for every conversation, and you've enabled end-to-end encryption for all correspondence. All images sent through Messenger are scanned for signs of child abuse, and Facebook has used message scanning in the past to quell sensationalist messages designed to incite harm or unrest.
The company claims they do not scan your private conversations for advertising purposes. Messenger has its flaws, but ultimately, it's a well-designed app that's pleasant to use. The app places your active chats and available contacts on two separate tabs, each just a tap away. Big, bold fonts and flecks of Facebook's bright blue coloring make it easy to find your way around. You can even start a chat and tap the "Wave" button to get a conversation started without typing at all.
Facebook Messenger keeps you connected with voice and video calls to individuals or groups. Web access means you can keep chatting even on desktop.
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