Phone calls and text messages are no longer the only ways to talk on your phone. There are social messengers, secret messengers, professional messengers, and powerful messengers, so it can be hard to decide which services are worth your time. Here are some of the best messaging apps to ask your friends if they have time for coffee or talk about the latest episode of your favorite show with GIFs.
Over the years, smartphones and the texting apps and services we use every day to talk to our friends and family have become much more powerful. With all the improvements to smartphone technology, we now have powerful ways to communicate that go beyond SMS texts and voice calls. Some text messaging apps are very strong and let you send everything from simple texts to media files and even games in some cases. Below we have mentioned the best messaging apps.
Best Messaging Apps Comparison Table
| Messaging App | End-to-End Encryption | Group Chats | Voice Calling | Video Calling | File Sharing | Platforms | Official Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | iOS, Android, Web | Visit Website | |
| Viber | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Linux | Visit Website |
| Google Messages | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Android, Web | Visit Website |
| iMessage | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | iOS, Mac | Visit Website |
| Telegram | Optional | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Linux, Web | Visit Website |
| Signal | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, Linux | Visit Website |
| Facebook Messenger | Optional | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | iOS, Android, Web | Visit Website |
Features
- Users can share and receive text messages, voice messages, photos, videos, documents, and location information.
- All texts and calls are encrypted from end to end.
- Supports voice and video calls and group chats with up to 8 people.
- Has a function that makes messages disappear automatically after a certain amount of time.
- Offers both a desktop app and a web form that can be used on a computer.
WhatsApp is a mobile text messaging app for smartphones and tablets that lets you send text messages, make VoIP calls, and share files from your phone or computer. It also lets you share your GPS location, and a built-in map lets you see where the other person is without leaving the app. You can even set a status message that all of your friends will see instead of sending each person a message.
WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps because it works perfectly on most Android and iOS devices. WhatsApp is free to use, so anyone with a valid SIM card can download the app and start using it over the Internet. This app has more than 2.5 billion active users around the world, which shows how famous it is. Still, this is one of the best messaging apps you can install right now.
Pros
- End-to-end encryption gives you a lot of protection and privacy.
- People all over the world use it because it is easy to use.
- It lets you send photos, videos, and papers and make voice and video calls.
- You can make groups with as many as 256 people.
Cons
- It is owned by Facebook, which has raised privacy worries.
- Only one device at a time can use it.
- Signing up for the service requires a phone number, which can be inconvenient for some users.
Viber
Features
- Users can send and get text messages, voice chats, photos, videos, stickers, and more.
- All texts and calls are encrypted from end to end.
- Supports voice and video calls and group chats with up to 20 people.
- Has a function that lets you hide chats and make them accessible only with a PIN or your fingerprint.
- Offers both a desktop app and a web form that can be used on a computer.
Viber and WhatsApp are very similar, but Viber has extra features like stickers and GIFs, video chatting, and a QR code scanner that is built right in. Users of Viber can write and call each other for free, no matter where they are. The app has both public chat channels that you can join and Communities, which are group conversations that can have an endless number of participants. For now, this is one of the best messaging apps you can install right now.
Pros
- End-to-end encryption gives you a lot of protection and privacy.
- You can call other Viber users for free, both by talk and video.
- Has a sticker shop built in with a lot of stickers to choose from.
- Group chats with up to 250 people are possible.
Cons
- Not as popular as apps like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger for sending messages.
- Compared to other chat apps, it can take longer to load and answer.
- Some people may not find it as easy to use.
Google Messages
Features
- Messages, photos, videos, and voice messages can be sent and received.
- End-to-end security is available for one-on-one chats.
- It lets you send messages to groups of people and add or remove people from a group chat.
- Has a feature for chat suggestions and smart replies that suggest answers based on the text of the message.
- Rich Communication Services (RCS) are supported, which let you use advanced features like read receipts, typing indicators, and high-quality picture sharing.
On Android phones, you can get a lot of texting apps, but Google Messages is all you need to stay in touch with your friends. It uses RCS to make texting more fun, and users who don’t have RCS can still use SMS as a fallback. Over the past few years, Google Messages has also been updated a lot, making it a lot better. You get tools like AI-powered message sorting, automatic OTP deletion, the ability to star important messages, and more.
Google has also added iMessage responses to Google Messages, which makes it a great way to talk to your friends who use iMessage on an Apple device. It’s already on Google Pixel phones, but you can easily get it for free from the Play Store if you have a different phone. Google Messages will replace your phone’s main messaging app, so you can use it as a central place for all your messages. Currently, this is one of the best messaging apps you can install right now.
Pros
- Many Android devices come with it already installed, making it easy for people to use.
- Can be used on various devices, such as desktop computers and tablets.
- Has a spam blocker built in to sort out annoying messages.
Cons
- End-to-end encryption is not allowed right now, which may worry users who care a lot about privacy.
- Not as popular as apps like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger for sending messages.
- This texting app might not have as many features as others.
iMessage
Features
- Messages, pictures, videos, audio messages, and emojis can be sent and received.
- All texts and calls are encrypted from end to end.
- Supports voice and video calls and group chats with up to 32 people.
- Apple Pay lets you send money to other Apple Pay users.
- Works with Siri and iCloud, among other Apple features.
iMessage is the default messaging app on Apple devices, and if you have an iPhone, it’s the one we suggest you use. The best things about iMessage are how easy it is to use and how well it fits into the Apple environment. It also has SMS/MMS fallback, which means that all of your iMessages and regular text messages are in one app. You don’t have to use a different SMS app. Overall, this is one of the best messaging apps you can install right now.
One of the best things about iMessage is that it instantly syncs across all your Apple devices. This means that you can pick up and continue a conversation from your iPhone on your MacBook, iPad, or even Apple Watch. iMessage also has all the usual instant messaging features, like read receipts, end-to-end encryption, voice notes, GIFs, drawings, and more. With iOS 16, the app now has some cool new features, like the ability to change or delete a message that has already been sent and to mark a chat as unread.
Pros
- Built into Apple products, so iOS users can use it easily and quickly.
- End-to-end encryption is supported, which gives you more protection and security.
- Apps from Apple, like Apple Pay and FaceTime, can be used with it without any problems.
- Group chats with up to 200 people are possible.
Cons
- Only works on Apple devices, which may be difficult for people who use other brands.
- Compared to other chat apps, it may not have as many features or ways to customize them.
- It might not be as popular as apps like WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.
Telegram
Features
- Users can send and get text messages, photos, videos, papers, stickers, and more.
- Offers end-to-end encryption for secret chats that you can choose to use.
- Supports voice calls and group chats with up to 200 people.
- Has a function that lets you send messages that delete themselves after a certain amount of time.
- Offers both a desktop app and a web form that can be used on a computer.
Telegram was once called the “Hail Mary” of instant messaging privacy, and for what it’s worth, it’s still pretty good in that regard, even though apps that use end-to-end encryption protocols have taken its “security” and “encryption” crowns. But Telegram has started to put more effort into making their idea of messages into a whole social network experience.
Telegram has huge groups with thousands of people, channels, and communities. It also recently added a way to chat with audio and video like Clubhouse. Also, it adds new features all the time to make the user experience better, has automatic bots, and a lot more. Almost every two weeks, a new function is added, and the users can’t get enough of it. Still, this is one of the best messaging apps you can install right now.
Pros
- End-to-end encryption gives you a lot of protection and privacy.
- Group chats with up to 200,000 people are possible.
- It lets you send files up to 2GB in size.
- Can be used on various devices, such as desktop computers and tablets.
Cons
- Not as popular as apps like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger for sending messages.
- Some functions, like Secret Chats, can only be used on mobile devices and not on desktop computers.
- End-to-end encryption is not turned on by default; the user must turn it on themselves.
Signal
Features
- notes, photos, videos, and voice notes can be sent and received.
- All texts and calls are encrypted from end to end.
- Supports voice and video calls and group chats with up to 8 people.
- Has a function that lets you send messages that vanish after a certain amount of time.
- Provides a computer program that can be used on a desktop.
Signal is a great instant messaging app, but it doesn’t do much because it focuses on user privacy. In fact, both WhatsApp and Signal use the Signal protocol, which was created by, you got it, Signal. But the fact that it works like WhatsApp behind the scenes doesn’t mean that the apps are very similar. For now, this is one of the best messaging apps you can install right now.
WhatsApp is backed by a big tech company (Facebook), but Signal is backed by a non-profit group called the Signal Foundation. Their main marketing point is that your messages and personal information will be safe from prying eyes. It’s one of the best instant messaging apps if you care about your privacy and security at the same time.
Pros
- End-to-end encryption gives you a lot of protection and privacy.
- Group chats with up to 1,000 people are possible.
- Up to 100 MB of big files can be sent.
- Has a tool built in that deletes messages automatically after a certain amount of time.
Cons
- Not as popular as apps like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger for sending messages.
- This texting app might not have as many features as others.
- Only one device at a time can use it.
Facebook Messenger
Features
- Messages, photos, videos, and voice messages can be sent and received.
- Offers end-to-end encryption for talks that can be kept secret, if desired.
- Supports voice and video calls and group chats with up to 50 people.
- Has a function that lets you use Facebook Pay to send money to other users.
- Works with other Facebook services like Instagram and Oculus.
Facebook Messenger started out as a way to send and receive messages on Facebook in 2011. After that, Facebook started to make it its own thing. Facebook Messenger is still the part of Facebook that lets you send and receive messages, but it can also be used without a Facebook account. You can also add both Facebook and Instagram messages to the same app if you want to. Since Facebook Messenger also works with SMS, it tries to be an all-in-one messaging hub, which, based on your point of view, can be a godsend or a huge pain.
If you want to keep track of what people are saying on Facebook and Instagram, you should think about getting this app. It does, however, have a lot of benefits. So, if you’re the kind of user who likes to have a lot of options, you should definitely check this out. With this app, you can send messages and media to your friends, live chat with them, and even play games with a group. There is also a “Lite” version of this app for people whose phones aren’t as powerful or who have trouble connecting. Thus, this is one of the best messaging apps you can install right now.
Pros
- Widely used and easy for many people to get.
- Group chats with up to 250 people are possible.
- It lets you send photos, videos, and papers and make voice and video calls.
- Can be used on various devices, such as desktop computers and tablets.
Cons
- It is owned by Facebook, which has raised privacy worries.
- End-to-end encryption is not turned on by default; the user must turn it on themselves.
FAQs
SMS is a standard text messaging service that comes with every mobile phone. Messaging apps, on the other hand, use the internet to send texts, images, videos, and other types of material.
Different messaging apps have different safety measures. Some apps, like Signal and Telegram, put security first and use end-to-end encryption to keep user data safe. Other apps, like Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp, also use encryption, but their privacy practices have been criticized.
Many chat apps, like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Zoom, let users make video calls so they can talk to friends, family, and coworkers face-to-face.
