The arrival of mobile devices also brought along the convenience of Short Messaging Service (SMS) or texting. However, smartphones and easy mobile Internet connectivity have made sending messages even simpler.
Wi-Fi and mobile data have become common, and there are many apps that people use to send messages, including text, images, videos and more. There are many messaging apps available to customers. Here are some common ones:
WhatsApp is used by about 600 million people worldwide. The app is compatible with iOS, Android, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, Nokia S40 and Nokia Symbian. The interface of the app is very simple and clean, and users have the option to send text, videos, images and voice messages to others using the app. Recently, WhatsApp also added voice only in some regions of the world. Group chat is also available to WhatsApp users.
Kik
The messenger app has over 80 million users and is very popular among teens. An individual can set up a Kik account with an email address. Kik is also the first messenger app that has its own browser. The browser feature of Kik is very attractive to many teens as it allows sharing webpages, memes, YouTube videos and more. The messenger also allows users to share texts, photos, GIF images and more. The messenger app is available to OS, Android, Windows Phone as well as BlackBerry devices.
Line
Line is a Japanese app that is available only on iOS and Android. Just like other messaging apps, Line also allows sharing text, images and media. The messaging app is very popular due to its VoIP service that allows making voice calls over the Internet. Line also has a wall feature, which is similar to Facebook. Users can also play games on this messaging app.
Snapchat
The messaging app gained popularity as images captured by a user can be immediately sent to select Snapchat users with a built-in self-destruct timer. Video messages of a maximum of 10 seconds also had the same feature. Image editing is also possible to a small extent. Users also have the option to insert limited text to the images. The app is available only on iOS and Android.
Slack
Slack is getting popular in the younger business teams. The app is quite colorful and easy to use. The app allows sharing of different types of content such as GIFs, PDFs, videos, documents and more. The messenger app is available for Android, iOS and Mac desktop.
Cryptocat
Many people are concerned over their privacy. Most of the messenger apps do not encrypt messages. However, Cryptocat encrypts chat messages then sends them to another user. Group conversations are made secure too, and even the Cryptocat network cannot read a chat conversation. Files and photos sent over Cryptocat are also encrypted. The messenger is available on iOS and Android.
MeowChat
MeowChat is quite different from other messenger apps. The app is similar to the penpal scheme and allows users to find people through their location. MeowChat can be helpful when someone wants to meet people while traveling. However, since it is a random chat function, users can also get unwanted messages from unknown people. The app is compatible with iOS and Android devices.
Photo: Sam Azgor | Flickr
