Text messaging is a big part of phone use for many people, and while all phones come with native messaging clients, they can be painfully, horribly bad. Some native text messaging apps also don't handle MMS the way we'd like, while others are laid out poorly or just lacking in features.
Thankfully we have the option to use one of many, many third-party SMS clients on Android — some are minimal messaging apps, and others offer features above and beyond the rest.
Text messaging made easy
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The best text messaging app also happens to be completely free
There are so many different SMS applications on the Google Play Store, so it can be hard to decide what's the best texting app for Android. Sometimes, you don't really need to look too hard. Google's Messages app comes pre-installed on many devices and is a great way to send text messages to your friends, family, and whomever else you wish. There are plenty of 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 from RCS chatting features 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 the best Android apps, period. 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 so much more. Once Magic Compose 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 so. All of your conversations are encrypted from end-to-end and you can easily set up and take advantage of the web app to leave your eyes on your computer and not your phone.
