Text messaging is the act of sending short messages between two or more devices over cellular network or over the internet. Text messaging started out as a form of exchanging simple alphanumeric text messages but has now grown to include rich multimedia content such as pictures, sound and video along with other digital data formats.
The importance of text messaging cannot be overemphasized as it has numerous applications in our day to day lives. From using it as a way to communicate with each other to other uses such as information services and alerts, notifications, e-commerce, mobile marketing, healthcare and security, it has lot to offer.
In this article, we’ll review 10 best android text messaging apps you can download and use on your Android phone for all your messaging needs.
10 Best Text Messaging Apps for Android
1. Android Messages
Android Messages is Google’s own text messaging app that comes pre-loaded on most Android phones such as Google Pixel series of phones and others. Google has revamped and re-branded its former messaging app into Android Messages and is powered by RCS (Rich Communication Services) which provides richer and more interactive text-messaging experience. Android Messages also supports web version allowing you to send and receive messages on your PC.
Key Features
- Clean Material design interface
- Take picture and videos and share directly from the app
- Supports emoji, stickers and audio messages
- Search through chat threads
- Send and receive messages over Wifi
- Group texting
- Read receipt
2. Textra SMS
Textra SMS is a great alternative to your default messaging app. Highly customizable for every mood and taste, the messaging app offers plethora of features for enhanced messaging experience on your android phone. Although the app comes free, you can make a one time only in-app purchase to unlock the ad free version.
Key Features
- Over 150+ material design themes to choose from.
- Schedule your messages
- Stop text while sending
- Block messages from blacklisted contacts
- Supports Dual-SIM devices for Android 5.1 and above.
- Compatibe with Pushbullet, MightyText, Android Wear and Android Auto.
3. QKSMS Messenger
QKSMS Messenger is a beautifully designed open source messaging app for Android that focuses on what really matters to you. With its clean and intuitive interface, QKSMS is easy on the eye and a delight for those who love texting. You can customize the appearance of your chat interface with different color schemes that comes with the app. It also supports multi-sim so you can text using different mobile numbers on the same device.
Key Features
- Group chat facility
- MMS support
- Search through conversations
- Automatic spam filtering
- Compatible with Android Wear
- Accessibility support for Google TalkBack and Samsung Voice Assistant
4. Pulse SMS
Pulse SMS is a multi-platform messaging app which means you can seamlessly text across multiple devices. You only need a phone number on one of your android devices and it will sync across your PC, tablet, web and other devices. Pulse SMS is free to use on your phone but charges a small subscription fee if you want to text from other devices. Subscription fees ($0.99/month, $1.99/three months, $5.99/year, $10.99 for a lifetime)
Key Features
- Secure, fast and fluid functionality
- End-to-end encryption of messages
- Share all types of media
- Automatic message backup and restore
- Stop messages while sending
- Preview links
- Block spams
- Dual SIM support
5. chomp SMS
chomp SMS has been around for quite a while and it is only getting better and better with each new iteration. Like other messenger apps, chomp SMS comes packed with lot of cool features that makes texting a lot more intuitive and fun than that boring default text application that comes pre-loaded with your phone.
Key Features
- Lock your messages with passcode
- Schedule text sending at a specified time
- Stop text mid-way while sending
- SMS blocker and Spam filtering
- Signatures, text snippet and quick reply pop-up
- Group messaging
- Compatible with Yappy, Pushbullet and MightyText
6. Handcent Next SMS
Handcent Next SMS is a feature rich text messaging app that is powerful yet highly customizable to suit your personal preferences. The app comes with a plethora of customization options so you can change any part of the app to your liking. The all-new Material design interface gives you a whole new immersive texting experience giving it an edge over other messenger apps.
Key Features
- Handcent Anywhere – a feature that allows you to text from any device without touching your android phone.
- Privacy box stores encrypted messages only you can access with your unique passcode.
- Search, Group chat, Bulk SMS, text snippets, E-card, etc
- Multi language support
7. Mood Messenger
Mood Messenger is a light-weight messenger app that doesn’t boast of myriad features. It packs the right and the only features you will require for your texting needs. Aside from the option to customize any aspect of the app of how it looks, what makes this app stand out from the rest is its ability to predict word while you type. The app will show up a matching smiley so you can quickly insert it in your text as you type.
Key Features
- Animated and Predictive Emojis for any occasion
- Watch and send Youtube videos directly from the app
- Share your location in real time
- Dual SIM support
- Stickers
8. Threema
Threema is a private messenger app built with end-to-end encryption that allows secure and anonymous communication. One interesting feature of the app is that your messages are immediately deleted from the server once they have been delivered to your device, thus preventing misuse of your data through backdoor access. The app also comes with a web version allowing you to use it from desktop.
Key Features
- Supports both text and voice messages
- Supports all types of media such as GIFs, videos, audio, docs, zip, contact cards, and pictures.
- A phone number or email address is not required to use Threema
- Can be used as an anonymous instant messenger
9. YAATA
Yaata is a new entrant to texting arena but has great potential ahead of it. It comes with all the usual features of a messenger app including group chats, schedule text sending, mms support, customization and much more.
Key Features
- Supports sending and receiving all types of media format (Pictures, Videos, Audio, VCards, GIFs)
- SMS to MMS conversion
- Delivery Report for SMS and MMS
- Backup and restore messages
Install Yaata
10. Signal Private Messenger
Signal Private Messenger is a messenger app for those who take the privacy and security of their data very seriously. Built with advanced end-to-end encryption from the ground up, the Signal app encrypts and secures every message you send and receive thereby rendering eavesdropping to actual chat messages completely impossible.
Key Features
- Keeps messages safe through end-to-end encryption
- Fast and instant delivery of messages
- Supports encryption of group chats
Install Signal Private Messenger