Which apps are worth using to stay in touch? We've got the scoop.
Best Overall
There is almost no contest. WhatsApp is an all-inclusive messaging app that's all you need for staying in touch, no matter where you are in the world. WhatsApp merely relies on whether your phone has an Internet connection — whether that's through cellular or Wi-Fi — so it's great if you're frequently traveling between regions. You can use WhatsApp to send and receive photos, videos, documents, and voice messages. It also supports group chats and voice calls.
Bottom Line: If you're looking for a formidable, all-in-one messaging that's packed with more features than some of Google's offerings, WhatsApp is the second most-popular messaging app available.
One More Thing: Both parties have to be using the WhatsApp app to communicate, though all it requires to register is your phone number.
Why WhatsApp is the best
Google has yet to settle on the one best messaging app. As a result, Android users have had to resign themselves to simply switching off between applications when necessary. It's not the most user-friendly solution, but it's the reality until Google lands on a cohesive messaging strategy.
WhatsApp is worth adding to your arsenal — and possibly switching over to for primary communication. In addition to being able to send and receive photos, videos, documents, and voice messages, WhatsApp lets you place free VoIP calls as long as you're on a strong Wi-Fi signal. That's especially helpful when you're traveling overseas.
Additionally, WhatsApp works well on 2G networks, which is fantastic if you're roaming the countryside with the faintest signal available, and it offers end-to-end encrypted messaging. And since it was the first messaging app of its kind, there were so many early adopters that you'd be hard pressed not to find your friends already have an account. (Even I was surprised at how many of my friends and family members were already users!)
Best for Google users
Google Hangouts
Text messages, video chat, group chats — it's all there in Google Hangouts. We still don't know where Google is taking its once heralded messaging app, but for now, we're still using it to chat. Use it to easily multitask between conversations with your friends, family, and colleagues between your different Google accounts. You can even use Hangouts to make phone calls with your Google Voice number or download the Hangouts Dialer to make free Wi-Fi calls.
Bottom line: For now, Hangouts is basically a required app if you're planning to stay connected in the Google-verse. We're not sure where Google is taking it (some are expecting it to see it become the next prized messaging app of the enterprise), but there are definitely more people using it than Allo or Duo.
One more thing: Why isn't this Google's primary messaging app again?
Best for texting
Messenger from Google
You're already a Google user, so you might as well stay with the family when it comes to text messaging. Messenger from Google lets you receive SMS and MMS messages — simple as that! Messenger supports RCS messaging, audio messaging, emoji, location sharing, colored text threads, and message archiving. It even comes with its own batch of stickers!
Bottom Line: Messenger from Google is the messenger for your Google phone.
One More Thing: If you're thinking I really don't want anymore Google, Textra is the next best text messaging app. It doesn't support RCS, but it does have Giphy integration, and offers full compatibility with Pushbullet, MightyText, Android Wear, and Android Auto for enhanced notifications and quick replies.
Best "everyone is using it"
Facebook Messenger
Chances are, you've got an overwhelming list of friends and family who've become suddenly available on Facebook. Keep up with them all by downloading Facebook Messenger. The app supports messaging from both your Facebook account and phone number. You don't have to use the SMS feature if you don't want to, but it could be helpful if you find yourself constantly jumping between apps.
Facebook Messenger is one of the more dynamic messaging apps. It offers a hefty number of sticker packs, not to mention stellar video chat functionality. The app also supports group chats — including group voice chats — audio messaging, read receipts, and location sharing services. You can even use Facebook Messenger to swap cash with friends.
Bottom line: You've come this far at accepting Facebook as a part of your life. You might as well adopt the feature-filled Messenger app into your life, too.
One more thing: Not only are there stickers, but you can play games with your Facebook friends from Messenger, too!
Best Overall
There is almost no contest. WhatsApp is an all-inclusive messaging app that's all you need for staying in touch, no matter where you are in the world. WhatsApp merely relies on whether your phone has an Internet connection — whether that's through cellular or Wi-Fi — so it's great if you're frequently traveling between regions. You can use WhatsApp to send and receive photos, videos, documents, and voice messages. It also supports group chats and voice calls.
Bottom Line: If you're looking for a formidable, all-in-one messaging that's packed with more features than some of Google's offerings, WhatsApp is the second most-popular messaging app available.
One More Thing: Both parties have to be using the WhatsApp app to communicate, though all it requires to register is your phone number.
Reader comments
Best Messaging Apps for Android
Mood is the best one I've used so far for sms, fully customizable and get updates all the time to improve it
I don't know why DISA.IM doesn't get mentioned. It integrates Facebook messaging, whatsapp and native sms all on one platform.
An all round winner for me.
WhatApp is definitely the best of all the above. Google messenger is the worst in pretty much every way. Don't even bother with it.
Hangouts is just barely tolerable - it's laggy, slow, buggy, has too few features, etc. The concept is great, but it feels like an alpha product at best. Google needs to do something about messaging. Scrap Allo and Duo and roll the features into Hangouts and work hard at polishing Hangouts to actually work smoothly like other messaging apps and add critical features found in a lot of other messaging apps. Why is this so hard to do?
Desperately in search of differentiators, many messaging apps are on the borderline of being a bloatware app. Who cares about stupid stickers. For me, privacy and security are the utter most important when it comes to messaging apps. Whisper Systems' Signal protocol is the gold standard today. I use Signal and WhatsApp, both use the protocol as the foundation. I also use Threema sometimes.
Hangouts is the best solution for me. I MUST have an all in one. Carrier number and IM for friends and family and GV for work, ALL in one. I want and need Hangouts as it is.
Not to mention a desktop app and syncing across all devices. Everyone I talk to often I've had them install (including my fiance and sister-in law who use iphones) and they all love it! Why? because you can use it on tablets, desktops and phones and use it for SMS.
Will Textra show all the messages I've sent with Google Messenger it will I need to import them?
VIBER is very popular messaging app and people would say better then Whatsapp, because they have calls a long ago and also amazing stickers.
But I know that Viber is not very popular in America, but it is very popular in Asia and Europe.
I don't get it - virtually no one I want to text message uses WhatsApp. Since that's really for most of users, why is this the "top" messaging app?
This entire article is nothing more than a thinly veiled advertisement for Google/Facebook. Worthless.
GO SMS Pro
What's App requires all parties to be using it. That exclusivity keeps it from being the best....
I could not said it better myself..
I use truemessage and love it.
Textra for texting and BBM for my main communication messaging service
I like Pulse more than Textra or Google Messenger, might be worth checking out with Material Design
PulseSMS should have made this list. Its beautiful in a material design way, stable, and has a solid developer. It also supports Android Auto, AndroidTV, and Chrome.
I've used BBM, Hangouts, GoSMS, Handcent, Textra, AND Whatsapp...and have walked away from all of them except Textra. It is rock-solid reliable, I can use it to communicate with anyone I want, regardless of what messaging app they are using, and I have it customized exactly how I want it. It's rather amazing to me the article author didn't even give it an Honorable Mention. Textra is pretty awesome.
Just installed WhatsApp to see how many contacts I had on there. I remembered it not being much. Turns out it's 19, more than I remembered, but zero of which I text with more than once per week on average. Several I've never texted or having texted in over a year or more.
Textra!!
Telegram is the best one for me. Calling is the only major feature that it's missing. I'm sure they will add that too soon enough.
Still can't seem to leave Chomp for Textra; Textra simply lacks too many key features for me.
Tried out several of these apps and keep going back to Textra. It seems to have the best options and work the best for me.
Textra is by far the best and most customizable messaging app out there in my opinion
YAATA is a great one that gets very little love, but is very full featured.
I disagree with the hangouts but the rest are really good
evolve sms and telegram for me.
Telegram is really good. I like it.
I use Pulse SMS and I love it.
I disagree that WhatsApp is the best. I think to be the best you have to be able to use it exclusively, and you can't. Less than half my contacts use it. What am I going to do, send all the others invites?
Disagree on all counts.
yaata and signal and bbm
Bbm is often overlooked but has more features than most messengers. Outside of the call and video chat and group features including to do lists, shared całendar etc.. And true cross platform availability you have
Private chat, retract message, glympse integration and pin based so I don't have to give out my number or email if I don't want.
Don't know why peeps hate on it.
Except for the pin spam it is great
Right on all counts. This article seems fan-boyish or more of an advertisement!!!
I used Textra to text messaging
WhatsApp is my go to messaging app for individual, group chats, sharing photos, videos, making international voice calls and video calls. Having end to end encryption makes it my number voice.
The best messaging app is the one most of your contacts are using. And that depends mostly on geography.
In many countries most people use whatsapp and almost nothing else. That's how it is in Israel - whatsapp has virtually replaced sms texting and all other competing apps. AFAIK it is also the same in India and other countries.
So, how much is Google paying for this article? Hangouts "Best for Google Users"? Sounds like you made a "Google" category just so you can claim a Google product as Best! And Google Messenger as the best Texting app? C'mon! I thought Hangouts..."Text messages, video chat, group chats — it's all there" and "Why isn't this Google's primary messaging app again?" Would have been the Best For Texting! Sounds so like a Google infomercial. FWIW...Messenger doesn't even come close to Textra.
AC always sucks up to Google. Always...
I don't know anybody who uses WhatsApp. So for me it's completely useless if it doesn't support SMS or MMS.
WhatsApp is junk. It's restricted to one device and does not even has features that are standard in 2017, for example bots and stickers. I use Telegram which is much better.
In Telegram, you can search for images, videos, gifs, music and stickers and share them directly.
You can also develop your own bots and publish your own stickers with the stickers bot. There are even game bots.
And why does Google have three different messaging apps? That does not make sense.
Google Messenger? Really? Is that based on your experience or lots of people reviews? Google messenger didn't work for me and friends. We all switched to Textra as primary SMS and MMS messenger app. Textra just works.
I don't even bother with Facebook messenger as WhatsApp is the best out there and most people I know in the U.S. and international use it.
I use Signal because it's the most secure messaging app and is recommended by American hero Edward Snowden.
Every time I try another messaging app I end up going back to Textra. Fast and lots to customize. What's not to love about it. It's the Nova Launcher of messaging.
Imho BBM is the IM king for security I simply love having that distinctive Pin id kudos to BlackBerry.
I'm using Textra, I actually like it more than I thought I would.
WhatsApp is junk. BBM is by far the most superior messaging platform and it's not even on this list. WTF?
WhatsApp seems neat, but I don't see SMS/MMS support with it. Sorta limits it's usefulness.
signal user, and facebook messenger for those people who only talk through facebook.
Honestly I can't see how Google's messenger is the best for texting. It's so bare bones with minimal features. EvolveSMS is the best to me with Textra being a close second.
Get's the job done for me. I can send and receive text, emojis, and pics and do group messages
Facebook Bought What's App in Feb 2015 right? So why do they have 2 different apps?
I'm try not to have similar competing apps on my device. I use message plus from Verizon. It serves my needs.
I seldom use Hangouts.
I deleted Duo and ALLO. Just didn't use or need them.
GoSMS
Been using Textra for about 8 months now. See absolutely no reason it wasn't on this list? And to have the "best" be a app that others have to have seems a bit hindering. Was excited to possibly try until I got to that part of the review. No chance I'll try it now.
I like Message+ from Verizon. It does what I need it to do.
If you stay in the Verizon bubble which is negligible compared to what the world uses.
I'm using Google message for SMS because it's solid for What I use it for and I use Facebook messenger because that's where everyone is at. I used to use Hangouts but I felt like an astronaut on Mars because I couldn't get anybody to use it. Now when I'm using a Samsung device as my daily I stick with the Samsung SMS because like Google message it's very solid.
Thing is, everyone wants iMessage for Android. Sad to say that's not gonna happen anytime soon. So what's left.
WhatsApp, yes great alround problem still have to get others to use it.
FB messenger is quite competent but again it FB!
Hangouts should have been the defacto standard but Google changed their mind again.
Messenger is just bare bone SMS nuff said there.
Allo and Duo would have been great except they are made for the rest of the world.
Unless Google gets serious about an all around text and SMS client. We are going to be in this texting purgatory for the foreseeable future.
Not where I want to be.
RCS might be the solution. Already Google's Messenger supports it, and Sprint and Rogers in Canada have pledged to use both as their defaults. Once T-Mobile gets onboard as well, the Big Two will scramble to add it too, since they don't like getting outdone by them (as is evident with all of their copycat moves lately)
Once RCS is formally adopted and it's a standard, any and all texting apps (including Textra) can be updated to support this standard.
This means that any phone no matter what can suddenly do what you can with WhatsApp and FB Messenger users, except right out of the box and no need to get anyone to sign up for anything, or install extra apps.
Who knows, with RCS being data-based, perhaps those restrictions some countries have for texting the USA and elsewhere will suddenly vanish, eliminating the need for WhatsApp and other apps (part of the reason they took over the world).
Where is the setting to enable this in messenger? My carrier supports RCS but I can't see an option
Whatsapp also has web client, web extension, and even a windows app. Easy to switch to a big screen when in front of my pc.
Right I appreciate webwhatapp
The default LG text app was misbehaving - too many texts, switched to Textra and never looked back!
WhatsApp? Seriously?.. BBM FTW
I'm with you. Love the "ping" feature to get attention from the other person, in the group can share schedule, use glympse to share location in real time, and can see images and videos without downloading it first into your device.
PULSE!!! By mid year it will be the best sms client available. It even has a web client for pc texting.
I wish. Unfortunately the developer has a history of buggy SMS software and instead of fixing the issues, he just forks the code and creates (and charges for) another SMS app with all of the same bugs.
These apps don't make any sense to me. I just use text messaging for the same thing.
Can you send pictures, videos, documents, locations and make voip calls through text messaging?
Pictures yes, Videos yes, rest I don't need/want out of a text messaging app.
RIP Allo. You have so much potential of Google works just listen
Not dead yet. Just not in the roundup. :)
Next SMS (formerly Handcent SMS). Love the features and customizability. Plus, it's the only SMS app I've found that lets me delete a text right from the popup. This lets me delete texts when I'm oncall and get pages.
AH! Is that what happened to Handcent? I'll check it out.
I've been using this one for a long time. I have tried others but keep coming back to it. So far nothing comes close to it for my purposes. The pop up window is awesome, you don't have to open the app to read and reply.
TEXTRA!!!
Yep!
I've long since given up trying to find a best solution app and have submitted to having a folder full of various messaging apps to keep in touch with the various people who use them. The only thing I can see changing that is Apple releasing iMessage to Android.
how can it be the best messaging app if you have to have other people sign up?
My thoughts exactly!
In most countries, it's pretty much the first app you put on your phone.
Truth, 99% of the world. Americans would rather prefer kik.
Because it probably works in a bunker.
I completely agree
Would be nice if you actually explained why you think WhatsApp is better than FB Messenger or Hangouts. The descriptions all look like marketing blurbs without cons sections (just pros) and no rhyme or reason why the most popular app isn't the best to use or the "best for Google Users" which is pretty much everyone is also not the best to use.
If you are expecting a rational process using decision matrix and so on like Consumer Reports would do you have come to the wrong place. This blog is for entertainment purposes. Their workload would not allow any other thing than hunch-ranking whatever is on their minds at the moment.
WhatsApp doesn't even let you to specify to save media in the SD Card! Your see?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Decision-matrix_method
Whatsapp is the best because of its stability and the "light-weight" impression it gives.
Alot of messaging apps tried to include heavy graphics etc back then. Whilst whatsapp started by trying to be simple and fast.
And its kept going in that route.
It works on low capacity networks anywhere in the world. Easy as that.
Besides all communication is encrypted. As far as I know FBM is not.
Which is the most secure
Does anyone use bbm anymore
Signal Messenger is the most secure: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.thoughtcrime.securesms
And no, no one uses BBM anymore ;)
My wife and I use BBM (her iPhone and my Android). We have been using it for two years. We like it because we can do video chat and messaging in the same apps when she travels.
Textra!
Yes! I use this on my S5A, you can't beat it for MMS/SMS. If you do alot of overseas messaging, WhatsApp is probably the way to go, but Textra is so customizable, and just works perfect.
Textra is the best. Google messenger has too little settings not to mention a bug that hasnt been fixed. Upsetting considering its on a Google Nexus.........
Yep. I want to use it but MMS is so jacked up I can't. Textra has been rock solid for a long time.
What mms bug? I never noticed any issues
Doesn't receive them sometimes
Only found out about Textra after Google Messenger wouldn't send/receive MMS on my MXP due to a bug with its current version of MM. Honestly, its going to be my go to from now on.
IMO, really think this is probably one of the worst list AC has put out.
That;s what I use. I really like the auto download mms to gallery option and the dark theme. Google's white themes are so blinding.
Yep! Google's Messenger is actually one of the worst messaging apps I have ever used.
Textra is the best. Works perfect every time