Connectivity matters in a mobile society. Even a few minutes offline can leave users out of the loop when it comes to sharing information. Fortunately, users have a wide variety of messaging apps at their disposal.
Messaging apps have many different functions. They can be used for simple chat conversations, or they can be used to share more complicated information like business details. In addition, messaging apps can be used for casual chatting or business purposes. Regardless of use, these kinds of apps create an efficient line of communication and a great alternative to phone conversations.
Most smartphones support a wide variety of messaging apps. The large number of devices and operating systems available on the market (like Android and iOS) allow users to stay connected 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In addition, the wide range of apps on the market means that users have many different ways to satisfy their mobile communication needs.
Standard features on most apps include the following:
Millions of users trust Messenger for their instant messaging purposes every day. While a Facebook account is required to use Messenger, users are able to respond to Facebook messages instantly using only their phones—no need to be online on Facebook’s website.
If you have a Facebook account, there’s a high likelihood that many of your connections are already using Messenger, which is convenient when you don’t know someone’s immediate contact details.
Related: How to deactivate Facebook Messenger
Similar to Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp is one of the most heavily used messaging apps. Over one billion people now use WhatsApp for their messaging needs. Facebook acquired the WhatsApp platform in 2014 for a staggering 19 billion dollars.
WhatsApp is often a popular choice for messaging because it supports many different types of devices and allows users to avoid costly SMS fees.
Related: WhatsApp not working on iPhone and how to fix it
WeChat is a Chinese-based multi-function messaging application. This is one of the most downloaded messaging apps in China with nearly a billion active users.
WeChat supports voice messaging, instant messaging, video conferencing, and document sharing. In addition, users have access to a digital wallet service, allowing payment transactions to occur quickly and securely.
The Line app allows users to exchange text, video, and voice conversations free of charge. It’s popular in Japan and became Japan’s largest social network in 2013.
Some of the innovative features provided by the Line app include the ability to join groups of up to 500 people for messaging, hidden chats, and the ability to create short messages with audio and video included.
Line is quickly gaining traction in other Asian countries like Taiwan, South Korea, and China—making it a popular choice for international communication.
Viber is another popular choice for free voice messaging, video calling, and instant messaging.
Over 800 million users take advantage of Viber’s services by connecting and sending messages through Wi-FI instead of using a data connection, allowing users to save their data plan services for other uses. You can even call non-Viber numbers through the app also.
BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) is one of the most well-known and well-trusted instant messaging apps on the market. Many of the features found in other apps were first pioneered in BBM.
Previously, only Blackberry users had access to BBM; now, everyone can use the service on other platforms, including iOS and Android. BBM is still a favorite amongst business and professional users for its built-in security features.
Telegram is a non-profit messaging app that provides cloud-based instant messaging services. Over 100 million monthly active users communicate through Telegram, sending up to 15 billion messages on a daily basis.
In addition to cloud-based messaging services, users can take advantage of Telegram’s voice calling features, video and audio chatting functions, and file-sharing services. All messages sent through Telegram are by default server-client encrypted, making it one of the more secure messaging platforms available.
Kakao Talk is a Korean instant messaging app with 220 million registered users and over 50 million monthly active users. Kakao Talk is available in 15 languages and is the most popular option for smartphone owners in South Korea.
Kakao Talk automatically synchronizes contacts between devices, allowing users to quickly and easily find friends on the service. In addition, a popular gifting feature allows users to purchase goods and services through the platform or send them to others.
IMO is a clean and easy to use instant messaging app. Originally web based, IMO now supports mobile functions and multiple chat networks.
Users can send messages through IMO from a wide selection of supported platforms and devices, including Android and iPhone.
As the most popular instant messaging app in the world, Skype is a well-known favorite on the list. Skype specializes in video conference and VOIP calls between users and non-users anywhere in the world. It can be used both as a stand-alone web application or a mobile app.
Skype was actually one of the first pioneers in the videoconferencing applications industry, leading to its high trust from users today.
Related: Best Skype Alternatives
Snapchat has grown tremendously in recent years as an alternative to traditional messaging apps. Popular with young adults, Snapchat allows users to send brief video messages to other users.
Finally, the Canadian-based KIK messenger application rounds out the list of popular messaging apps. Kik is unique in that users can register and send messages anonymously, making it a popular choice among security-conscious users.
No matter if you're using Skype or WhatsApp or Blackberry Messenger, messaging apps play a critical role in keeping users connected easily and quickly. With so many options to choose from for instant messaging, videoconferencing, or good old-fashioned calls, it's easy for users to find an app that can best meet their mobile connectivity needs.
