Text messaging has been a big part of phone use for many people. Although it’s true that encrypted messaging apps are far more popular these days, there’s still a large number of users who prefer simple texting apps. There is a variety of text messaging apps out there, but not all of them are good. Some native apps don’t handle MMS the way they should, while others are just poorly laid out or lack basic features.
However, if you’re looking for theĀ best Android texting app, you have a wide range of third-party options to pick from. While some of these text messaging apps are basic and minimal, others offer some extra convenient features as well. Read about them all and take your pick!
Text messaging made easy
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Pulse SMS
Pulse SMS is an interesting and extensively customizable text messaging app for Android, but that’s not its real draw. Pulse helps bring your text messages to all of your other devices, from tablets to computers. It also offers a password-protected private conversations box in case you need to protect the identity and messages of your sources, for example.
Free with IAPs:Ā Google Play Store
Chomp SMS
Chomp SMS is one of those apps that have seemingly been around since the dawn of the Google Play Store. It comes with features such as passcode lock, dual-SIM support, birthday reminders, scheduled messaging, and more. While Chomp SMS works great as a default SMS client, you can also take advantage of its integration with services like Pushbullet or MightyText for cross-platform support.
Free with IAPs:Ā Google Play Store
SMS Organizer
SMS Organizer started off as a Microsoft Garage project and has turned into quite a popular SMS app alternative for Android. It automatically organizes your inbox, while offering smart assistant options. These include creating tasks if you need to pay a contact back, for example. You can also automatically backup your messages to Google Drive to keep them secure in the cloud.
Get from:Ā Google Play Store
The best text messaging app also happens to be completely free
There are so many different SMS applications on the Google Play Store, so deciding on the best texting app for Android can be quite a difficult task. But sometimes, you don’t really need to look too hard. Google’sĀ MessagesĀ app comes pre-installed on most (if not all) of the best Android phones and is a great way to send/receive text messages. It has many great selling points that make it the best text messaging app for Android.
Google has done such a great job with Messages over the years. Starting fromĀ RCS chatting featuresĀ to file sharing and video calling, the app has really grown into its own. What was once a bare-bones texting app has now become one of theĀ best Android appsĀ out there. You can use the Messages app from your computer, view YouTube videos in-app, reply to individual threads, give emoji reactions, chat bubbles, star important messages, and do a lot more. OnceĀ Magic ComposeĀ is more widely available, Messages will become even more powerful than it is now.
If, for some reason, you don’t want to use Google Messages, we recommend Pulse SMS as the next best messaging app. This comes from the makers of Talon for Twitter and is just as customizable, if not more. All your conversations are secured by end-to-end encryption, and you can easily set up and take advantage of the web app to manage texting on your computer instead of reaching out for your phone.