10 Free Texting Apps For Android That Offer More Than Just Free Texting

Gone are the days when one had to stand in a booth to make a call to their loved ones, shell a huge chunk of their salary to pay phone bills or ask strangers for help, just because one ran out of balance. Today, mobile apps have become an integral part of our daily lives. From our consumption of information and services to our modes of communication, its all been taken over by mobile apps.

So, here are 10 best free texting apps that you don’t have to pay a penny for

1. Android Messages: As one of the very first, really good third party texting apps, Android Messages has come a long way. While being loyal to Material Design, the free texting app for Android now offers a plethora of features including MMS, SMS blocking, emojis support, location sharing, instant reply to the notifications and group messaging. All its features offer Android Wear and Pushbullet support. If you’re in the US, the app also lets you send and receive payments with Google Wallet.

2. HeyWire: The free texting app for Android allows real-time text communication across multiple platforms from an individually assigned phone number. Whether its a contact in your phone book, or instant messaging clients, such as Facebook, AIM, and Yahoo Messenger, HeyWire can wire your news instantly for free. In fact, you can also post updates to Twitter from within the app. The coolest feature, however, is that it lets people send and receive international texts for free.

3. Chomp SMS: With features like passcode app lock, privacy options, scheduled SMS sender (reminders, birthday wishes) and much more, Chomp SMS is definitely one of the best free texting apps for Android. The user interface is quick and customizable. It also allows users to stop a text while sending, text snippets, pin favorites to the top, backup, blacklist annoying callers or block SMS, use signatures, quickly reply to popup (even on lock screen) and several other features.

4. Handcent Next SMS: This free texting app for Android offers a very intuitive and easy to use ’s UI. It pins your favorite contacts on top, based on your need. One of the best features of the free texting app for Android is its Private Box feature that lets you create a totally encrypted message box that can only be opened with a unique passcode set by you. You can schedule your texts, block all unwanted or spam SMS messages, and even restore all your messages(SMS/MMS), settings and scheduled task when you switch to a new phone or factory reset your phone. Along with emojis, Handcent Next SMS also integrates Imoji that can be accessed with a quick search.

5. Text Me: The free cross-platform messaging app not only supports free texting to ANY number in the US, Canada, and 40 countries but also offers Free HD Voice & Video Calls between Android and all other platforms. The free texting app for Android also offers you the chance to earn free calling minutes or access emoticons on your emoji keyboard by watching videos from advertisers. Text Me comes with full Android Wear support so you can pick up an important call from your wrist even while you’re running.  The only downside being, the app doesn’t support 911, else it's a well packed free texting app.

6. Tango: Trusted by over 350 million people for their daily communication, Tango is one of the best free texting apps available for Android users. With an easy-to-use interface and excellent call quality, the free texting app allows you to send and receive text, stickers, photos, video, audio and location messages, anywhere, anytime. The fun with Tango isn’t just limited to free texting and video calling, you can also send stickers, add filters, broadcast live videos and play games all while on a call.

7. Mood Messenger: This simple, effective and free texting app for Android with its unique features and content will replace your default SMS application in no time. Its customisation controls let you change pretty much anything you want in a free texting app. Whether its Colors and shapes of the message bubble, wallpapers, backgrounds, emoticons, emojis, smileys or your notification’s sound choice. Tell people how you really feel by typing your exact mood, and Mood Messenger will give you the exact mood emoji.

8. Signal Private Messenger: If you’re looking for a free texting app for Android that offers 100% privacy, Signal Private Messenger needs to be on your smartphone. Signal uses an advanced end to end encryption protocol that provides privacy for every message every time. The free texting app for Android is the only private messenger that uses open source peer-reviewed cryptographic protocols to keep your messages safe. This safety isn’t just limited to individual conversations, the free texting app for Android lets you create encrypted groups so you can have private conversations with all your friends at once.

9. KakaoTalk: Chosen by more than 150 million users worldwide, KakaoTalk is one of the fastest & multifaceted free texting apps for Android. Besides sending FREE messages, multimedia (photos, videos, voice notes) and high-quality voice calls. You can also win exclusive coupons & deals from your favorite brands. The free texting app offers an array of interesting features that allow you to see read/unread messages, multitask during free calls by sending messages in other chat rooms or set reminders for scheduled appointments, lunches gatherings and more.

10. Textra SMS: This free texting app for Android is definitely the king of customisation. Textra SMS gives all the power to the users by letting them scheduled (future) SMS & MMS, stop during send, slide to delete, slide to call, quickly reply to a popup and more. Users are offered a choice between 180+ material design theme, bubble & app icon colors and dark, light & auto-night modes. You can also block any annoying caller with its message blocker/blacklisting, capture a moment with the quick snap camera, send them in an MMS GROUP message or leave quick voice memos.

Fun fact: 

The first text message was sent on Dec. 3, 1992, by British engineer Neil Papworth to Richard Jarvis, an executive at British telecom Vodafone, who was holidaying in Newbury, England. Texting is currently 26 years old and if one were to just think about it, the evolution of our communication is indeed mind-boggling.