While instant messaging apps are now widely available on Play Store, you can always enjoy communicating via SMS. Android users can opt to use default app or third-party apps for extra features. However, finding the best texting apps for Android doesn’t come easy.
Google Play Store has hundred texting apps with a variety of features. While some apps are designed with privacy and security in mind, others come in handy with additional features like video calling. Thus, your selection depends on your preferences.
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Best Texting / SMS Apps for Android
If you need a help to find the best apps for texting, we’ve got you covered. We have collected 11 third-party apps that work best to help you keep in touch with family or friends. Here’s a closer look at top-rated and best SMS apps for Android with amazing features you won’t find on stock messaging apps.
1. New Messenger 2021
Million active users have trusted this texting app to communicate with friends and families. It is free, fast, and simple to manage your messages in one click. With intuitive design and user-friendly interface, it allows easy and quick texting. Sending and receiving messages has never been this easy before.
New Messenger 2021 takes your messaging experience to the next level. Easily send and receive text, audio, and video messages with SMS and MMS support. The third-party app also supports group messaging to add multiple contacts for an efficient text messaging.
Get rid of unwanted people with block feature. Or, activate Mute Notifications that allow you to mute notifications from unwanted messages. As a bonus, pick a theme of your favorite to boost your mood or create separate various themes that suit your preferences.
2. Messaging Classic
Messaging Classic is among the best texting apps for Android that offers native taste of the Android system. The stock messaging app is designed with simple and straightforward design, allowing users to send and receive text messages with ease.
This free app highlights full MMS support for all Android versions. Pop-up window allows quick view and reply without the need for accessing the app. And, it features a quick action button that supports message notification so you won’t miss any important messages from friends or family.
If you are seeking a simple and lightweight texting app for Android, Messaging Classic can be a great answer. With million active users from all over the world, keeping in touch with friends and families become easier. This app has in-app purchases for additional features.
3. Pulse SMS
If you want the best SMS apps for Android that is fast, secure, and customizable, Pulse SMS can be a great app you could ask for. It is high rated, beautiful, and intuitive, allowing easy communication with anyone. Although it is free of charge, the third-party app is ads-free.
Pulse SMS highlights smart replies within conversation so you can reply specific messages with the right replies. Ensure your text conversations with is safe and protected with password. Featuring GIFs, you can bring the conversations to life. And, it features auto backup and restore with Pulse account.
What’s more to enjoy? You can take advantage from blacklist feature that protects you from spammers. Additionally, search through conversations and messages with powerful search feature. This app supports dual-SIM so you won’t miss any important messages.
4. Chomp SMS
Adding the list of best text messaging app for Android, Chomp SMS comes with a boast of highly customizable design. It can be a great alternative to stock SMS app, thanks to a bunch of features that improve your texting experience. With more than 10 million users, it is worth your consideration.
Among the highlight features brought to you by Chomp SMS is passcode lock and privacy options which help protect your messages and conversations from nosy friends or families. Featuring SMS sender, no more missing agenda or birthday wishes to your loved ones.
Plus, unlimited customization makes a better messaging experience. Simply change LED colors for notifications, vibrate patterns, and ringtones to meet your unique needs. Also, you can customize font style, screen color, background wallpaper and text size.
5. Handcent Next SMS
A text messaging app with additional features to replace your stock SMS apps. Ultimate customization allows easy personalization. Change bubble color and style, ringtone, and fonts, LED colors and vibration pattern to meet your unique preferences.
As one of the best texting apps for Android, Handcent is loaded with a bunch of features. It includes group text for sending message to multiple recipients; free cloud backup which allows long texts; reliable protection to keep your text safe and protected; and simple texting from your computer.
Bring conversations and messages to life with lots of emoji and stickers. It also has a large selection of GIFs to choose from. And, you can search through text and messages by time and type as well as block spam messages from unwanted senders.
6. QKSMS
Bring back the excitement of text messaging with QKSMS. The free messaging is clean, intuitive, and customizable. With millions of colors, change the theme to the entire app and boost your mood. Loaded with tons of features, it can replace any stock texting app.
Prioritize and distinguish important messages with per-contact notifications. Using this app, you can share stickers and photos to make conversations livelier. QKSMS is more powerful with search and block features to put all controls at your fingertips.
Never worry about losing messages because you can easily backup and restore them without the need for installing other apps. Other features to enjoy include a pop-up window for a faster reply as well as full support Voice Assistant and TalkBack.
7. Messages
Messages lets you easily keep in touch with anyone in your contacts. As one of the best SMS apps for Android, it promises easy sharing for photos and emojis. It can do more than ordinary messaging apps, such as customizable ringtone for specific contacts and mute conversations.
This free app comes with powerful features, including privacy that protects your messages from curious friends; send pictures, audio, and video MMS for free; Messenger Home that provides you with SMS widget; and block that keeps unwanted messages away.
Beautiful and intuitive interface makes the Messages app easy to use. Pop-up window enables you to reply messages without accessing the app. Despite the app is free, it offers in-app purchases for additional features. With million installs and downloads, Messages is worth the thought.
8. Google Messages
Google Messages is a top-rated texting app with million installs. Communicating with friends and family is getting easier and more fun with this app. Once you replace stock messaging app with Google Messages, you can enjoy sending & receiving text and MMS over data network or Wi-Fi.
Comfortable and intuitive design gives a different feeling when texting. With dark mode, using Messages in low-light area doesn’t matter. Featuring smart replies, stay in touch with friends and family has never been this fast and easy. It also boasts easy sharing to send pictures and audios.
Google Messages also feature powerful search that lets you find content shared in the conversations. Make your messages more fun and exciting with emoji and stickers. Before downloading this texting app, be sure your device is running Android 5.0 Lollipop and higher.
9. Textra SMS
Textra SMS is designed with texting convenience in mind, thus it provides you with a set of useful features to upgrade your messaging experience. The third-party app is highly customizable, thanks to personalized themes, bubbles, and app icon
Not only does it offer customizable design, but also it comes with versatile features, such as scheduled SMS and MMS, slide to call, and quick snap camera. With a pop-up window, reply SMS faster from wherever you are. It also has quick voice memos as well as pin-to-top for prioritized messages.
Getting rid of spam messages or unwanted people is getting easier with message blocker. With the ability to change text size and font options, texting messages with friends or family has never been this fun. Join million users who have trusted this app for their smartphone!
10. Mood Messenger
Mood Messenger is the best texting app to boost your mood. With a fully customizable design and support for dark mode, this messaging app is smooth and effective to replace your stock messaging app. Enjoy the richness of a texting system at your fingertips.
It brings a new vibe to your communication. Customize bubble shapes, colors, and backgrounds per contact if you want. With more than 100 themes available, pick one that suits your mood. Not to mention you can customize fonts and text size for a better experience.
More awesome features to enjoy include real-time caller ID to get rid of unknown caller; group conversations; typing indicator that tells you if your contact is writing; location sharing that allows you to share location easily; and private conversation to protect your messages with a password.
11. TextU
Last but not least, TextU is loaded with features to take your messaging experience to the next level. It highlights a private box which encrypts and customize the content of your messages. This feature also helps hide the private box icon for optimum protection.
Other key features brought to you by TextU include caller ID that identifies number; a large selection of emoji and emoticons to bring conversation to life; schedule SMS that won’t let you miss big moments; delayed SMS that gives chance to correct wrong messages; and much more.
Using TextU, you can also enjoy features like send picture, audio, and video via MMS, lock messages with patterns, quick search to find what you are looking for, and clipboard for copy-paste. This app is compatible with Android Wear so you can perfectly send SMS from your Android Wear.
Installing the best texting apps for Android is the best way to bring back the excitement of texting messages. A variety of options are available, allowing you to pick one that meets your needs or preferences. From messaging apps that focus on privacy to one with fun features, make your choice!