Best instant messenger apps for Android

Update: Two fresh additions

It’s not all about WhatsApp, there are tons of instant messengers. We’ve rounded up the best Android has to suggest, so you can choose the one that best suits your individual tastes and needs. Here are the best instant messenger apps for Android.

Best for expanding your network: WeChat

There are few options for expanding your network. You could attempt Meetups but those are for specific venues. Social media sites like Facebook and Linkedin specifically forbid adding contacts you don’t know personally. There are dating apps but those are for, well, dating.

WeChat works like other messenger apps, in fact it works fairly well. The big difference is that it attempts to expand your network with potential contacts who are nearby. You just have to wiggle your phone and you could find someone on WeChat who’s also looking for a fresh friend. You can then add them or choose not to.

You can use the ‘Friend Radar’ to find friends who are nearby so you can meet up with them. When you do this a little ‘radar’ pops up on the app and searches for friends in your surroundings. Once you see them on your radar you can talk with them and propose a meeting.

WeChat lets you find fresh contacts. / © ANDROIDPIT WeChat

Best for connecting with celebrities: KakaoTalk

KakaoTalk is effortless to use but has many complicated features. You have basic functions that perform indeed well and are fairly ordinary. But if you want to get more out of those features, you can quickly dig in and find other ways to use them.

There is a large network who use the feature ‘Plus Friends’ on KakaoTalk. This feature permits you to connect with people outside of your instant network. These could be everyday messengers in your area who are sharing content or could be bands, celebrities, companies, etc.

When you add a friend through ‘Plus Friends’ you get to see their feed where they can share content. You can see what your beloved band is doing and find special releases from them. If you’re fortunate, you can even talk 1-on-1 with a celebrity. There’s a button for this next to their name. Give it a attempt, who knows, they might react.

KakaoTalk lets you connect with celebrities, in some cases, talk 1-on-1 with them. / © ANDROIDPIT KakaoTalk: Free Calls & Text

Best for contacts volume: Facebook Messenger

Facebook’s official instant messaging app has recently been made over to produce a swifter, cleaner service and interface. It’s much like WhatsApp (as are most of the apps on this list), but Messenger instantly connects to all of your Facebook contacts, making it one of the most convenient messaging apps, if nothing else.

A latest update is that you can also message non-Facebook friends by using their phone number. Messenger permits you to access all of your Facebook messages without using the main app or website. It also has stickers and emojis, groups, voice recordings, location data, free calls, photo sharing and more.

The unmistakably clean interface of Facebook Messenger. / © ANDROIDPIT Messenger

Best for movie calls: Skype

The granddaddy of movie calls, Skype has been around for forever and is still kicking strong. Skype is primarily used for calls, but the IM component is just as useful. In fact, we use it as our primary communication device here at AndroidPIT.

Skype requires Skype IDs, so you’ll only be able to add friends if you know their Skype contact name. But once you do, you can send instant messages anytime you want, for free, as well as make movie calls. You can also add Skype credit and make cheap international calls to landlines and mobile phones.

The talk section offers group talk, media sharing, emoji and more. Plus you can have one account on several devices (something that WhatsApp doesn’t permit).

The original (but not necessarily the best), Skype still offers reliable messaging. / © ANDROIDPIT Skype – free IM & movie calls

Best for secure messaging: Telegram

Speed and security are the name of the game for Telegram. The app provides encrypted cross-platform messaging and it’s totally free.

Founder Nikolai Durov stated that he set out to design a messenger that could not be accessed by Russian security agencies. When he suggested a prize of US$200,000 to anyone who could crack the app’s encryption protocol, no one managed it.

If you want a swift, free and secure messenger, Telegram comes very recommended.

Keep your messages safe from the FSB with Telegram. / © ANDROIDPIT Telegram

Best for off the hook features: Dasher

Dasher is making an effort to spice up the messenger market by employing some pretty cool and unusual features. It permits you to share GIFs and play YouTube movies directly in the talk window and there are rich URL previews: features that WhatsApp is only just kicking off to catch up with.

One of Dasher’s most unusual additions is that of being able to share money with your friends using Venmo, something that no other messenger provides – useful when you’re lounging in bed remembering how your friend bundled you into a taxi last night.

For innovative features, Dasher is the way to go. / © ANDROIDPIT Dasher Messenger

Best for networking: Tango

It takes two to Tango, but there are slew more than that using the service. Tango does much the same as the rest: instant messaging, media sharing, stickers, group talk, movie calling, group talk, etc, but it also has a ton of extras. Tango recently went through a finish overhaul and now hosts a news feed and even dedicated news channels for you to go after.

Tango will automatically find your friends based on your contact list, but they must be using the service to showcase up (or you can invite them). Additionally, Tango can be used to place calls, find like-minded friends or people in the neighborhood using the service, which adds a bit more social networking to the mix than some other providers. The mid-call mini-games also help Tango stand out from the rest.

Tango is now much more than just a messaging app. / © ANDROIDPIT Tango – Free Movie Call & Talk

Best for SMS: Google Hangouts

Google set up Hangouts as the standard (but interchangeable) messaging app in Android Four.Four KitKat, and thanks to this it picked up a lot more users. Hangouts is a combined SMS and IM app, that separates the two types of messages, but can be used to automatically place voice calls and movie calls from your phone via Hangouts rather than traditional carriers.

Because it treats both SMS and IM, it cuts down on the number of apps you need to be working with, and its movie calling quality is arguably better than Skype’s. In addition, Hangouts integrates with Google+ in much the same way that Facebook Messenger interacts with Facebook, meaning contacts added via the social network can be called or messaged in the separate app. Be careful who you connect with if you’re a particularly private person.

Hangouts still has a long way to go, but as YouTube and Google+ grow, so will hangouts. / © ANDROIDPIT Hangouts

Best for sticker enthusiasts: Viber

Viber is truly pushing the sticker market, where you can get tons of free and paid sticker packs, but the core business of Viber is instant messages. You can also send recorded voice messages like WhatsApp (but not movie calls like Skype) and you now have the option to call any phone number anywhere with Viber Out – much like adding Skype credit to call people who aren’t on the service.

The fresh look Viber is feature packed and looks excellent. / © ANDROIDPIT Viber Messenger

Best up-and-coming messaging app: Line

Line is becoming more and more popular, and for good reason. With the recently added movie calling functionality, it is now as fully featured as Skype, but has a junior, sexier feel to it than the attempted and true Skype. It’s jam packed utter of stickers and other joy stuff, and is immensely popular via large parts of Asia. But it’s also feature-filled with group talks, multi-platform capabilities (phone, tablet, PC), timeline, recorded voice messages, media sharing and much, much more, including official account messages from celebrities you like. Line is kind of like Twitter, Facebook and Skype all spinned into one.

I’m pretty fresh to Line, but I’m liking it a lot already. / © ANDROIDPIT/Line LINE: Free Calls & Messages

Best for the office: BBM

After a substantial waiting period, BlackBerry’s messaging service ultimately made it to the Android platform last year. BBM is not as Androidy as the rest of the apps on this list, but it does suggest some very cool features including: always-on service (you don’t need to open the app to use it), timed and retractable messages, two-way opt-in (nobody can message you until you specifically permit them), delivery reporting, groups, emoticons, broadcast messages and more. The capability to choose who can message you, rather than it being available to anybody with your number, makes this an attractive messaging option.

One of BBM’s standout features is its capability to schedule messages. / © ANDROIDPIT / BlackBerry Limited BBM – Free Calls & Messages

Best for gamers: Razer Comms

Tho’ Razer Comms is a fantastic instant messenger in its own right, it’s very first and foremost known for its popularity in the gaming community. With an accompanying PC version too, Razer Comms permits to you to group conversations, free VoIP talk, and it makes it quick and effortless to connect with other gamers around the world. Think of it as Xfire for the smartphone era.

Razer Comms puts a serious concentrate on gamers. / © ANDROIDPIT / Razer Razer Comms – Gaming Messenger

Best for kicks: kik

"185 million people love Kik!" Says its Play Store description, proving there is more to messaging than just WhatsApp. Kik is a little more playful than the likes of WhatsApp, with more color and sticker options. Kik also houses its own built-in browser, to make movie and picture sharing inbetween friends ordinary. It’s a swift growing and friendly messenger with users from all over the planet. Give it a attempt.

Kik Messenger proceeds to grow its userbase. / © ANDROIDPIT Kik

Best all-around messaging app: WhatsApp

It’s not all about WhatsApp. but WhatsApp sure is a big part of it. While it doesn’t have the same feature-rich content as many of the other apps on this list, WhatsApp can’t be hammered for simpleness, reliability, and the sheer number of contacts using it. Chances are, if you know someone with a smartphone, they’ve got WhatsApp.

WhatsApp uses your existing contacts’ phone numbers, so you don’t need to add contacts by hand. You can send written messages, stickers, emojis and media, as well as broadcast and group messages.

WhatsApp also permits you to make free calls to your contacts and now you can make Google Drive backups of your talks, too.

WhatsApp is continually improving, but is also behind some of the competition. / © ANDROIDPIT WhatsApp Messenger

What would you say is the best instant messenger apps for Android? Let us know in the comments.

Best instant messenger apps for Android

Best instant messenger apps for Android

Update: Two fresh additions

It’s not all about WhatsApp, there are tons of instant messengers. We’ve rounded up the best Android has to suggest, so you can choose the one that best suits your individual tastes and needs. Here are the best instant messenger apps for Android.

Best for expanding your network: WeChat

There are few options for expanding your network. You could attempt Meetups but those are for specific venues. Social media sites like Facebook and Linkedin specifically forbid adding contacts you don’t know personally. There are dating apps but those are for, well, dating.

WeChat works like other messenger apps, in fact it works fairly well. The big difference is that it attempts to expand your network with potential contacts who are nearby. You just have to jiggle your phone and you could find someone on WeChat who’s also looking for a fresh friend. You can then add them or choose not to.

You can use the ‘Friend Radar’ to find friends who are nearby so you can meet up with them. When you do this a little ‘radar’ pops up on the app and searches for friends in your surroundings. Once you see them on your radar you can talk with them and propose a meeting.

WeChat lets you find fresh contacts. / © ANDROIDPIT WeChat

Best for connecting with celebrities: KakaoTalk

KakaoTalk is effortless to use but has many elaborate features. You have basic functions that perform truly well and are fairly ordinary. But if you want to get more out of those features, you can quickly dig in and find other ways to use them.

There is a large network who use the feature ‘Plus Friends’ on KakaoTalk. This feature permits you to connect with people outside of your instantaneous network. These could be everyday messengers in your area who are sharing content or could be bands, celebrities, companies, etc.

When you add a friend through ‘Plus Friends’ you get to see their feed where they can share content. You can see what your dearest band is doing and find special releases from them. If you’re fortunate, you can even talk 1-on-1 with a celebrity. There’s a button for this next to their name. Give it a attempt, who knows, they might react.

KakaoTalk lets you connect with celebrities, in some cases, talk 1-on-1 with them. / © ANDROIDPIT KakaoTalk: Free Calls & Text

Best for contacts volume: Facebook Messenger

Facebook’s official instant messaging app has recently been made over to supply a swifter, cleaner service and interface. It’s much like WhatsApp (as are most of the apps on this list), but Messenger instantly connects to all of your Facebook contacts, making it one of the most convenient messaging apps, if nothing else.

A latest update is that you can also message non-Facebook friends by using their phone number. Messenger permits you to access all of your Facebook messages without using the main app or website. It also has stickers and emojis, groups, voice recordings, location data, free calls, photo sharing and more.

The unmistakably clean interface of Facebook Messenger. / © ANDROIDPIT Messenger

Best for movie calls: Skype

The granddaddy of movie calls, Skype has been around for forever and is still kicking strong. Skype is primarily used for calls, but the IM component is just as useful. In fact, we use it as our primary communication implement here at AndroidPIT.

Skype requires Skype IDs, so you’ll only be able to add friends if you know their Skype contact name. But once you do, you can send instant messages anytime you want, for free, as well as make movie calls. You can also add Skype credit and make cheap international calls to landlines and mobile phones.

The talk section offers group talk, media sharing, emoji and more. Plus you can have one account on several devices (something that WhatsApp doesn’t permit).

The original (but not necessarily the best), Skype still offers reliable messaging. / © ANDROIDPIT Skype – free IM & movie calls

Best for secure messaging: Telegram

Speed and security are the name of the game for Telegram. The app provides encrypted cross-platform messaging and it’s fully free.

Founder Nikolai Durov stated that he set out to design a messenger that could not be accessed by Russian security agencies. When he suggested a prize of US$200,000 to anyone who could crack the app’s encryption protocol, no one managed it.

If you want a rapid, free and secure messenger, Telegram comes very recommended.

Keep your messages safe from the FSB with Telegram. / © ANDROIDPIT Telegram

Best for off the hook features: Dasher

Dasher is making an effort to spice up the messenger market by employing some pretty cool and unusual features. It permits you to share GIFs and play YouTube movies directly in the talk window and there are rich URL previews: features that WhatsApp is only just embarking to catch up with.

One of Dasher’s most unusual additions is that of being able to share money with your friends using Venmo, something that no other messenger provides – useful when you’re lounging in bed remembering how your friend bundled you into a taxi last night.

For innovative features, Dasher is the way to go. / © ANDROIDPIT Dasher Messenger

Best for networking: Tango

It takes two to Tango, but there are slew more than that using the service. Tango does much the same as the rest: instant messaging, media sharing, stickers, group talk, movie calling, group talk, etc, but it also has a ton of extras. Tango recently went through a finish overhaul and now hosts a news feed and even dedicated news channels for you to go after.

Tango will automatically find your friends based on your contact list, but they must be using the service to showcase up (or you can invite them). Additionally, Tango can be used to place calls, find like-minded friends or people in the neighborhood using the service, which adds a bit more social networking to the mix than some other providers. The mid-call mini-games also help Tango stand out from the rest.

Tango is now much more than just a messaging app. / © ANDROIDPIT Tango – Free Movie Call & Talk

Best for SMS: Google Hangouts

Google set up Hangouts as the standard (but interchangeable) messaging app in Android Four.Four KitKat, and thanks to this it picked up a lot more users. Hangouts is a combined SMS and IM app, that separates the two types of messages, but can be used to automatically place voice calls and movie calls from your phone via Hangouts rather than traditional carriers.

Because it treats both SMS and IM, it cuts down on the number of apps you need to be working with, and its movie calling quality is arguably better than Skype’s. In addition, Hangouts integrates with Google+ in much the same way that Facebook Messenger interacts with Facebook, meaning contacts added via the social network can be called or messaged in the separate app. Be careful who you connect with if you’re a particularly private person.

Hangouts still has a long way to go, but as YouTube and Google+ grow, so will hangouts. / © ANDROIDPIT Hangouts

Best for sticker enthusiasts: Viber

Viber is truly pushing the sticker market, where you can get tons of free and paid sticker packs, but the core business of Viber is instant messages. You can also send recorded voice messages like WhatsApp (but not movie calls like Skype) and you now have the option to call any phone number anywhere with Viber Out – much like adding Skype credit to call people who aren’t on the service.

The fresh look Viber is feature packed and looks excellent. / © ANDROIDPIT Viber Messenger

Best up-and-coming messaging app: Line

Line is becoming more and more popular, and for good reason. With the recently added movie calling functionality, it is now as fully featured as Skype, but has a junior, sexier feel to it than the attempted and true Skype. It’s jam packed utter of stickers and other joy stuff, and is immensely popular via large parts of Asia. But it’s also feature-filled with group talks, multi-platform capabilities (phone, tablet, PC), timeline, recorded voice messages, media sharing and much, much more, including official account messages from celebrities you like. Line is kind of like Twitter, Facebook and Skype all spinned into one.

I’m pretty fresh to Line, but I’m liking it a lot already. / © ANDROIDPIT/Line LINE: Free Calls & Messages

Best for the office: BBM

After a substantial waiting period, BlackBerry’s messaging service eventually made it to the Android platform last year. BBM is not as Androidy as the rest of the apps on this list, but it does suggest some very cool features including: always-on service (you don’t need to open the app to use it), timed and retractable messages, two-way opt-in (nobody can message you until you specifically permit them), delivery reporting, groups, emoticons, broadcast messages and more. The capability to choose who can message you, rather than it being available to anybody with your number, makes this an attractive messaging option.

One of BBM’s standout features is its capability to schedule messages. / © ANDROIDPIT / BlackBerry Limited BBM – Free Calls & Messages

Best for gamers: Razer Comms

Tho’ Razer Comms is a fantastic instant messenger in its own right, it’s very first and foremost known for its popularity in the gaming community. With an accompanying PC version too, Razer Comms permits to you to group conversations, free VoIP talk, and it makes it quick and effortless to connect with other gamers around the world. Think of it as Xfire for the smartphone era.

Razer Comms puts a serious concentrate on gamers. / © ANDROIDPIT / Razer Razer Comms – Gaming Messenger

Best for kicks: kik

"185 million people love Kik!" Says its Play Store description, proving there is more to messaging than just WhatsApp. Kik is a little more playful than the likes of WhatsApp, with more color and sticker options. Kik also houses its own built-in browser, to make movie and picture sharing inbetween friends ordinary. It’s a quick growing and friendly messenger with users from all over the planet. Give it a attempt.

Kik Messenger proceeds to grow its userbase. / © ANDROIDPIT Kik

Best all-around messaging app: WhatsApp

It’s not all about WhatsApp. but WhatsApp sure is a big part of it. While it doesn’t have the same feature-rich content as many of the other apps on this list, WhatsApp can’t be hammered for simpleness, reliability, and the sheer number of contacts using it. Chances are, if you know someone with a smartphone, they’ve got WhatsApp.

WhatsApp uses your existing contacts’ phone numbers, so you don’t need to add contacts by hand. You can send written messages, stickers, emojis and media, as well as broadcast and group messages.

WhatsApp also permits you to make free calls to your contacts and now you can make Google Drive backups of your talks, too.

WhatsApp is continually improving, but is also behind some of the competition. / © ANDROIDPIT WhatsApp Messenger

What would you say is the best instant messenger apps for Android? Let us know in the comments.

Best instant messenger apps for Android

Best instant messenger apps for Android

Update: Two fresh additions

It’s not all about WhatsApp, there are tons of instant messengers. We’ve rounded up the best Android has to suggest, so you can choose the one that best suits your individual tastes and needs. Here are the best instant messenger apps for Android.

Best for expanding your network: WeChat

There are few options for expanding your network. You could attempt Meetups but those are for specific venues. Social media sites like Facebook and Linkedin specifically forbid adding contacts you don’t know personally. There are dating apps but those are for, well, dating.

WeChat works like other messenger apps, in fact it works fairly well. The big difference is that it attempts to expand your network with potential contacts who are nearby. You just have to wiggle your phone and you could find someone on WeChat who’s also looking for a fresh friend. You can then add them or choose not to.

You can use the ‘Friend Radar’ to find friends who are nearby so you can meet up with them. When you do this a little ‘radar’ pops up on the app and searches for friends in your surroundings. Once you see them on your radar you can talk with them and propose a meeting.

WeChat lets you find fresh contacts. / © ANDROIDPIT WeChat

Best for connecting with celebrities: KakaoTalk

KakaoTalk is effortless to use but has many sophisticated features. You have basic functions that perform indeed well and are fairly plain. But if you want to get more out of those features, you can quickly dig in and find other ways to use them.

There is a large network who use the feature ‘Plus Friends’ on KakaoTalk. This feature permits you to connect with people outside of your instant network. These could be everyday messengers in your area who are sharing content or could be bands, celebrities, companies, etc.

When you add a friend through ‘Plus Friends’ you get to see their feed where they can share content. You can see what your dearest band is doing and find off the hook releases from them. If you’re fortunate, you can even talk 1-on-1 with a celebrity. There’s a button for this next to their name. Give it a attempt, who knows, they might react.

KakaoTalk lets you connect with celebrities, in some cases, talk 1-on-1 with them. / © ANDROIDPIT KakaoTalk: Free Calls & Text

Best for contacts volume: Facebook Messenger

Facebook’s official instant messaging app has recently been made over to supply a quicker, cleaner service and interface. It’s much like WhatsApp (as are most of the apps on this list), but Messenger instantly connects to all of your Facebook contacts, making it one of the most convenient messaging apps, if nothing else.

A latest update is that you can also message non-Facebook friends by using their phone number. Messenger permits you to access all of your Facebook messages without using the main app or website. It also has stickers and emojis, groups, voice recordings, location data, free calls, photo sharing and more.

The unmistakably clean interface of Facebook Messenger. / © ANDROIDPIT Messenger

Best for movie calls: Skype

The granddaddy of movie calls, Skype has been around for forever and is still kicking strong. Skype is primarily used for calls, but the IM component is just as useful. In fact, we use it as our primary communication instrument here at AndroidPIT.

Skype requires Skype IDs, so you’ll only be able to add friends if you know their Skype contact name. But once you do, you can send instant messages anytime you want, for free, as well as make movie calls. You can also add Skype credit and make cheap international calls to landlines and mobile phones.

The talk section offers group talk, media sharing, emoji and more. Plus you can have one account on several devices (something that WhatsApp doesn’t permit).

The original (but not necessarily the best), Skype still offers reliable messaging. / © ANDROIDPIT Skype – free IM & movie calls

Best for secure messaging: Telegram

Speed and security are the name of the game for Telegram. The app provides encrypted cross-platform messaging and it’s fully free.

Founder Nikolai Durov stated that he set out to design a messenger that could not be accessed by Russian security agencies. When he suggested a prize of US$200,000 to anyone who could crack the app’s encryption protocol, no one managed it.

If you want a prompt, free and secure messenger, Telegram comes very recommended.

Keep your messages safe from the FSB with Telegram. / © ANDROIDPIT Telegram

Best for special features: Dasher

Dasher is making an effort to spice up the messenger market by employing some pretty cool and unusual features. It permits you to share GIFs and play YouTube movies directly in the talk window and there are rich URL previews: features that WhatsApp is only just embarking to catch up with.

One of Dasher’s most unusual additions is that of being able to share money with your friends using Venmo, something that no other messenger provides – useful when you’re lounging in bed remembering how your friend bundled you into a taxi last night.

For innovative features, Dasher is the way to go. / © ANDROIDPIT Dasher Messenger

Best for networking: Tango

It takes two to Tango, but there are slew more than that using the service. Tango does much the same as the rest: instant messaging, media sharing, stickers, group talk, movie calling, group talk, etc, but it also has a ton of extras. Tango recently went through a finish overhaul and now hosts a news feed and even dedicated news channels for you to go after.

Tango will automatically find your friends based on your contact list, but they must be using the service to showcase up (or you can invite them). Additionally, Tango can be used to place calls, find like-minded friends or people in the neighborhood using the service, which adds a bit more social networking to the mix than some other providers. The mid-call mini-games also help Tango stand out from the rest.

Tango is now much more than just a messaging app. / © ANDROIDPIT Tango – Free Movie Call & Talk

Best for SMS: Google Hangouts

Google set up Hangouts as the standard (but interchangeable) messaging app in Android Four.Four KitKat, and thanks to this it picked up a lot more users. Hangouts is a combined SMS and IM app, that separates the two types of messages, but can be used to automatically place voice calls and movie calls from your phone via Hangouts rather than traditional carriers.

Because it treats both SMS and IM, it cuts down on the number of apps you need to be working with, and its movie calling quality is arguably better than Skype’s. In addition, Hangouts integrates with Google+ in much the same way that Facebook Messenger interacts with Facebook, meaning contacts added via the social network can be called or messaged in the separate app. Be careful who you connect with if you’re a particularly private person.

Hangouts still has a long way to go, but as YouTube and Google+ grow, so will hangouts. / © ANDROIDPIT Hangouts

Best for sticker enthusiasts: Viber

Viber is truly pushing the sticker market, where you can get tons of free and paid sticker packs, but the core business of Viber is instant messages. You can also send recorded voice messages like WhatsApp (but not movie calls like Skype) and you now have the option to call any phone number anywhere with Viber Out – much like adding Skype credit to call people who aren’t on the service.

The fresh look Viber is feature packed and looks excellent. / © ANDROIDPIT Viber Messenger

Best up-and-coming messaging app: Line

Line is becoming more and more popular, and for good reason. With the recently added movie calling functionality, it is now as fully featured as Skype, but has a junior, sexier feel to it than the attempted and true Skype. It’s jam packed total of stickers and other joy stuff, and is immensely popular via large parts of Asia. But it’s also feature-filled with group talks, multi-platform capabilities (phone, tablet, PC), timeline, recorded voice messages, media sharing and much, much more, including official account messages from celebrities you like. Line is kind of like Twitter, Facebook and Skype all spinned into one.

I’m pretty fresh to Line, but I’m liking it a lot already. / © ANDROIDPIT/Line LINE: Free Calls & Messages

Best for the office: BBM

After a substantial waiting period, BlackBerry’s messaging service eventually made it to the Android platform last year. BBM is not as Androidy as the rest of the apps on this list, but it does suggest some very cool features including: always-on service (you don’t need to open the app to use it), timed and retractable messages, two-way opt-in (nobody can message you until you specifically permit them), delivery reporting, groups, emoticons, broadcast messages and more. The capability to choose who can message you, rather than it being available to anybody with your number, makes this an attractive messaging option.

One of BBM’s standout features is its capability to schedule messages. / © ANDROIDPIT / BlackBerry Limited BBM – Free Calls & Messages

Best for gamers: Razer Comms

However Razer Comms is a fantastic instant messenger in its own right, it’s very first and foremost known for its popularity in the gaming community. With an accompanying PC version too, Razer Comms permits to you to group conversations, free VoIP talk, and it makes it quick and effortless to connect with other gamers around the world. Think of it as Xfire for the smartphone era.

Razer Comms puts a serious concentrate on gamers. / © ANDROIDPIT / Razer Razer Comms – Gaming Messenger

Best for kicks: kik

"185 million people love Kik!" Says its Play Store description, proving there is more to messaging than just WhatsApp. Kik is a little more playful than the likes of WhatsApp, with more color and sticker options. Kik also houses its own built-in browser, to make movie and photo sharing inbetween friends ordinary. It’s a quick growing and friendly messenger with users from all over the planet. Give it a attempt.

Kik Messenger proceeds to grow its userbase. / © ANDROIDPIT Kik

Best all-around messaging app: WhatsApp

It’s not all about WhatsApp. but WhatsApp sure is a big part of it. While it doesn’t have the same feature-rich content as many of the other apps on this list, WhatsApp can’t be hammered for simpleness, reliability, and the sheer number of contacts using it. Chances are, if you know someone with a smartphone, they’ve got WhatsApp.

WhatsApp uses your existing contacts’ phone numbers, so you don’t need to add contacts by hand. You can send written messages, stickers, emojis and media, as well as broadcast and group messages.

WhatsApp also permits you to make free calls to your contacts and now you can make Google Drive backups of your talks, too.

WhatsApp is continually improving, but is also behind some of the competition. / © ANDROIDPIT WhatsApp Messenger

What would you say is the best instant messenger apps for Android? Let us know in the comments.

Best instant messenger apps for Android

Best instant messenger apps for Android

Update: Two fresh additions

It’s not all about WhatsApp, there are tons of instant messengers. We’ve rounded up the best Android has to suggest, so you can choose the one that best suits your individual tastes and needs. Here are the best instant messenger apps for Android.

Best for expanding your network: WeChat

There are few options for expanding your network. You could attempt Meetups but those are for specific venues. Social media sites like Facebook and Linkedin specifically forbid adding contacts you don’t know personally. There are dating apps but those are for, well, dating.

WeChat works like other messenger apps, in fact it works fairly well. The big difference is that it attempts to expand your network with potential contacts who are nearby. You just have to wiggle your phone and you could find someone on WeChat who’s also looking for a fresh friend. You can then add them or choose not to.

You can use the ‘Friend Radar’ to find friends who are nearby so you can meet up with them. When you do this a little ‘radar’ pops up on the app and searches for friends in your surroundings. Once you see them on your radar you can talk with them and propose a meeting.

WeChat lets you find fresh contacts. / © ANDROIDPIT WeChat

Best for connecting with celebrities: KakaoTalk

KakaoTalk is effortless to use but has many complicated features. You have basic functions that perform truly well and are fairly elementary. But if you want to get more out of those features, you can quickly dig in and find other ways to use them.

There is a large network who use the feature ‘Plus Friends’ on KakaoTalk. This feature permits you to connect with people outside of your instant network. These could be everyday messengers in your area who are sharing content or could be bands, celebrities, companies, etc.

When you add a friend through ‘Plus Friends’ you get to see their feed where they can share content. You can see what your dearest band is doing and find off the hook releases from them. If you’re fortunate, you can even talk 1-on-1 with a celebrity. There’s a button for this next to their name. Give it a attempt, who knows, they might react.

KakaoTalk lets you connect with celebrities, in some cases, talk 1-on-1 with them. / © ANDROIDPIT KakaoTalk: Free Calls & Text

Best for contacts volume: Facebook Messenger

Facebook’s official instant messaging app has recently been made over to supply a swifter, cleaner service and interface. It’s much like WhatsApp (as are most of the apps on this list), but Messenger instantly connects to all of your Facebook contacts, making it one of the most convenient messaging apps, if nothing else.

A latest update is that you can also message non-Facebook friends by using their phone number. Messenger permits you to access all of your Facebook messages without using the main app or website. It also has stickers and emojis, groups, voice recordings, location data, free calls, photo sharing and more.

The unmistakably clean interface of Facebook Messenger. / © ANDROIDPIT Messenger

Best for movie calls: Skype

The granddaddy of movie calls, Skype has been around for forever and is still kicking strong. Skype is primarily used for calls, but the IM component is just as useful. In fact, we use it as our primary communication device here at AndroidPIT.

Skype requires Skype IDs, so you’ll only be able to add friends if you know their Skype contact name. But once you do, you can send instant messages anytime you want, for free, as well as make movie calls. You can also add Skype credit and make cheap international calls to landlines and mobile phones.

The talk section offers group talk, media sharing, emoji and more. Plus you can have one account on several devices (something that WhatsApp doesn’t permit).

The original (but not necessarily the best), Skype still offers reliable messaging. / © ANDROIDPIT Skype – free IM & movie calls

Best for secure messaging: Telegram

Speed and security are the name of the game for Telegram. The app provides encrypted cross-platform messaging and it’s downright free.

Founder Nikolai Durov stated that he set out to design a messenger that could not be accessed by Russian security agencies. When he suggested a prize of US$200,000 to anyone who could crack the app’s encryption protocol, no one managed it.

If you want a quick, free and secure messenger, Telegram comes very recommended.

Keep your messages safe from the FSB with Telegram. / © ANDROIDPIT Telegram

Best for off the hook features: Dasher

Dasher is making an effort to spice up the messenger market by employing some pretty cool and unusual features. It permits you to share GIFs and play YouTube movies directly in the talk window and there are rich URL previews: features that WhatsApp is only just commencing to catch up with.

One of Dasher’s most unusual additions is that of being able to share money with your friends using Venmo, something that no other messenger provides – useful when you’re lounging in bed remembering how your friend bundled you into a taxi last night.

For innovative features, Dasher is the way to go. / © ANDROIDPIT Dasher Messenger

Best for networking: Tango

It takes two to Tango, but there are slew more than that using the service. Tango does much the same as the rest: instant messaging, media sharing, stickers, group talk, movie calling, group talk, etc, but it also has a ton of extras. Tango recently went through a accomplish overhaul and now hosts a news feed and even dedicated news channels for you to go after.

Tango will automatically find your friends based on your contact list, but they must be using the service to demonstrate up (or you can invite them). Additionally, Tango can be used to place calls, find like-minded friends or people in the surroundings using the service, which adds a bit more social networking to the mix than some other providers. The mid-call mini-games also help Tango stand out from the rest.

Tango is now much more than just a messaging app. / © ANDROIDPIT Tango – Free Movie Call & Talk

Best for SMS: Google Hangouts

Google set up Hangouts as the standard (but interchangeable) messaging app in Android Four.Four KitKat, and thanks to this it picked up a lot more users. Hangouts is a combined SMS and IM app, that separates the two types of messages, but can be used to automatically place voice calls and movie calls from your phone via Hangouts rather than traditional carriers.

Because it treats both SMS and IM, it cuts down on the number of apps you need to be working with, and its movie calling quality is arguably better than Skype’s. In addition, Hangouts integrates with Google+ in much the same way that Facebook Messenger interacts with Facebook, meaning contacts added via the social network can be called or messaged in the separate app. Be careful who you connect with if you’re a particularly private person.

Hangouts still has a long way to go, but as YouTube and Google+ grow, so will hangouts. / © ANDROIDPIT Hangouts

Best for sticker enthusiasts: Viber

Viber is truly pushing the sticker market, where you can get tons of free and paid sticker packs, but the core business of Viber is instant messages. You can also send recorded voice messages like WhatsApp (but not movie calls like Skype) and you now have the option to call any phone number anywhere with Viber Out – much like adding Skype credit to call people who aren’t on the service.

The fresh look Viber is feature packed and looks fine. / © ANDROIDPIT Viber Messenger

Best up-and-coming messaging app: Line

Line is becoming more and more popular, and for good reason. With the recently added movie calling functionality, it is now as fully featured as Skype, but has a junior, sexier feel to it than the attempted and true Skype. It’s jam packed total of stickers and other joy stuff, and is immensely popular via large parts of Asia. But it’s also feature-filled with group talks, multi-platform capabilities (phone, tablet, PC), timeline, recorded voice messages, media sharing and much, much more, including official account messages from celebrities you like. Line is kind of like Twitter, Facebook and Skype all flipped into one.

I’m pretty fresh to Line, but I’m liking it a lot already. / © ANDROIDPIT/Line LINE: Free Calls & Messages

Best for the office: BBM

After a substantial waiting period, BlackBerry’s messaging service ultimately made it to the Android platform last year. BBM is not as Androidy as the rest of the apps on this list, but it does suggest some very cool features including: always-on service (you don’t need to open the app to use it), timed and retractable messages, two-way opt-in (nobody can message you until you specifically permit them), delivery reporting, groups, emoticons, broadcast messages and more. The capability to choose who can message you, rather than it being available to anybody with your number, makes this an attractive messaging option.

One of BBM’s standout features is its capability to schedule messages. / © ANDROIDPIT / BlackBerry Limited BBM – Free Calls & Messages

Best for gamers: Razer Comms

However Razer Comms is a fantastic instant messenger in its own right, it’s very first and foremost known for its popularity in the gaming community. With an accompanying PC version too, Razer Comms permits to you to group conversations, free VoIP talk, and it makes it quick and effortless to connect with other gamers around the world. Think of it as Xfire for the smartphone era.

Razer Comms puts a serious concentrate on gamers. / © ANDROIDPIT / Razer Razer Comms – Gaming Messenger

Best for kicks: kik

"185 million people love Kik!" Says its Play Store description, proving there is more to messaging than just WhatsApp. Kik is a little more playful than the likes of WhatsApp, with more color and sticker options. Kik also houses its own built-in browser, to make movie and pic sharing inbetween friends ordinary. It’s a swift growing and friendly messenger with users from all over the planet. Give it a attempt.

Kik Messenger resumes to grow its userbase. / © ANDROIDPIT Kik

Best all-around messaging app: WhatsApp

It’s not all about WhatsApp. but WhatsApp sure is a big part of it. While it doesn’t have the same feature-rich content as many of the other apps on this list, WhatsApp can’t be hammered for simpleness, reliability, and the sheer number of contacts using it. Chances are, if you know someone with a smartphone, they’ve got WhatsApp.

WhatsApp uses your existing contacts’ phone numbers, so you don’t need to add contacts by hand. You can send written messages, stickers, emojis and media, as well as broadcast and group messages.

WhatsApp also permits you to make free calls to your contacts and now you can make Google Drive backups of your talks, too.

WhatsApp is continually improving, but is also behind some of the competition. / © ANDROIDPIT WhatsApp Messenger

What would you say is the best instant messenger apps for Android? Let us know in the comments.

Best instant messenger apps for Android

Best instant messenger apps for Android

Update: Two fresh additions

It’s not all about WhatsApp, there are tons of instant messengers. We’ve rounded up the best Android has to suggest, so you can choose the one that best suits your individual tastes and needs. Here are the best instant messenger apps for Android.

Best for expanding your network: WeChat

There are few options for expanding your network. You could attempt Meetups but those are for specific venues. Social media sites like Facebook and Linkedin specifically forbid adding contacts you don’t know personally. There are dating apps but those are for, well, dating.

WeChat works like other messenger apps, in fact it works fairly well. The big difference is that it attempts to expand your network with potential contacts who are nearby. You just have to jiggle your phone and you could find someone on WeChat who’s also looking for a fresh friend. You can then add them or choose not to.

You can use the ‘Friend Radar’ to find friends who are nearby so you can meet up with them. When you do this a little ‘radar’ pops up on the app and searches for friends in your surroundings. Once you see them on your radar you can talk with them and propose a meeting.

WeChat lets you find fresh contacts. / © ANDROIDPIT WeChat

Best for connecting with celebrities: KakaoTalk

KakaoTalk is effortless to use but has many elaborate features. You have basic functions that perform truly well and are fairly ordinary. But if you want to get more out of those features, you can quickly dig in and find other ways to use them.

There is a large network who use the feature ‘Plus Friends’ on KakaoTalk. This feature permits you to connect with people outside of your instant network. These could be everyday messengers in your area who are sharing content or could be bands, celebrities, companies, etc.

When you add a friend through ‘Plus Friends’ you get to see their feed where they can share content. You can see what your dearest band is doing and find sensational releases from them. If you’re fortunate, you can even talk 1-on-1 with a celebrity. There’s a button for this next to their name. Give it a attempt, who knows, they might react.

KakaoTalk lets you connect with celebrities, in some cases, talk 1-on-1 with them. / © ANDROIDPIT KakaoTalk: Free Calls & Text

Best for contacts volume: Facebook Messenger

Facebook’s official instant messaging app has recently been made over to produce a swifter, cleaner service and interface. It’s much like WhatsApp (as are most of the apps on this list), but Messenger instantly connects to all of your Facebook contacts, making it one of the most convenient messaging apps, if nothing else.

A latest update is that you can also message non-Facebook friends by using their phone number. Messenger permits you to access all of your Facebook messages without using the main app or website. It also has stickers and emojis, groups, voice recordings, location data, free calls, photo sharing and more.

The unmistakably clean interface of Facebook Messenger. / © ANDROIDPIT Messenger

Best for movie calls: Skype

The granddaddy of movie calls, Skype has been around for forever and is still kicking strong. Skype is primarily used for calls, but the IM component is just as useful. In fact, we use it as our primary communication device here at AndroidPIT.

Skype requires Skype IDs, so you’ll only be able to add friends if you know their Skype contact name. But once you do, you can send instant messages anytime you want, for free, as well as make movie calls. You can also add Skype credit and make cheap international calls to landlines and mobile phones.

The talk section offers group talk, media sharing, emoji and more. Plus you can have one account on several devices (something that WhatsApp doesn’t permit).

The original (but not necessarily the best), Skype still offers reliable messaging. / © ANDROIDPIT Skype – free IM & movie calls

Best for secure messaging: Telegram

Speed and security are the name of the game for Telegram. The app provides encrypted cross-platform messaging and it’s entirely free.

Founder Nikolai Durov stated that he set out to design a messenger that could not be accessed by Russian security agencies. When he suggested a prize of US$200,000 to anyone who could crack the app’s encryption protocol, no one managed it.

If you want a prompt, free and secure messenger, Telegram comes very recommended.

Keep your messages safe from the FSB with Telegram. / © ANDROIDPIT Telegram

Best for sensational features: Dasher

Dasher is making an effort to spice up the messenger market by employing some pretty cool and unusual features. It permits you to share GIFs and play YouTube movies directly in the talk window and there are rich URL previews: features that WhatsApp is only just kicking off to catch up with.

One of Dasher’s most unusual additions is that of being able to share money with your friends using Venmo, something that no other messenger provides – useful when you’re lounging in bed remembering how your friend bundled you into a taxi last night.

For innovative features, Dasher is the way to go. / © ANDROIDPIT Dasher Messenger

Best for networking: Tango

It takes two to Tango, but there are slew more than that using the service. Tango does much the same as the rest: instant messaging, media sharing, stickers, group talk, movie calling, group talk, etc, but it also has a ton of extras. Tango recently went through a accomplish overhaul and now hosts a news feed and even dedicated news channels for you to go after.

Tango will automatically find your friends based on your contact list, but they must be using the service to display up (or you can invite them). Additionally, Tango can be used to place calls, find like-minded friends or people in the neighborhood using the service, which adds a bit more social networking to the mix than some other providers. The mid-call mini-games also help Tango stand out from the rest.

Tango is now much more than just a messaging app. / © ANDROIDPIT Tango – Free Movie Call & Talk

Best for SMS: Google Hangouts

Google set up Hangouts as the standard (but interchangeable) messaging app in Android Four.Four KitKat, and thanks to this it picked up a lot more users. Hangouts is a combined SMS and IM app, that separates the two types of messages, but can be used to automatically place voice calls and movie calls from your phone via Hangouts rather than traditional carriers.

Because it treats both SMS and IM, it cuts down on the number of apps you need to be working with, and its movie calling quality is arguably better than Skype’s. In addition, Hangouts integrates with Google+ in much the same way that Facebook Messenger interacts with Facebook, meaning contacts added via the social network can be called or messaged in the separate app. Be careful who you connect with if you’re a particularly private person.

Hangouts still has a long way to go, but as YouTube and Google+ grow, so will hangouts. / © ANDROIDPIT Hangouts

Best for sticker enthusiasts: Viber

Viber is indeed pushing the sticker market, where you can get tons of free and paid sticker packs, but the core business of Viber is instant messages. You can also send recorded voice messages like WhatsApp (but not movie calls like Skype) and you now have the option to call any phone number anywhere with Viber Out – much like adding Skype credit to call people who aren’t on the service.

The fresh look Viber is feature packed and looks fine. / © ANDROIDPIT Viber Messenger

Best up-and-coming messaging app: Line

Line is becoming more and more popular, and for good reason. With the recently added movie calling functionality, it is now as fully featured as Skype, but has a junior, sexier feel to it than the attempted and true Skype. It’s jam packed utter of stickers and other joy stuff, and is immensely popular across large parts of Asia. But it’s also feature-filled with group talks, multi-platform capabilities (phone, tablet, PC), timeline, recorded voice messages, media sharing and much, much more, including official account messages from celebrities you like. Line is kind of like Twitter, Facebook and Skype all spinned into one.

I’m pretty fresh to Line, but I’m liking it a lot already. / © ANDROIDPIT/Line LINE: Free Calls & Messages

Best for the office: BBM

After a substantial waiting period, BlackBerry’s messaging service ultimately made it to the Android platform last year. BBM is not as Androidy as the rest of the apps on this list, but it does suggest some very cool features including: always-on service (you don’t need to open the app to use it), timed and retractable messages, two-way opt-in (nobody can message you until you specifically permit them), delivery reporting, groups, emoticons, broadcast messages and more. The capability to choose who can message you, rather than it being available to anybody with your number, makes this an attractive messaging option.

One of BBM’s standout features is its capability to schedule messages. / © ANDROIDPIT / BlackBerry Limited BBM – Free Calls & Messages

Best for gamers: Razer Comms

Tho’ Razer Comms is a fantastic instant messenger in its own right, it’s very first and foremost known for its popularity in the gaming community. With an accompanying PC version too, Razer Comms permits to you to group conversations, free VoIP talk, and it makes it quick and effortless to connect with other gamers around the world. Think of it as Xfire for the smartphone era.

Razer Comms puts a serious concentrate on gamers. / © ANDROIDPIT / Razer Razer Comms – Gaming Messenger

Best for kicks: kik

"185 million people love Kik!" Says its Play Store description, proving there is more to messaging than just WhatsApp. Kik is a little more playful than the likes of WhatsApp, with more color and sticker options. Kik also houses its own built-in browser, to make movie and photo sharing inbetween friends elementary. It’s a quick growing and friendly messenger with users from all over the planet. Give it a attempt.

Kik Messenger resumes to grow its userbase. / © ANDROIDPIT Kik

Best all-around messaging app: WhatsApp

It’s not all about WhatsApp. but WhatsApp sure is a big part of it. While it doesn’t have the same feature-rich content as many of the other apps on this list, WhatsApp can’t be hammered for plainness, reliability, and the sheer number of contacts using it. Chances are, if you know someone with a smartphone, they’ve got WhatsApp.

WhatsApp uses your existing contacts’ phone numbers, so you don’t need to add contacts by hand. You can send written messages, stickers, emojis and media, as well as broadcast and group messages.

WhatsApp also permits you to make free calls to your contacts and now you can make Google Drive backups of your talks, too.

WhatsApp is continually improving, but is also behind some of the competition. / © ANDROIDPIT WhatsApp Messenger

What would you say is the best instant messenger apps for Android? Let us know in the comments.

Best instant messenger apps for Android

Best instant messenger apps for Android

Update: Two fresh additions

It’s not all about WhatsApp, there are tons of instant messengers. We’ve rounded up the best Android has to suggest, so you can choose the one that best suits your individual tastes and needs. Here are the best instant messenger apps for Android.

Best for expanding your network: WeChat

There are few options for expanding your network. You could attempt Meetups but those are for specific venues. Social media sites like Facebook and Linkedin specifically forbid adding contacts you don’t know personally. There are dating apps but those are for, well, dating.

WeChat works like other messenger apps, in fact it works fairly well. The big difference is that it attempts to expand your network with potential contacts who are nearby. You just have to wiggle your phone and you could find someone on WeChat who’s also looking for a fresh friend. You can then add them or choose not to.

You can use the ‘Friend Radar’ to find friends who are nearby so you can meet up with them. When you do this a little ‘radar’ pops up on the app and searches for friends in your surroundings. Once you see them on your radar you can talk with them and propose a meeting.

WeChat lets you find fresh contacts. / © ANDROIDPIT WeChat

Best for connecting with celebrities: KakaoTalk

KakaoTalk is effortless to use but has many elaborate features. You have basic functions that perform indeed well and are fairly elementary. But if you want to get more out of those features, you can quickly dig in and find other ways to use them.

There is a large network who use the feature ‘Plus Friends’ on KakaoTalk. This feature permits you to connect with people outside of your instantaneous network. These could be everyday messengers in your area who are sharing content or could be bands, celebrities, companies, etc.

When you add a friend through ‘Plus Friends’ you get to see their feed where they can share content. You can see what your beloved band is doing and find off the hook releases from them. If you’re fortunate, you can even talk 1-on-1 with a celebrity. There’s a button for this next to their name. Give it a attempt, who knows, they might react.

KakaoTalk lets you connect with celebrities, in some cases, talk 1-on-1 with them. / © ANDROIDPIT KakaoTalk: Free Calls & Text

Best for contacts volume: Facebook Messenger

Facebook’s official instant messaging app has recently been made over to supply a quicker, cleaner service and interface. It’s much like WhatsApp (as are most of the apps on this list), but Messenger instantly connects to all of your Facebook contacts, making it one of the most convenient messaging apps, if nothing else.

A latest update is that you can also message non-Facebook friends by using their phone number. Messenger permits you to access all of your Facebook messages without using the main app or website. It also has stickers and emojis, groups, voice recordings, location data, free calls, photo sharing and more.

The unmistakably clean interface of Facebook Messenger. / © ANDROIDPIT Messenger

Best for movie calls: Skype

The granddaddy of movie calls, Skype has been around for forever and is still kicking strong. Skype is primarily used for calls, but the IM component is just as useful. In fact, we use it as our primary communication contraption here at AndroidPIT.

Skype requires Skype IDs, so you’ll only be able to add friends if you know their Skype contact name. But once you do, you can send instant messages anytime you want, for free, as well as make movie calls. You can also add Skype credit and make cheap international calls to landlines and mobile phones.

The talk section offers group talk, media sharing, emoji and more. Plus you can have one account on several devices (something that WhatsApp doesn’t permit).

The original (but not necessarily the best), Skype still offers reliable messaging. / © ANDROIDPIT Skype – free IM & movie calls

Best for secure messaging: Telegram

Speed and security are the name of the game for Telegram. The app provides encrypted cross-platform messaging and it’s entirely free.

Founder Nikolai Durov stated that he set out to design a messenger that could not be accessed by Russian security agencies. When he suggested a prize of US$200,000 to anyone who could crack the app’s encryption protocol, no one managed it.

If you want a rapid, free and secure messenger, Telegram comes very recommended.

Keep your messages safe from the FSB with Telegram. / © ANDROIDPIT Telegram

Best for off the hook features: Dasher

Dasher is making an effort to spice up the messenger market by employing some pretty cool and unusual features. It permits you to share GIFs and play YouTube movies directly in the talk window and there are rich URL previews: features that WhatsApp is only just beginning to catch up with.

One of Dasher’s most unusual additions is that of being able to share money with your friends using Venmo, something that no other messenger provides – useful when you’re lounging in bed remembering how your friend bundled you into a taxi last night.

For innovative features, Dasher is the way to go. / © ANDROIDPIT Dasher Messenger

Best for networking: Tango

It takes two to Tango, but there are slew more than that using the service. Tango does much the same as the rest: instant messaging, media sharing, stickers, group talk, movie calling, group talk, etc, but it also has a ton of extras. Tango recently went through a accomplish overhaul and now hosts a news feed and even dedicated news channels for you to go after.

Tango will automatically find your friends based on your contact list, but they must be using the service to showcase up (or you can invite them). Additionally, Tango can be used to place calls, find like-minded friends or people in the neighborhood using the service, which adds a bit more social networking to the mix than some other providers. The mid-call mini-games also help Tango stand out from the rest.

Tango is now much more than just a messaging app. / © ANDROIDPIT Tango – Free Movie Call & Talk

Best for SMS: Google Hangouts

Google set up Hangouts as the standard (but interchangeable) messaging app in Android Four.Four KitKat, and thanks to this it picked up a lot more users. Hangouts is a combined SMS and IM app, that separates the two types of messages, but can be used to automatically place voice calls and movie calls from your phone via Hangouts rather than traditional carriers.

Because it treats both SMS and IM, it cuts down on the number of apps you need to be working with, and its movie calling quality is arguably better than Skype’s. In addition, Hangouts integrates with Google+ in much the same way that Facebook Messenger interacts with Facebook, meaning contacts added via the social network can be called or messaged in the separate app. Be careful who you connect with if you’re a particularly private person.

Hangouts still has a long way to go, but as YouTube and Google+ grow, so will hangouts. / © ANDROIDPIT Hangouts

Best for sticker enthusiasts: Viber

Viber is truly pushing the sticker market, where you can get tons of free and paid sticker packs, but the core business of Viber is instant messages. You can also send recorded voice messages like WhatsApp (but not movie calls like Skype) and you now have the option to call any phone number anywhere with Viber Out – much like adding Skype credit to call people who aren’t on the service.

The fresh look Viber is feature packed and looks fine. / © ANDROIDPIT Viber Messenger

Best up-and-coming messaging app: Line

Line is becoming more and more popular, and for good reason. With the recently added movie calling functionality, it is now as fully featured as Skype, but has a junior, sexier feel to it than the attempted and true Skype. It’s jam packed utter of stickers and other joy stuff, and is immensely popular across large parts of Asia. But it’s also feature-filled with group talks, multi-platform capabilities (phone, tablet, PC), timeline, recorded voice messages, media sharing and much, much more, including official account messages from celebrities you like. Line is kind of like Twitter, Facebook and Skype all spinned into one.

I’m pretty fresh to Line, but I’m liking it a lot already. / © ANDROIDPIT/Line LINE: Free Calls & Messages

Best for the office: BBM

After a substantial waiting period, BlackBerry’s messaging service ultimately made it to the Android platform last year. BBM is not as Androidy as the rest of the apps on this list, but it does suggest some very cool features including: always-on service (you don’t need to open the app to use it), timed and retractable messages, two-way opt-in (nobody can message you until you specifically permit them), delivery reporting, groups, emoticons, broadcast messages and more. The capability to choose who can message you, rather than it being available to anybody with your number, makes this an attractive messaging option.

One of BBM’s standout features is its capability to schedule messages. / © ANDROIDPIT / BlackBerry Limited BBM – Free Calls & Messages

Best for gamers: Razer Comms

However Razer Comms is a fantastic instant messenger in its own right, it’s very first and foremost known for its popularity in the gaming community. With an accompanying PC version too, Razer Comms permits to you to group conversations, free VoIP talk, and it makes it quick and effortless to connect with other gamers around the world. Think of it as Xfire for the smartphone era.

Razer Comms puts a serious concentrate on gamers. / © ANDROIDPIT / Razer Razer Comms – Gaming Messenger

Best for kicks: kik

"185 million people love Kik!" Says its Play Store description, proving there is more to messaging than just WhatsApp. Kik is a little more playful than the likes of WhatsApp, with more color and sticker options. Kik also houses its own built-in browser, to make movie and pic sharing inbetween friends elementary. It’s a rapid growing and friendly messenger with users from all over the planet. Give it a attempt.

Kik Messenger proceeds to grow its userbase. / © ANDROIDPIT Kik

Best all-around messaging app: WhatsApp

It’s not all about WhatsApp. but WhatsApp sure is a big part of it. While it doesn’t have the same feature-rich content as many of the other apps on this list, WhatsApp can’t be hammered for plainness, reliability, and the sheer number of contacts using it. Chances are, if you know someone with a smartphone, they’ve got WhatsApp.

WhatsApp uses your existing contacts’ phone numbers, so you don’t need to add contacts by hand. You can send written messages, stickers, emojis and media, as well as broadcast and group messages.

WhatsApp also permits you to make free calls to your contacts and now you can make Google Drive backups of your talks, too.

WhatsApp is continually improving, but is also behind some of the competition. / © ANDROIDPIT WhatsApp Messenger

What would you say is the best instant messenger apps for Android? Let us know in the comments.

Best instant messenger apps for Android

Best instant messenger apps for Android

Update: Two fresh additions

It’s not all about WhatsApp, there are tons of instant messengers. We’ve rounded up the best Android has to suggest, so you can choose the one that best suits your individual tastes and needs. Here are the best instant messenger apps for Android.

Best for expanding your network: WeChat

There are few options for expanding your network. You could attempt Meetups but those are for specific venues. Social media sites like Facebook and Linkedin specifically forbid adding contacts you don’t know personally. There are dating apps but those are for, well, dating.

WeChat works like other messenger apps, in fact it works fairly well. The big difference is that it attempts to expand your network with potential contacts who are nearby. You just have to jiggle your phone and you could find someone on WeChat who’s also looking for a fresh friend. You can then add them or choose not to.

You can use the ‘Friend Radar’ to find friends who are nearby so you can meet up with them. When you do this a little ‘radar’ pops up on the app and searches for friends in your surroundings. Once you see them on your radar you can talk with them and propose a meeting.

WeChat lets you find fresh contacts. / © ANDROIDPIT WeChat

Best for connecting with celebrities: KakaoTalk

KakaoTalk is effortless to use but has many elaborate features. You have basic functions that perform indeed well and are fairly elementary. But if you want to get more out of those features, you can quickly dig in and find other ways to use them.

There is a large network who use the feature ‘Plus Friends’ on KakaoTalk. This feature permits you to connect with people outside of your instantaneous network. These could be everyday messengers in your area who are sharing content or could be bands, celebrities, companies, etc.

When you add a friend through ‘Plus Friends’ you get to see their feed where they can share content. You can see what your beloved band is doing and find sensational releases from them. If you’re fortunate, you can even talk 1-on-1 with a celebrity. There’s a button for this next to their name. Give it a attempt, who knows, they might react.

KakaoTalk lets you connect with celebrities, in some cases, talk 1-on-1 with them. / © ANDROIDPIT KakaoTalk: Free Calls & Text

Best for contacts volume: Facebook Messenger

Facebook’s official instant messaging app has recently been made over to produce a swifter, cleaner service and interface. It’s much like WhatsApp (as are most of the apps on this list), but Messenger instantly connects to all of your Facebook contacts, making it one of the most convenient messaging apps, if nothing else.

A latest update is that you can also message non-Facebook friends by using their phone number. Messenger permits you to access all of your Facebook messages without using the main app or website. It also has stickers and emojis, groups, voice recordings, location data, free calls, photo sharing and more.

The unmistakably clean interface of Facebook Messenger. / © ANDROIDPIT Messenger

Best for movie calls: Skype

The granddaddy of movie calls, Skype has been around for forever and is still kicking strong. Skype is primarily used for calls, but the IM component is just as useful. In fact, we use it as our primary communication implement here at AndroidPIT.

Skype requires Skype IDs, so you’ll only be able to add friends if you know their Skype contact name. But once you do, you can send instant messages anytime you want, for free, as well as make movie calls. You can also add Skype credit and make cheap international calls to landlines and mobile phones.

The talk section offers group talk, media sharing, emoji and more. Plus you can have one account on several devices (something that WhatsApp doesn’t permit).

The original (but not necessarily the best), Skype still offers reliable messaging. / © ANDROIDPIT Skype – free IM & movie calls

Best for secure messaging: Telegram

Speed and security are the name of the game for Telegram. The app provides encrypted cross-platform messaging and it’s totally free.

Founder Nikolai Durov stated that he set out to design a messenger that could not be accessed by Russian security agencies. When he suggested a prize of US$200,000 to anyone who could crack the app’s encryption protocol, no one managed it.

If you want a rapid, free and secure messenger, Telegram comes very recommended.

Keep your messages safe from the FSB with Telegram. / © ANDROIDPIT Telegram

Best for off the hook features: Dasher

Dasher is making an effort to spice up the messenger market by employing some pretty cool and unusual features. It permits you to share GIFs and play YouTube movies directly in the talk window and there are rich URL previews: features that WhatsApp is only just commencing to catch up with.

One of Dasher’s most unusual additions is that of being able to share money with your friends using Venmo, something that no other messenger provides – useful when you’re lounging in bed remembering how your friend bundled you into a taxi last night.

For innovative features, Dasher is the way to go. / © ANDROIDPIT Dasher Messenger

Best for networking: Tango

It takes two to Tango, but there are slew more than that using the service. Tango does much the same as the rest: instant messaging, media sharing, stickers, group talk, movie calling, group talk, etc, but it also has a ton of extras. Tango recently went through a finish overhaul and now hosts a news feed and even dedicated news channels for you to go after.

Tango will automatically find your friends based on your contact list, but they must be using the service to demonstrate up (or you can invite them). Additionally, Tango can be used to place calls, find like-minded friends or people in the surroundings using the service, which adds a bit more social networking to the mix than some other providers. The mid-call mini-games also help Tango stand out from the rest.

Tango is now much more than just a messaging app. / © ANDROIDPIT Tango – Free Movie Call & Talk

Best for SMS: Google Hangouts

Google set up Hangouts as the standard (but interchangeable) messaging app in Android Four.Four KitKat, and thanks to this it picked up a lot more users. Hangouts is a combined SMS and IM app, that separates the two types of messages, but can be used to automatically place voice calls and movie calls from your phone via Hangouts rather than traditional carriers.

Because it treats both SMS and IM, it cuts down on the number of apps you need to be working with, and its movie calling quality is arguably better than Skype’s. In addition, Hangouts integrates with Google+ in much the same way that Facebook Messenger interacts with Facebook, meaning contacts added via the social network can be called or messaged in the separate app. Be careful who you connect with if you’re a particularly private person.

Hangouts still has a long way to go, but as YouTube and Google+ grow, so will hangouts. / © ANDROIDPIT Hangouts

Best for sticker enthusiasts: Viber

Viber is indeed pushing the sticker market, where you can get tons of free and paid sticker packs, but the core business of Viber is instant messages. You can also send recorded voice messages like WhatsApp (but not movie calls like Skype) and you now have the option to call any phone number anywhere with Viber Out – much like adding Skype credit to call people who aren’t on the service.

The fresh look Viber is feature packed and looks excellent. / © ANDROIDPIT Viber Messenger

Best up-and-coming messaging app: Line

Line is becoming more and more popular, and for good reason. With the recently added movie calling functionality, it is now as fully featured as Skype, but has a junior, sexier feel to it than the attempted and true Skype. It’s jam packed utter of stickers and other joy stuff, and is immensely popular across large parts of Asia. But it’s also feature-filled with group talks, multi-platform capabilities (phone, tablet, PC), timeline, recorded voice messages, media sharing and much, much more, including official account messages from celebrities you like. Line is kind of like Twitter, Facebook and Skype all flipped into one.

I’m pretty fresh to Line, but I’m liking it a lot already. / © ANDROIDPIT/Line LINE: Free Calls & Messages

Best for the office: BBM

After a substantial waiting period, BlackBerry’s messaging service ultimately made it to the Android platform last year. BBM is not as Androidy as the rest of the apps on this list, but it does suggest some very cool features including: always-on service (you don’t need to open the app to use it), timed and retractable messages, two-way opt-in (nobody can message you until you specifically permit them), delivery reporting, groups, emoticons, broadcast messages and more. The capability to choose who can message you, rather than it being available to anybody with your number, makes this an attractive messaging option.

One of BBM’s standout features is its capability to schedule messages. / © ANDROIDPIT / BlackBerry Limited BBM – Free Calls & Messages

Best for gamers: Razer Comms

Tho’ Razer Comms is a fantastic instant messenger in its own right, it’s very first and foremost known for its popularity in the gaming community. With an accompanying PC version too, Razer Comms permits to you to group conversations, free VoIP talk, and it makes it quick and effortless to connect with other gamers around the world. Think of it as Xfire for the smartphone era.

Razer Comms puts a serious concentrate on gamers. / © ANDROIDPIT / Razer Razer Comms – Gaming Messenger

Best for kicks: kik

"185 million people love Kik!" Says its Play Store description, proving there is more to messaging than just WhatsApp. Kik is a little more playful than the likes of WhatsApp, with more color and sticker options. Kik also houses its own built-in browser, to make movie and photo sharing inbetween friends plain. It’s a swift growing and friendly messenger with users from all over the planet. Give it a attempt.

Kik Messenger resumes to grow its userbase. / © ANDROIDPIT Kik

Best all-around messaging app: WhatsApp

It’s not all about WhatsApp. but WhatsApp sure is a big part of it. While it doesn’t have the same feature-rich content as many of the other apps on this list, WhatsApp can’t be hammered for plainness, reliability, and the sheer number of contacts using it. Chances are, if you know someone with a smartphone, they’ve got WhatsApp.

WhatsApp uses your existing contacts’ phone numbers, so you don’t need to add contacts by hand. You can send written messages, stickers, emojis and media, as well as broadcast and group messages.

WhatsApp also permits you to make free calls to your contacts and now you can make Google Drive backups of your talks, too.

WhatsApp is continually improving, but is also behind some of the competition. / © ANDROIDPIT WhatsApp Messenger

What would you say is the best instant messenger apps for Android? Let us know in the comments.

Best instant messenger apps for Android

Best instant messenger apps for Android

Update: Two fresh additions

It’s not all about WhatsApp, there are tons of instant messengers. We’ve rounded up the best Android has to suggest, so you can choose the one that best suits your individual tastes and needs. Here are the best instant messenger apps for Android.

Best for expanding your network: WeChat

There are few options for expanding your network. You could attempt Meetups but those are for specific venues. Social media sites like Facebook and Linkedin specifically forbid adding contacts you don’t know personally. There are dating apps but those are for, well, dating.

WeChat works like other messenger apps, in fact it works fairly well. The big difference is that it attempts to expand your network with potential contacts who are nearby. You just have to jiggle your phone and you could find someone on WeChat who’s also looking for a fresh friend. You can then add them or choose not to.

You can use the ‘Friend Radar’ to find friends who are nearby so you can meet up with them. When you do this a little ‘radar’ pops up on the app and searches for friends in your surroundings. Once you see them on your radar you can talk with them and propose a meeting.

WeChat lets you find fresh contacts. / © ANDROIDPIT WeChat

Best for connecting with celebrities: KakaoTalk

KakaoTalk is effortless to use but has many sophisticated features. You have basic functions that perform indeed well and are fairly elementary. But if you want to get more out of those features, you can quickly dig in and find other ways to use them.

There is a large network who use the feature ‘Plus Friends’ on KakaoTalk. This feature permits you to connect with people outside of your instantaneous network. These could be everyday messengers in your area who are sharing content or could be bands, celebrities, companies, etc.

When you add a friend through ‘Plus Friends’ you get to see their feed where they can share content. You can see what your dearest band is doing and find special releases from them. If you’re fortunate, you can even talk 1-on-1 with a celebrity. There’s a button for this next to their name. Give it a attempt, who knows, they might react.

KakaoTalk lets you connect with celebrities, in some cases, talk 1-on-1 with them. / © ANDROIDPIT KakaoTalk: Free Calls & Text

Best for contacts volume: Facebook Messenger

Facebook’s official instant messaging app has recently been made over to supply a quicker, cleaner service and interface. It’s much like WhatsApp (as are most of the apps on this list), but Messenger instantly connects to all of your Facebook contacts, making it one of the most convenient messaging apps, if nothing else.

A latest update is that you can also message non-Facebook friends by using their phone number. Messenger permits you to access all of your Facebook messages without using the main app or website. It also has stickers and emojis, groups, voice recordings, location data, free calls, photo sharing and more.

The unmistakably clean interface of Facebook Messenger. / © ANDROIDPIT Messenger

Best for movie calls: Skype

The granddaddy of movie calls, Skype has been around for forever and is still kicking strong. Skype is primarily used for calls, but the IM component is just as useful. In fact, we use it as our primary communication instrument here at AndroidPIT.

Skype requires Skype IDs, so you’ll only be able to add friends if you know their Skype contact name. But once you do, you can send instant messages anytime you want, for free, as well as make movie calls. You can also add Skype credit and make cheap international calls to landlines and mobile phones.

The talk section offers group talk, media sharing, emoji and more. Plus you can have one account on several devices (something that WhatsApp doesn’t permit).

The original (but not necessarily the best), Skype still offers reliable messaging. / © ANDROIDPIT Skype – free IM & movie calls

Best for secure messaging: Telegram

Speed and security are the name of the game for Telegram. The app provides encrypted cross-platform messaging and it’s downright free.

Founder Nikolai Durov stated that he set out to design a messenger that could not be accessed by Russian security agencies. When he suggested a prize of US$200,000 to anyone who could crack the app’s encryption protocol, no one managed it.

If you want a rapid, free and secure messenger, Telegram comes very recommended.

Keep your messages safe from the FSB with Telegram. / © ANDROIDPIT Telegram

Best for sensational features: Dasher

Dasher is making an effort to spice up the messenger market by employing some pretty cool and unusual features. It permits you to share GIFs and play YouTube movies directly in the talk window and there are rich URL previews: features that WhatsApp is only just embarking to catch up with.

One of Dasher’s most unusual additions is that of being able to share money with your friends using Venmo, something that no other messenger provides – useful when you’re lounging in bed remembering how your friend bundled you into a taxi last night.

For innovative features, Dasher is the way to go. / © ANDROIDPIT Dasher Messenger

Best for networking: Tango

It takes two to Tango, but there are slew more than that using the service. Tango does much the same as the rest: instant messaging, media sharing, stickers, group talk, movie calling, group talk, etc, but it also has a ton of extras. Tango recently went through a accomplish overhaul and now hosts a news feed and even dedicated news channels for you to go after.

Tango will automatically find your friends based on your contact list, but they must be using the service to display up (or you can invite them). Additionally, Tango can be used to place calls, find like-minded friends or people in the surroundings using the service, which adds a bit more social networking to the mix than some other providers. The mid-call mini-games also help Tango stand out from the rest.

Tango is now much more than just a messaging app. / © ANDROIDPIT Tango – Free Movie Call & Talk

Best for SMS: Google Hangouts

Google set up Hangouts as the standard (but interchangeable) messaging app in Android Four.Four KitKat, and thanks to this it picked up a lot more users. Hangouts is a combined SMS and IM app, that separates the two types of messages, but can be used to automatically place voice calls and movie calls from your phone via Hangouts rather than traditional carriers.

Because it treats both SMS and IM, it cuts down on the number of apps you need to be working with, and its movie calling quality is arguably better than Skype’s. In addition, Hangouts integrates with Google+ in much the same way that Facebook Messenger interacts with Facebook, meaning contacts added via the social network can be called or messaged in the separate app. Be careful who you connect with if you’re a particularly private person.

Hangouts still has a long way to go, but as YouTube and Google+ grow, so will hangouts. / © ANDROIDPIT Hangouts

Best for sticker enthusiasts: Viber

Viber is truly pushing the sticker market, where you can get tons of free and paid sticker packs, but the core business of Viber is instant messages. You can also send recorded voice messages like WhatsApp (but not movie calls like Skype) and you now have the option to call any phone number anywhere with Viber Out – much like adding Skype credit to call people who aren’t on the service.

The fresh look Viber is feature packed and looks good. / © ANDROIDPIT Viber Messenger

Best up-and-coming messaging app: Line

Line is becoming more and more popular, and for good reason. With the recently added movie calling functionality, it is now as fully featured as Skype, but has a junior, sexier feel to it than the attempted and true Skype. It’s jam packed total of stickers and other joy stuff, and is immensely popular across large parts of Asia. But it’s also feature-filled with group talks, multi-platform capabilities (phone, tablet, PC), timeline, recorded voice messages, media sharing and much, much more, including official account messages from celebrities you like. Line is kind of like Twitter, Facebook and Skype all flipped into one.

I’m pretty fresh to Line, but I’m liking it a lot already. / © ANDROIDPIT/Line LINE: Free Calls & Messages

Best for the office: BBM

After a substantial waiting period, BlackBerry’s messaging service eventually made it to the Android platform last year. BBM is not as Androidy as the rest of the apps on this list, but it does suggest some very cool features including: always-on service (you don’t need to open the app to use it), timed and retractable messages, two-way opt-in (nobody can message you until you specifically permit them), delivery reporting, groups, emoticons, broadcast messages and more. The capability to choose who can message you, rather than it being available to anybody with your number, makes this an attractive messaging option.

One of BBM’s standout features is its capability to schedule messages. / © ANDROIDPIT / BlackBerry Limited BBM – Free Calls & Messages

Best for gamers: Razer Comms

Tho’ Razer Comms is a fantastic instant messenger in its own right, it’s very first and foremost known for its popularity in the gaming community. With an accompanying PC version too, Razer Comms permits to you to group conversations, free VoIP talk, and it makes it quick and effortless to connect with other gamers around the world. Think of it as Xfire for the smartphone era.

Razer Comms puts a serious concentrate on gamers. / © ANDROIDPIT / Razer Razer Comms – Gaming Messenger

Best for kicks: kik

"185 million people love Kik!" Says its Play Store description, proving there is more to messaging than just WhatsApp. Kik is a little more playful than the likes of WhatsApp, with more color and sticker options. Kik also houses its own built-in browser, to make movie and pic sharing inbetween friends elementary. It’s a quick growing and friendly messenger with users from all over the planet. Give it a attempt.

Kik Messenger resumes to grow its userbase. / © ANDROIDPIT Kik

Best all-around messaging app: WhatsApp

It’s not all about WhatsApp. but WhatsApp sure is a big part of it. While it doesn’t have the same feature-rich content as many of the other apps on this list, WhatsApp can’t be hammered for simpleness, reliability, and the sheer number of contacts using it. Chances are, if you know someone with a smartphone, they’ve got WhatsApp.

WhatsApp uses your existing contacts’ phone numbers, so you don’t need to add contacts by hand. You can send written messages, stickers, emojis and media, as well as broadcast and group messages.

WhatsApp also permits you to make free calls to your contacts and now you can make Google Drive backups of your talks, too.

WhatsApp is continually improving, but is also behind some of the competition. / © ANDROIDPIT WhatsApp Messenger

What would you say is the best instant messenger apps for Android? Let us know in the comments.

Best instant messenger apps for Android

Best instant messenger apps for Android

Update: Two fresh additions

It’s not all about WhatsApp, there are tons of instant messengers. We’ve rounded up the best Android has to suggest, so you can choose the one that best suits your individual tastes and needs. Here are the best instant messenger apps for Android.

Best for expanding your network: WeChat

There are few options for expanding your network. You could attempt Meetups but those are for specific venues. Social media sites like Facebook and Linkedin specifically forbid adding contacts you don’t know personally. There are dating apps but those are for, well, dating.

WeChat works like other messenger apps, in fact it works fairly well. The big difference is that it attempts to expand your network with potential contacts who are nearby. You just have to wiggle your phone and you could find someone on WeChat who’s also looking for a fresh friend. You can then add them or choose not to.

You can use the ‘Friend Radar’ to find friends who are nearby so you can meet up with them. When you do this a little ‘radar’ pops up on the app and searches for friends in your surroundings. Once you see them on your radar you can talk with them and propose a meeting.

WeChat lets you find fresh contacts. / © ANDROIDPIT WeChat

Best for connecting with celebrities: KakaoTalk

KakaoTalk is effortless to use but has many complicated features. You have basic functions that perform indeed well and are fairly plain. But if you want to get more out of those features, you can quickly dig in and find other ways to use them.

There is a large network who use the feature ‘Plus Friends’ on KakaoTalk. This feature permits you to connect with people outside of your instantaneous network. These could be everyday messengers in your area who are sharing content or could be bands, celebrities, companies, etc.

When you add a friend through ‘Plus Friends’ you get to see their feed where they can share content. You can see what your dearest band is doing and find sensational releases from them. If you’re fortunate, you can even talk 1-on-1 with a celebrity. There’s a button for this next to their name. Give it a attempt, who knows, they might react.

KakaoTalk lets you connect with celebrities, in some cases, talk 1-on-1 with them. / © ANDROIDPIT KakaoTalk: Free Calls & Text

Best for contacts volume: Facebook Messenger

Facebook’s official instant messaging app has recently been made over to supply a swifter, cleaner service and interface. It’s much like WhatsApp (as are most of the apps on this list), but Messenger instantly connects to all of your Facebook contacts, making it one of the most convenient messaging apps, if nothing else.

A latest update is that you can also message non-Facebook friends by using their phone number. Messenger permits you to access all of your Facebook messages without using the main app or website. It also has stickers and emojis, groups, voice recordings, location data, free calls, photo sharing and more.

The unmistakably clean interface of Facebook Messenger. / © ANDROIDPIT Messenger

Best for movie calls: Skype

The granddaddy of movie calls, Skype has been around for forever and is still kicking strong. Skype is primarily used for calls, but the IM component is just as useful. In fact, we use it as our primary communication instrument here at AndroidPIT.

Skype requires Skype IDs, so you’ll only be able to add friends if you know their Skype contact name. But once you do, you can send instant messages anytime you want, for free, as well as make movie calls. You can also add Skype credit and make cheap international calls to landlines and mobile phones.

The talk section offers group talk, media sharing, emoji and more. Plus you can have one account on several devices (something that WhatsApp doesn’t permit).

The original (but not necessarily the best), Skype still offers reliable messaging. / © ANDROIDPIT Skype – free IM & movie calls

Best for secure messaging: Telegram

Speed and security are the name of the game for Telegram. The app provides encrypted cross-platform messaging and it’s totally free.

Founder Nikolai Durov stated that he set out to design a messenger that could not be accessed by Russian security agencies. When he suggested a prize of US$200,000 to anyone who could crack the app’s encryption protocol, no one managed it.

If you want a quick, free and secure messenger, Telegram comes very recommended.

Keep your messages safe from the FSB with Telegram. / © ANDROIDPIT Telegram

Best for sensational features: Dasher

Dasher is making an effort to spice up the messenger market by employing some pretty cool and unusual features. It permits you to share GIFs and play YouTube movies directly in the talk window and there are rich URL previews: features that WhatsApp is only just commencing to catch up with.

One of Dasher’s most unusual additions is that of being able to share money with your friends using Venmo, something that no other messenger provides – useful when you’re lounging in bed remembering how your friend bundled you into a taxi last night.

For innovative features, Dasher is the way to go. / © ANDROIDPIT Dasher Messenger

Best for networking: Tango

It takes two to Tango, but there are slew more than that using the service. Tango does much the same as the rest: instant messaging, media sharing, stickers, group talk, movie calling, group talk, etc, but it also has a ton of extras. Tango recently went through a finish overhaul and now hosts a news feed and even dedicated news channels for you to go after.

Tango will automatically find your friends based on your contact list, but they must be using the service to showcase up (or you can invite them). Additionally, Tango can be used to place calls, find like-minded friends or people in the neighborhood using the service, which adds a bit more social networking to the mix than some other providers. The mid-call mini-games also help Tango stand out from the rest.

Tango is now much more than just a messaging app. / © ANDROIDPIT Tango – Free Movie Call & Talk

Best for SMS: Google Hangouts

Google set up Hangouts as the standard (but interchangeable) messaging app in Android Four.Four KitKat, and thanks to this it picked up a lot more users. Hangouts is a combined SMS and IM app, that separates the two types of messages, but can be used to automatically place voice calls and movie calls from your phone via Hangouts rather than traditional carriers.

Because it treats both SMS and IM, it cuts down on the number of apps you need to be working with, and its movie calling quality is arguably better than Skype’s. In addition, Hangouts integrates with Google+ in much the same way that Facebook Messenger interacts with Facebook, meaning contacts added via the social network can be called or messaged in the separate app. Be careful who you connect with if you’re a particularly private person.

Hangouts still has a long way to go, but as YouTube and Google+ grow, so will hangouts. / © ANDROIDPIT Hangouts

Best for sticker enthusiasts: Viber

Viber is truly pushing the sticker market, where you can get tons of free and paid sticker packs, but the core business of Viber is instant messages. You can also send recorded voice messages like WhatsApp (but not movie calls like Skype) and you now have the option to call any phone number anywhere with Viber Out – much like adding Skype credit to call people who aren’t on the service.

The fresh look Viber is feature packed and looks good. / © ANDROIDPIT Viber Messenger

Best up-and-coming messaging app: Line

Line is becoming more and more popular, and for good reason. With the recently added movie calling functionality, it is now as fully featured as Skype, but has a junior, sexier feel to it than the attempted and true Skype. It’s jam packed total of stickers and other joy stuff, and is immensely popular across large parts of Asia. But it’s also feature-filled with group talks, multi-platform capabilities (phone, tablet, PC), timeline, recorded voice messages, media sharing and much, much more, including official account messages from celebrities you like. Line is kind of like Twitter, Facebook and Skype all spinned into one.

I’m pretty fresh to Line, but I’m liking it a lot already. / © ANDROIDPIT/Line LINE: Free Calls & Messages

Best for the office: BBM

After a substantial waiting period, BlackBerry’s messaging service ultimately made it to the Android platform last year. BBM is not as Androidy as the rest of the apps on this list, but it does suggest some very cool features including: always-on service (you don’t need to open the app to use it), timed and retractable messages, two-way opt-in (nobody can message you until you specifically permit them), delivery reporting, groups, emoticons, broadcast messages and more. The capability to choose who can message you, rather than it being available to anybody with your number, makes this an attractive messaging option.

One of BBM’s standout features is its capability to schedule messages. / © ANDROIDPIT / BlackBerry Limited BBM – Free Calls & Messages

Best for gamers: Razer Comms

However Razer Comms is a fantastic instant messenger in its own right, it’s very first and foremost known for its popularity in the gaming community. With an accompanying PC version too, Razer Comms permits to you to group conversations, free VoIP talk, and it makes it quick and effortless to connect with other gamers around the world. Think of it as Xfire for the smartphone era.

Razer Comms puts a serious concentrate on gamers. / © ANDROIDPIT / Razer Razer Comms – Gaming Messenger

Best for kicks: kik

"185 million people love Kik!" Says its Play Store description, proving there is more to messaging than just WhatsApp. Kik is a little more playful than the likes of WhatsApp, with more color and sticker options. Kik also houses its own built-in browser, to make movie and pic sharing inbetween friends plain. It’s a prompt growing and friendly messenger with users from all over the planet. Give it a attempt.

Kik Messenger proceeds to grow its userbase. / © ANDROIDPIT Kik

Best all-around messaging app: WhatsApp

It’s not all about WhatsApp. but WhatsApp sure is a big part of it. While it doesn’t have the same feature-rich content as many of the other apps on this list, WhatsApp can’t be hammered for simpleness, reliability, and the sheer number of contacts using it. Chances are, if you know someone with a smartphone, they’ve got WhatsApp.

WhatsApp uses your existing contacts’ phone numbers, so you don’t need to add contacts by hand. You can send written messages, stickers, emojis and media, as well as broadcast and group messages.

WhatsApp also permits you to make free calls to your contacts and now you can make Google Drive backups of your talks, too.

WhatsApp is continually improving, but is also behind some of the competition. / © ANDROIDPIT WhatsApp Messenger

What would you say is the best instant messenger apps for Android? Let us know in the comments.

Best instant messenger apps for Android

Best instant messenger apps for Android

Update: Two fresh additions

It’s not all about WhatsApp, there are tons of instant messengers. We’ve rounded up the best Android has to suggest, so you can choose the one that best suits your individual tastes and needs. Here are the best instant messenger apps for Android.

Best for expanding your network: WeChat

There are few options for expanding your network. You could attempt Meetups but those are for specific venues. Social media sites like Facebook and Linkedin specifically forbid adding contacts you don’t know personally. There are dating apps but those are for, well, dating.

WeChat works like other messenger apps, in fact it works fairly well. The big difference is that it attempts to expand your network with potential contacts who are nearby. You just have to jiggle your phone and you could find someone on WeChat who’s also looking for a fresh friend. You can then add them or choose not to.

You can use the ‘Friend Radar’ to find friends who are nearby so you can meet up with them. When you do this a little ‘radar’ pops up on the app and searches for friends in your neighborhood. Once you see them on your radar you can talk with them and propose a meeting.

WeChat lets you find fresh contacts. / © ANDROIDPIT WeChat

Best for connecting with celebrities: KakaoTalk

KakaoTalk is effortless to use but has many elaborate features. You have basic functions that perform indeed well and are fairly ordinary. But if you want to get more out of those features, you can quickly dig in and find other ways to use them.

There is a large network who use the feature ‘Plus Friends’ on KakaoTalk. This feature permits you to connect with people outside of your instantaneous network. These could be everyday messengers in your area who are sharing content or could be bands, celebrities, companies, etc.

When you add a friend through ‘Plus Friends’ you get to see their feed where they can share content. You can see what your dearest band is doing and find special releases from them. If you’re fortunate, you can even talk 1-on-1 with a celebrity. There’s a button for this next to their name. Give it a attempt, who knows, they might react.

KakaoTalk lets you connect with celebrities, in some cases, talk 1-on-1 with them. / © ANDROIDPIT KakaoTalk: Free Calls & Text

Best for contacts volume: Facebook Messenger

Facebook’s official instant messaging app has recently been made over to supply a swifter, cleaner service and interface. It’s much like WhatsApp (as are most of the apps on this list), but Messenger instantly connects to all of your Facebook contacts, making it one of the most convenient messaging apps, if nothing else.

A latest update is that you can also message non-Facebook friends by using their phone number. Messenger permits you to access all of your Facebook messages without using the main app or website. It also has stickers and emojis, groups, voice recordings, location data, free calls, photo sharing and more.

The unmistakably clean interface of Facebook Messenger. / © ANDROIDPIT Messenger

Best for movie calls: Skype

The granddaddy of movie calls, Skype has been around for forever and is still kicking strong. Skype is primarily used for calls, but the IM component is just as useful. In fact, we use it as our primary communication contraption here at AndroidPIT.

Skype requires Skype IDs, so you’ll only be able to add friends if you know their Skype contact name. But once you do, you can send instant messages anytime you want, for free, as well as make movie calls. You can also add Skype credit and make cheap international calls to landlines and mobile phones.

The talk section offers group talk, media sharing, emoji and more. Plus you can have one account on several devices (something that WhatsApp doesn’t permit).

The original (but not necessarily the best), Skype still offers reliable messaging. / © ANDROIDPIT Skype – free IM & movie calls

Best for secure messaging: Telegram

Speed and security are the name of the game for Telegram. The app provides encrypted cross-platform messaging and it’s totally free.

Founder Nikolai Durov stated that he set out to design a messenger that could not be accessed by Russian security agencies. When he suggested a prize of US$200,000 to anyone who could crack the app’s encryption protocol, no one managed it.

If you want a prompt, free and secure messenger, Telegram comes very recommended.

Keep your messages safe from the FSB with Telegram. / © ANDROIDPIT Telegram

Best for sensational features: Dasher

Dasher is making an effort to spice up the messenger market by employing some pretty cool and unusual features. It permits you to share GIFs and play YouTube movies directly in the talk window and there are rich URL previews: features that WhatsApp is only just kicking off to catch up with.

One of Dasher’s most unusual additions is that of being able to share money with your friends using Venmo, something that no other messenger provides – useful when you’re lounging in bed remembering how your friend bundled you into a taxi last night.

For innovative features, Dasher is the way to go. / © ANDROIDPIT Dasher Messenger

Best for networking: Tango

It takes two to Tango, but there are slew more than that using the service. Tango does much the same as the rest: instant messaging, media sharing, stickers, group talk, movie calling, group talk, etc, but it also has a ton of extras. Tango recently went through a accomplish overhaul and now hosts a news feed and even dedicated news channels for you to go after.

Tango will automatically find your friends based on your contact list, but they must be using the service to showcase up (or you can invite them). Additionally, Tango can be used to place calls, find like-minded friends or people in the neighborhood using the service, which adds a bit more social networking to the mix than some other providers. The mid-call mini-games also help Tango stand out from the rest.

Tango is now much more than just a messaging app. / © ANDROIDPIT Tango – Free Movie Call & Talk

Best for SMS: Google Hangouts

Google set up Hangouts as the standard (but interchangeable) messaging app in Android Four.Four KitKat, and thanks to this it picked up a lot more users. Hangouts is a combined SMS and IM app, that separates the two types of messages, but can be used to automatically place voice calls and movie calls from your phone via Hangouts rather than traditional carriers.

Because it treats both SMS and IM, it cuts down on the number of apps you need to be working with, and its movie calling quality is arguably better than Skype’s. In addition, Hangouts integrates with Google+ in much the same way that Facebook Messenger interacts with Facebook, meaning contacts added via the social network can be called or messaged in the separate app. Be careful who you connect with if you’re a particularly private person.

Hangouts still has a long way to go, but as YouTube and Google+ grow, so will hangouts. / © ANDROIDPIT Hangouts

Best for sticker enthusiasts: Viber

Viber is indeed pushing the sticker market, where you can get tons of free and paid sticker packs, but the core business of Viber is instant messages. You can also send recorded voice messages like WhatsApp (but not movie calls like Skype) and you now have the option to call any phone number anywhere with Viber Out – much like adding Skype credit to call people who aren’t on the service.

The fresh look Viber is feature packed and looks excellent. / © ANDROIDPIT Viber Messenger

Best up-and-coming messaging app: Line

Line is becoming more and more popular, and for good reason. With the recently added movie calling functionality, it is now as fully featured as Skype, but has a junior, sexier feel to it than the attempted and true Skype. It’s jam packed total of stickers and other joy stuff, and is immensely popular via large parts of Asia. But it’s also feature-filled with group talks, multi-platform capabilities (phone, tablet, PC), timeline, recorded voice messages, media sharing and much, much more, including official account messages from celebrities you like. Line is kind of like Twitter, Facebook and Skype all flipped into one.

I’m pretty fresh to Line, but I’m liking it a lot already. / © ANDROIDPIT/Line LINE: Free Calls & Messages

Best for the office: BBM

After a substantial waiting period, BlackBerry’s messaging service eventually made it to the Android platform last year. BBM is not as Androidy as the rest of the apps on this list, but it does suggest some very cool features including: always-on service (you don’t need to open the app to use it), timed and retractable messages, two-way opt-in (nobody can message you until you specifically permit them), delivery reporting, groups, emoticons, broadcast messages and more. The capability to choose who can message you, rather than it being available to anybody with your number, makes this an attractive messaging option.

One of BBM’s standout features is its capability to schedule messages. / © ANDROIDPIT / BlackBerry Limited BBM – Free Calls & Messages

Best for gamers: Razer Comms

However Razer Comms is a fantastic instant messenger in its own right, it’s very first and foremost known for its popularity in the gaming community. With an accompanying PC version too, Razer Comms permits to you to group conversations, free VoIP talk, and it makes it quick and effortless to connect with other gamers around the world. Think of it as Xfire for the smartphone era.

Razer Comms puts a serious concentrate on gamers. / © ANDROIDPIT / Razer Razer Comms – Gaming Messenger

Best for kicks: kik

"185 million people love Kik!" Says its Play Store description, proving there is more to messaging than just WhatsApp. Kik is a little more playful than the likes of WhatsApp, with more color and sticker options. Kik also houses its own built-in browser, to make movie and pic sharing inbetween friends elementary. It’s a rapid growing and friendly messenger with users from all over the planet. Give it a attempt.

Kik Messenger resumes to grow its userbase. / © ANDROIDPIT Kik

Best all-around messaging app: WhatsApp

It’s not all about WhatsApp. but WhatsApp sure is a big part of it. While it doesn’t have the same feature-rich content as many of the other apps on this list, WhatsApp can’t be hammered for plainness, reliability, and the sheer number of contacts using it. Chances are, if you know someone with a smartphone, they’ve got WhatsApp.

WhatsApp uses your existing contacts’ phone numbers, so you don’t need to add contacts by hand. You can send written messages, stickers, emojis and media, as well as broadcast and group messages.

WhatsApp also permits you to make free calls to your contacts and now you can make Google Drive backups of your talks, too.

WhatsApp is continually improving, but is also behind some of the competition. / © ANDROIDPIT WhatsApp Messenger

What would you say is the best instant messenger apps for Android? Let us know in the comments.

Best instant messenger apps for Android

Best instant messenger apps for Android

Update: Two fresh additions

It’s not all about WhatsApp, there are tons of instant messengers. We’ve rounded up the best Android has to suggest, so you can choose the one that best suits your individual tastes and needs. Here are the best instant messenger apps for Android.

Best for expanding your network: WeChat

There are few options for expanding your network. You could attempt Meetups but those are for specific venues. Social media sites like Facebook and Linkedin specifically forbid adding contacts you don’t know personally. There are dating apps but those are for, well, dating.

WeChat works like other messenger apps, in fact it works fairly well. The big difference is that it attempts to expand your network with potential contacts who are nearby. You just have to wiggle your phone and you could find someone on WeChat who’s also looking for a fresh friend. You can then add them or choose not to.

You can use the ‘Friend Radar’ to find friends who are nearby so you can meet up with them. When you do this a little ‘radar’ pops up on the app and searches for friends in your neighborhood. Once you see them on your radar you can talk with them and propose a meeting.

WeChat lets you find fresh contacts. / © ANDROIDPIT WeChat

Best for connecting with celebrities: KakaoTalk

KakaoTalk is effortless to use but has many elaborate features. You have basic functions that perform indeed well and are fairly ordinary. But if you want to get more out of those features, you can quickly dig in and find other ways to use them.

There is a large network who use the feature ‘Plus Friends’ on KakaoTalk. This feature permits you to connect with people outside of your instantaneous network. These could be everyday messengers in your area who are sharing content or could be bands, celebrities, companies, etc.

When you add a friend through ‘Plus Friends’ you get to see their feed where they can share content. You can see what your beloved band is doing and find special releases from them. If you’re fortunate, you can even talk 1-on-1 with a celebrity. There’s a button for this next to their name. Give it a attempt, who knows, they might react.

KakaoTalk lets you connect with celebrities, in some cases, talk 1-on-1 with them. / © ANDROIDPIT KakaoTalk: Free Calls & Text

Best for contacts volume: Facebook Messenger

Facebook’s official instant messaging app has recently been made over to produce a quicker, cleaner service and interface. It’s much like WhatsApp (as are most of the apps on this list), but Messenger instantly connects to all of your Facebook contacts, making it one of the most convenient messaging apps, if nothing else.

A latest update is that you can also message non-Facebook friends by using their phone number. Messenger permits you to access all of your Facebook messages without using the main app or website. It also has stickers and emojis, groups, voice recordings, location data, free calls, photo sharing and more.

The unmistakably clean interface of Facebook Messenger. / © ANDROIDPIT Messenger

Best for movie calls: Skype

The granddaddy of movie calls, Skype has been around for forever and is still kicking strong. Skype is primarily used for calls, but the IM component is just as useful. In fact, we use it as our primary communication device here at AndroidPIT.

Skype requires Skype IDs, so you’ll only be able to add friends if you know their Skype contact name. But once you do, you can send instant messages anytime you want, for free, as well as make movie calls. You can also add Skype credit and make cheap international calls to landlines and mobile phones.

The talk section offers group talk, media sharing, emoji and more. Plus you can have one account on several devices (something that WhatsApp doesn’t permit).

The original (but not necessarily the best), Skype still offers reliable messaging. / © ANDROIDPIT Skype – free IM & movie calls

Best for secure messaging: Telegram

Speed and security are the name of the game for Telegram. The app provides encrypted cross-platform messaging and it’s fully free.

Founder Nikolai Durov stated that he set out to design a messenger that could not be accessed by Russian security agencies. When he suggested a prize of US$200,000 to anyone who could crack the app’s encryption protocol, no one managed it.

If you want a prompt, free and secure messenger, Telegram comes very recommended.

Keep your messages safe from the FSB with Telegram. / © ANDROIDPIT Telegram

Best for sensational features: Dasher

Dasher is making an effort to spice up the messenger market by employing some pretty cool and unusual features. It permits you to share GIFs and play YouTube movies directly in the talk window and there are rich URL previews: features that WhatsApp is only just beginning to catch up with.

One of Dasher’s most unusual additions is that of being able to share money with your friends using Venmo, something that no other messenger provides – useful when you’re lounging in bed remembering how your friend bundled you into a taxi last night.

For innovative features, Dasher is the way to go. / © ANDROIDPIT Dasher Messenger

Best for networking: Tango

It takes two to Tango, but there are slew more than that using the service. Tango does much the same as the rest: instant messaging, media sharing, stickers, group talk, movie calling, group talk, etc, but it also has a ton of extras. Tango recently went through a finish overhaul and now hosts a news feed and even dedicated news channels for you to go after.

Tango will automatically find your friends based on your contact list, but they must be using the service to showcase up (or you can invite them). Additionally, Tango can be used to place calls, find like-minded friends or people in the surroundings using the service, which adds a bit more social networking to the mix than some other providers. The mid-call mini-games also help Tango stand out from the rest.

Tango is now much more than just a messaging app. / © ANDROIDPIT Tango – Free Movie Call & Talk

Best for SMS: Google Hangouts

Google set up Hangouts as the standard (but interchangeable) messaging app in Android Four.Four KitKat, and thanks to this it picked up a lot more users. Hangouts is a combined SMS and IM app, that separates the two types of messages, but can be used to automatically place voice calls and movie calls from your phone via Hangouts rather than traditional carriers.

Because it treats both SMS and IM, it cuts down on the number of apps you need to be working with, and its movie calling quality is arguably better than Skype’s. In addition, Hangouts integrates with Google+ in much the same way that Facebook Messenger interacts with Facebook, meaning contacts added via the social network can be called or messaged in the separate app. Be careful who you connect with if you’re a particularly private person.

Hangouts still has a long way to go, but as YouTube and Google+ grow, so will hangouts. / © ANDROIDPIT Hangouts

Best for sticker enthusiasts: Viber

Viber is indeed pushing the sticker market, where you can get tons of free and paid sticker packs, but the core business of Viber is instant messages. You can also send recorded voice messages like WhatsApp (but not movie calls like Skype) and you now have the option to call any phone number anywhere with Viber Out – much like adding Skype credit to call people who aren’t on the service.

The fresh look Viber is feature packed and looks good. / © ANDROIDPIT Viber Messenger

Best up-and-coming messaging app: Line

Line is becoming more and more popular, and for good reason. With the recently added movie calling functionality, it is now as fully featured as Skype, but has a junior, sexier feel to it than the attempted and true Skype. It’s jam packed utter of stickers and other joy stuff, and is immensely popular via large parts of Asia. But it’s also feature-filled with group talks, multi-platform capabilities (phone, tablet, PC), timeline, recorded voice messages, media sharing and much, much more, including official account messages from celebrities you like. Line is kind of like Twitter, Facebook and Skype all spinned into one.

I’m pretty fresh to Line, but I’m liking it a lot already. / © ANDROIDPIT/Line LINE: Free Calls & Messages

Best for the office: BBM

After a substantial waiting period, BlackBerry’s messaging service eventually made it to the Android platform last year. BBM is not as Androidy as the rest of the apps on this list, but it does suggest some very cool features including: always-on service (you don’t need to open the app to use it), timed and retractable messages, two-way opt-in (nobody can message you until you specifically permit them), delivery reporting, groups, emoticons, broadcast messages and more. The capability to choose who can message you, rather than it being available to anybody with your number, makes this an attractive messaging option.

One of BBM’s standout features is its capability to schedule messages. / © ANDROIDPIT / BlackBerry Limited BBM – Free Calls & Messages

Best for gamers: Razer Comms

However Razer Comms is a fantastic instant messenger in its own right, it’s very first and foremost known for its popularity in the gaming community. With an accompanying PC version too, Razer Comms permits to you to group conversations, free VoIP talk, and it makes it quick and effortless to connect with other gamers around the world. Think of it as Xfire for the smartphone era.

Razer Comms puts a serious concentrate on gamers. / © ANDROIDPIT / Razer Razer Comms – Gaming Messenger

Best for kicks: kik

"185 million people love Kik!" Says its Play Store description, proving there is more to messaging than just WhatsApp. Kik is a little more playful than the likes of WhatsApp, with more color and sticker options. Kik also houses its own built-in browser, to make movie and photo sharing inbetween friends ordinary. It’s a quick growing and friendly messenger with users from all over the planet. Give it a attempt.

Kik Messenger proceeds to grow its userbase. / © ANDROIDPIT Kik

Best all-around messaging app: WhatsApp

It’s not all about WhatsApp. but WhatsApp sure is a big part of it. While it doesn’t have the same feature-rich content as many of the other apps on this list, WhatsApp can’t be hammered for plainness, reliability, and the sheer number of contacts using it. Chances are, if you know someone with a smartphone, they’ve got WhatsApp.

WhatsApp uses your existing contacts’ phone numbers, so you don’t need to add contacts by hand. You can send written messages, stickers, emojis and media, as well as broadcast and group messages.

WhatsApp also permits you to make free calls to your contacts and now you can make Google Drive backups of your talks, too.

WhatsApp is continually improving, but is also behind some of the competition. / © ANDROIDPIT WhatsApp Messenger

What would you say is the best instant messenger apps for Android? Let us know in the comments.

Best instant messenger apps for Android

Best instant messenger apps for Android

Update: Two fresh additions

It’s not all about WhatsApp, there are tons of instant messengers. We’ve rounded up the best Android has to suggest, so you can choose the one that best suits your individual tastes and needs. Here are the best instant messenger apps for Android.

Best for expanding your network: WeChat

There are few options for expanding your network. You could attempt Meetups but those are for specific venues. Social media sites like Facebook and Linkedin specifically forbid adding contacts you don’t know personally. There are dating apps but those are for, well, dating.

WeChat works like other messenger apps, in fact it works fairly well. The big difference is that it attempts to expand your network with potential contacts who are nearby. You just have to jiggle your phone and you could find someone on WeChat who’s also looking for a fresh friend. You can then add them or choose not to.

You can use the ‘Friend Radar’ to find friends who are nearby so you can meet up with them. When you do this a little ‘radar’ pops up on the app and searches for friends in your neighborhood. Once you see them on your radar you can talk with them and propose a meeting.

WeChat lets you find fresh contacts. / © ANDROIDPIT WeChat

Best for connecting with celebrities: KakaoTalk

KakaoTalk is effortless to use but has many complicated features. You have basic functions that perform indeed well and are fairly plain. But if you want to get more out of those features, you can quickly dig in and find other ways to use them.

There is a large network who use the feature ‘Plus Friends’ on KakaoTalk. This feature permits you to connect with people outside of your instant network. These could be everyday messengers in your area who are sharing content or could be bands, celebrities, companies, etc.

When you add a friend through ‘Plus Friends’ you get to see their feed where they can share content. You can see what your dearest band is doing and find off the hook releases from them. If you’re fortunate, you can even talk 1-on-1 with a celebrity. There’s a button for this next to their name. Give it a attempt, who knows, they might react.

KakaoTalk lets you connect with celebrities, in some cases, talk 1-on-1 with them. / © ANDROIDPIT KakaoTalk: Free Calls & Text

Best for contacts volume: Facebook Messenger

Facebook’s official instant messaging app has recently been made over to produce a quicker, cleaner service and interface. It’s much like WhatsApp (as are most of the apps on this list), but Messenger instantly connects to all of your Facebook contacts, making it one of the most convenient messaging apps, if nothing else.

A latest update is that you can also message non-Facebook friends by using their phone number. Messenger permits you to access all of your Facebook messages without using the main app or website. It also has stickers and emojis, groups, voice recordings, location data, free calls, photo sharing and more.

The unmistakably clean interface of Facebook Messenger. / © ANDROIDPIT Messenger

Best for movie calls: Skype

The granddaddy of movie calls, Skype has been around for forever and is still kicking strong. Skype is primarily used for calls, but the IM component is just as useful. In fact, we use it as our primary communication contraption here at AndroidPIT.

Skype requires Skype IDs, so you’ll only be able to add friends if you know their Skype contact name. But once you do, you can send instant messages anytime you want, for free, as well as make movie calls. You can also add Skype credit and make cheap international calls to landlines and mobile phones.

The talk section offers group talk, media sharing, emoji and more. Plus you can have one account on several devices (something that WhatsApp doesn’t permit).

The original (but not necessarily the best), Skype still offers reliable messaging. / © ANDROIDPIT Skype – free IM & movie calls

Best for secure messaging: Telegram

Speed and security are the name of the game for Telegram. The app provides encrypted cross-platform messaging and it’s totally free.

Founder Nikolai Durov stated that he set out to design a messenger that could not be accessed by Russian security agencies. When he suggested a prize of US$200,000 to anyone who could crack the app’s encryption protocol, no one managed it.

If you want a swift, free and secure messenger, Telegram comes very recommended.

Keep your messages safe from the FSB with Telegram. / © ANDROIDPIT Telegram

Best for off the hook features: Dasher

Dasher is making an effort to spice up the messenger market by employing some pretty cool and unusual features. It permits you to share GIFs and play YouTube movies directly in the talk window and there are rich URL previews: features that WhatsApp is only just embarking to catch up with.

One of Dasher’s most unusual additions is that of being able to share money with your friends using Venmo, something that no other messenger provides – useful when you’re lounging in bed remembering how your friend bundled you into a taxi last night.

For innovative features, Dasher is the way to go. / © ANDROIDPIT Dasher Messenger

Best for networking: Tango

It takes two to Tango, but there are slew more than that using the service. Tango does much the same as the rest: instant messaging, media sharing, stickers, group talk, movie calling, group talk, etc, but it also has a ton of extras. Tango recently went through a finish overhaul and now hosts a news feed and even dedicated news channels for you to go after.

Tango will automatically find your friends based on your contact list, but they must be using the service to demonstrate up (or you can invite them). Additionally, Tango can be used to place calls, find like-minded friends or people in the neighborhood using the service, which adds a bit more social networking to the mix than some other providers. The mid-call mini-games also help Tango stand out from the rest.

Tango is now much more than just a messaging app. / © ANDROIDPIT Tango – Free Movie Call & Talk

Best for SMS: Google Hangouts

Google set up Hangouts as the standard (but interchangeable) messaging app in Android Four.Four KitKat, and thanks to this it picked up a lot more users. Hangouts is a combined SMS and IM app, that separates the two types of messages, but can be used to automatically place voice calls and movie calls from your phone via Hangouts rather than traditional carriers.

Because it treats both SMS and IM, it cuts down on the number of apps you need to be working with, and its movie calling quality is arguably better than Skype’s. In addition, Hangouts integrates with Google+ in much the same way that Facebook Messenger interacts with Facebook, meaning contacts added via the social network can be called or messaged in the separate app. Be careful who you connect with if you’re a particularly private person.

Hangouts still has a long way to go, but as YouTube and Google+ grow, so will hangouts. / © ANDROIDPIT Hangouts

Best for sticker enthusiasts: Viber

Viber is indeed pushing the sticker market, where you can get tons of free and paid sticker packs, but the core business of Viber is instant messages. You can also send recorded voice messages like WhatsApp (but not movie calls like Skype) and you now have the option to call any phone number anywhere with Viber Out – much like adding Skype credit to call people who aren’t on the service.

The fresh look Viber is feature packed and looks superb. / © ANDROIDPIT Viber Messenger

Best up-and-coming messaging app: Line

Line is becoming more and more popular, and for good reason. With the recently added movie calling functionality, it is now as fully featured as Skype, but has a junior, sexier feel to it than the attempted and true Skype. It’s jam packed utter of stickers and other joy stuff, and is immensely popular via large parts of Asia. But it’s also feature-filled with group talks, multi-platform capabilities (phone, tablet, PC), timeline, recorded voice messages, media sharing and much, much more, including official account messages from celebrities you like. Line is kind of like Twitter, Facebook and Skype all spinned into one.

I’m pretty fresh to Line, but I’m liking it a lot already. / © ANDROIDPIT/Line LINE: Free Calls & Messages

Best for the office: BBM

After a substantial waiting period, BlackBerry’s messaging service ultimately made it to the Android platform last year. BBM is not as Androidy as the rest of the apps on this list, but it does suggest some very cool features including: always-on service (you don’t need to open the app to use it), timed and retractable messages, two-way opt-in (nobody can message you until you specifically permit them), delivery reporting, groups, emoticons, broadcast messages and more. The capability to choose who can message you, rather than it being available to anybody with your number, makes this an attractive messaging option.

One of BBM’s standout features is its capability to schedule messages. / © ANDROIDPIT / BlackBerry Limited BBM – Free Calls & Messages

Best for gamers: Razer Comms

However Razer Comms is a fantastic instant messenger in its own right, it’s very first and foremost known for its popularity in the gaming community. With an accompanying PC version too, Razer Comms permits to you to group conversations, free VoIP talk, and it makes it quick and effortless to connect with other gamers around the world. Think of it as Xfire for the smartphone era.

Razer Comms puts a serious concentrate on gamers. / © ANDROIDPIT / Razer Razer Comms – Gaming Messenger

Best for kicks: kik

"185 million people love Kik!" Says its Play Store description, proving there is more to messaging than just WhatsApp. Kik is a little more playful than the likes of WhatsApp, with more color and sticker options. Kik also houses its own built-in browser, to make movie and photo sharing inbetween friends elementary. It’s a rapid growing and friendly messenger with users from all over the planet. Give it a attempt.

Kik Messenger resumes to grow its userbase. / © ANDROIDPIT Kik

Best all-around messaging app: WhatsApp

It’s not all about WhatsApp. but WhatsApp sure is a big part of it. While it doesn’t have the same feature-rich content as many of the other apps on this list, WhatsApp can’t be hammered for simpleness, reliability, and the sheer number of contacts using it. Chances are, if you know someone with a smartphone, they’ve got WhatsApp.

WhatsApp uses your existing contacts’ phone numbers, so you don’t need to add contacts by hand. You can send written messages, stickers, emojis and media, as well as broadcast and group messages.

WhatsApp also permits you to make free calls to your contacts and now you can make Google Drive backups of your talks, too.

WhatsApp is continually improving, but is also behind some of the competition. / © ANDROIDPIT WhatsApp Messenger

What would you say is the best instant messenger apps for Android? Let us know in the comments.

Best instant messenger apps for Android

Best instant messenger apps for Android

Update: Two fresh additions

It’s not all about WhatsApp, there are tons of instant messengers. We’ve rounded up the best Android has to suggest, so you can choose the one that best suits your individual tastes and needs. Here are the best instant messenger apps for Android.

Best for expanding your network: WeChat

There are few options for expanding your network. You could attempt Meetups but those are for specific venues. Social media sites like Facebook and Linkedin specifically forbid adding contacts you don’t know personally. There are dating apps but those are for, well, dating.

WeChat works like other messenger apps, in fact it works fairly well. The big difference is that it attempts to expand your network with potential contacts who are nearby. You just have to wiggle your phone and you could find someone on WeChat who’s also looking for a fresh friend. You can then add them or choose not to.

You can use the ‘Friend Radar’ to find friends who are nearby so you can meet up with them. When you do this a little ‘radar’ pops up on the app and searches for friends in your neighborhood. Once you see them on your radar you can talk with them and propose a meeting.

WeChat lets you find fresh contacts. / © ANDROIDPIT WeChat

Best for connecting with celebrities: KakaoTalk

KakaoTalk is effortless to use but has many sophisticated features. You have basic functions that perform indeed well and are fairly plain. But if you want to get more out of those features, you can quickly dig in and find other ways to use them.

There is a large network who use the feature ‘Plus Friends’ on KakaoTalk. This feature permits you to connect with people outside of your instant network. These could be everyday messengers in your area who are sharing content or could be bands, celebrities, companies, etc.

When you add a friend through ‘Plus Friends’ you get to see their feed where they can share content. You can see what your beloved band is doing and find off the hook releases from them. If you’re fortunate, you can even talk 1-on-1 with a celebrity. There’s a button for this next to their name. Give it a attempt, who knows, they might react.

KakaoTalk lets you connect with celebrities, in some cases, talk 1-on-1 with them. / © ANDROIDPIT KakaoTalk: Free Calls & Text

Best for contacts volume: Facebook Messenger

Facebook’s official instant messaging app has recently been made over to produce a quicker, cleaner service and interface. It’s much like WhatsApp (as are most of the apps on this list), but Messenger instantly connects to all of your Facebook contacts, making it one of the most convenient messaging apps, if nothing else.

A latest update is that you can also message non-Facebook friends by using their phone number. Messenger permits you to access all of your Facebook messages without using the main app or website. It also has stickers and emojis, groups, voice recordings, location data, free calls, photo sharing and more.

The unmistakably clean interface of Facebook Messenger. / © ANDROIDPIT Messenger

Best for movie calls: Skype

The granddaddy of movie calls, Skype has been around for forever and is still kicking strong. Skype is primarily used for calls, but the IM component is just as useful. In fact, we use it as our primary communication implement here at AndroidPIT.

Skype requires Skype IDs, so you’ll only be able to add friends if you know their Skype contact name. But once you do, you can send instant messages anytime you want, for free, as well as make movie calls. You can also add Skype credit and make cheap international calls to landlines and mobile phones.

The talk section offers group talk, media sharing, emoji and more. Plus you can have one account on several devices (something that WhatsApp doesn’t permit).

The original (but not necessarily the best), Skype still offers reliable messaging. / © ANDROIDPIT Skype – free IM & movie calls

Best for secure messaging: Telegram

Speed and security are the name of the game for Telegram. The app provides encrypted cross-platform messaging and it’s entirely free.

Founder Nikolai Durov stated that he set out to design a messenger that could not be accessed by Russian security agencies. When he suggested a prize of US$200,000 to anyone who could crack the app’s encryption protocol, no one managed it.

If you want a quick, free and secure messenger, Telegram comes very recommended.

Keep your messages safe from the FSB with Telegram. / © ANDROIDPIT Telegram

Best for off the hook features: Dasher

Dasher is making an effort to spice up the messenger market by employing some pretty cool and unusual features. It permits you to share GIFs and play YouTube movies directly in the talk window and there are rich URL previews: features that WhatsApp is only just commencing to catch up with.

One of Dasher’s most unusual additions is that of being able to share money with your friends using Venmo, something that no other messenger provides – useful when you’re lounging in bed remembering how your friend bundled you into a taxi last night.

For innovative features, Dasher is the way to go. / © ANDROIDPIT Dasher Messenger

Best for networking: Tango

It takes two to Tango, but there are slew more than that using the service. Tango does much the same as the rest: instant messaging, media sharing, stickers, group talk, movie calling, group talk, etc, but it also has a ton of extras. Tango recently went through a finish overhaul and now hosts a news feed and even dedicated news channels for you to go after.

Tango will automatically find your friends based on your contact list, but they must be using the service to display up (or you can invite them). Additionally, Tango can be used to place calls, find like-minded friends or people in the neighborhood using the service, which adds a bit more social networking to the mix than some other providers. The mid-call mini-games also help Tango stand out from the rest.

Tango is now much more than just a messaging app. / © ANDROIDPIT Tango – Free Movie Call & Talk

Best for SMS: Google Hangouts

Google set up Hangouts as the standard (but interchangeable) messaging app in Android Four.Four KitKat, and thanks to this it picked up a lot more users. Hangouts is a combined SMS and IM app, that separates the two types of messages, but can be used to automatically place voice calls and movie calls from your phone via Hangouts rather than traditional carriers.

Because it treats both SMS and IM, it cuts down on the number of apps you need to be working with, and its movie calling quality is arguably better than Skype’s. In addition, Hangouts integrates with Google+ in much the same way that Facebook Messenger interacts with Facebook, meaning contacts added via the social network can be called or messaged in the separate app. Be careful who you connect with if you’re a particularly private person.

Hangouts still has a long way to go, but as YouTube and Google+ grow, so will hangouts. / © ANDROIDPIT Hangouts

Best for sticker enthusiasts: Viber

Viber is indeed pushing the sticker market, where you can get tons of free and paid sticker packs, but the core business of Viber is instant messages. You can also send recorded voice messages like WhatsApp (but not movie calls like Skype) and you now have the option to call any phone number anywhere with Viber Out – much like adding Skype credit to call people who aren’t on the service.

The fresh look Viber is feature packed and looks fine. / © ANDROIDPIT Viber Messenger

Best up-and-coming messaging app: Line

Line is becoming more and more popular, and for good reason. With the recently added movie calling functionality, it is now as fully featured as Skype, but has a junior, sexier feel to it than the attempted and true Skype. It’s jam packed utter of stickers and other joy stuff, and is immensely popular via large parts of Asia. But it’s also feature-filled with group talks, multi-platform capabilities (phone, tablet, PC), timeline, recorded voice messages, media sharing and much, much more, including official account messages from celebrities you like. Line is kind of like Twitter, Facebook and Skype all spinned into one.

I’m pretty fresh to Line, but I’m liking it a lot already. / © ANDROIDPIT/Line LINE: Free Calls & Messages

Best for the office: BBM

After a substantial waiting period, BlackBerry’s messaging service ultimately made it to the Android platform last year. BBM is not as Androidy as the rest of the apps on this list, but it does suggest some very cool features including: always-on service (you don’t need to open the app to use it), timed and retractable messages, two-way opt-in (nobody can message you until you specifically permit them), delivery reporting, groups, emoticons, broadcast messages and more. The capability to choose who can message you, rather than it being available to anybody with your number, makes this an attractive messaging option.

One of BBM’s standout features is its capability to schedule messages. / © ANDROIDPIT / BlackBerry Limited BBM – Free Calls & Messages

Best for gamers: Razer Comms

However Razer Comms is a fantastic instant messenger in its own right, it’s very first and foremost known for its popularity in the gaming community. With an accompanying PC version too, Razer Comms permits to you to group conversations, free VoIP talk, and it makes it quick and effortless to connect with other gamers around the world. Think of it as Xfire for the smartphone era.

Razer Comms puts a serious concentrate on gamers. / © ANDROIDPIT / Razer Razer Comms – Gaming Messenger

Best for kicks: kik

"185 million people love Kik!" Says its Play Store description, proving there is more to messaging than just WhatsApp. Kik is a little more playful than the likes of WhatsApp, with more color and sticker options. Kik also houses its own built-in browser, to make movie and pic sharing inbetween friends elementary. It’s a rapid growing and friendly messenger with users from all over the planet. Give it a attempt.

Kik Messenger resumes to grow its userbase. / © ANDROIDPIT Kik

Best all-around messaging app: WhatsApp

It’s not all about WhatsApp. but WhatsApp sure is a big part of it. While it doesn’t have the same feature-rich content as many of the other apps on this list, WhatsApp can’t be hammered for plainness, reliability, and the sheer number of contacts using it. Chances are, if you know someone with a smartphone, they’ve got WhatsApp.

WhatsApp uses your existing contacts’ phone numbers, so you don’t need to add contacts by hand. You can send written messages, stickers, emojis and media, as well as broadcast and group messages.

WhatsApp also permits you to make free calls to your contacts and now you can make Google Drive backups of your talks, too.

WhatsApp is continually improving, but is also behind some of the competition. / © ANDROIDPIT WhatsApp Messenger

What would you say is the best instant messenger apps for Android? Let us know in the comments.

Best instant messenger apps for Android

Best instant messenger apps for Android

Update: Two fresh additions

It’s not all about WhatsApp, there are tons of instant messengers. We’ve rounded up the best Android has to suggest, so you can choose the one that best suits your individual tastes and needs. Here are the best instant messenger apps for Android.

Best for expanding your network: WeChat

There are few options for expanding your network. You could attempt Meetups but those are for specific venues. Social media sites like Facebook and Linkedin specifically forbid adding contacts you don’t know personally. There are dating apps but those are for, well, dating.

WeChat works like other messenger apps, in fact it works fairly well. The big difference is that it attempts to expand your network with potential contacts who are nearby. You just have to jiggle your phone and you could find someone on WeChat who’s also looking for a fresh friend. You can then add them or choose not to.

You can use the ‘Friend Radar’ to find friends who are nearby so you can meet up with them. When you do this a little ‘radar’ pops up on the app and searches for friends in your surroundings. Once you see them on your radar you can talk with them and propose a meeting.

WeChat lets you find fresh contacts. / © ANDROIDPIT WeChat

Best for connecting with celebrities: KakaoTalk

KakaoTalk is effortless to use but has many elaborate features. You have basic functions that perform truly well and are fairly ordinary. But if you want to get more out of those features, you can quickly dig in and find other ways to use them.

There is a large network who use the feature ‘Plus Friends’ on KakaoTalk. This feature permits you to connect with people outside of your instant network. These could be everyday messengers in your area who are sharing content or could be bands, celebrities, companies, etc.

When you add a friend through ‘Plus Friends’ you get to see their feed where they can share content. You can see what your dearest band is doing and find off the hook releases from them. If you’re fortunate, you can even talk 1-on-1 with a celebrity. There’s a button for this next to their name. Give it a attempt, who knows, they might react.

KakaoTalk lets you connect with celebrities, in some cases, talk 1-on-1 with them. / © ANDROIDPIT KakaoTalk: Free Calls & Text

Best for contacts volume: Facebook Messenger

Facebook’s official instant messaging app has recently been made over to supply a swifter, cleaner service and interface. It’s much like WhatsApp (as are most of the apps on this list), but Messenger instantly connects to all of your Facebook contacts, making it one of the most convenient messaging apps, if nothing else.

A latest update is that you can also message non-Facebook friends by using their phone number. Messenger permits you to access all of your Facebook messages without using the main app or website. It also has stickers and emojis, groups, voice recordings, location data, free calls, photo sharing and more.

The unmistakably clean interface of Facebook Messenger. / © ANDROIDPIT Messenger

Best for movie calls: Skype

The granddaddy of movie calls, Skype has been around for forever and is still kicking strong. Skype is primarily used for calls, but the IM component is just as useful. In fact, we use it as our primary communication device here at AndroidPIT.

Skype requires Skype IDs, so you’ll only be able to add friends if you know their Skype contact name. But once you do, you can send instant messages anytime you want, for free, as well as make movie calls. You can also add Skype credit and make cheap international calls to landlines and mobile phones.

The talk section offers group talk, media sharing, emoji and more. Plus you can have one account on several devices (something that WhatsApp doesn’t permit).

The original (but not necessarily the best), Skype still offers reliable messaging. / © ANDROIDPIT Skype – free IM & movie calls

Best for secure messaging: Telegram

Speed and security are the name of the game for Telegram. The app provides encrypted cross-platform messaging and it’s downright free.

Founder Nikolai Durov stated that he set out to design a messenger that could not be accessed by Russian security agencies. When he suggested a prize of US$200,000 to anyone who could crack the app’s encryption protocol, no one managed it.

If you want a swift, free and secure messenger, Telegram comes very recommended.

Keep your messages safe from the FSB with Telegram. / © ANDROIDPIT Telegram

Best for sensational features: Dasher

Dasher is making an effort to spice up the messenger market by employing some pretty cool and unusual features. It permits you to share GIFs and play YouTube movies directly in the talk window and there are rich URL previews: features that WhatsApp is only just kicking off to catch up with.

One of Dasher’s most unusual additions is that of being able to share money with your friends using Venmo, something that no other messenger provides – useful when you’re lounging in bed remembering how your friend bundled you into a taxi last night.

For innovative features, Dasher is the way to go. / © ANDROIDPIT Dasher Messenger

Best for networking: Tango

It takes two to Tango, but there are slew more than that using the service. Tango does much the same as the rest: instant messaging, media sharing, stickers, group talk, movie calling, group talk, etc, but it also has a ton of extras. Tango recently went through a accomplish overhaul and now hosts a news feed and even dedicated news channels for you to go after.

Tango will automatically find your friends based on your contact list, but they must be using the service to demonstrate up (or you can invite them). Additionally, Tango can be used to place calls, find like-minded friends or people in the neighborhood using the service, which adds a bit more social networking to the mix than some other providers. The mid-call mini-games also help Tango stand out from the rest.

Tango is now much more than just a messaging app. / © ANDROIDPIT Tango – Free Movie Call & Talk

Best for SMS: Google Hangouts

Google set up Hangouts as the standard (but interchangeable) messaging app in Android Four.Four KitKat, and thanks to this it picked up a lot more users. Hangouts is a combined SMS and IM app, that separates the two types of messages, but can be used to automatically place voice calls and movie calls from your phone via Hangouts rather than traditional carriers.

Because it treats both SMS and IM, it cuts down on the number of apps you need to be working with, and its movie calling quality is arguably better than Skype’s. In addition, Hangouts integrates with Google+ in much the same way that Facebook Messenger interacts with Facebook, meaning contacts added via the social network can be called or messaged in the separate app. Be careful who you connect with if you’re a particularly private person.

Hangouts still has a long way to go, but as YouTube and Google+ grow, so will hangouts. / © ANDROIDPIT Hangouts

Best for sticker enthusiasts: Viber

Viber is indeed pushing the sticker market, where you can get tons of free and paid sticker packs, but the core business of Viber is instant messages. You can also send recorded voice messages like WhatsApp (but not movie calls like Skype) and you now have the option to call any phone number anywhere with Viber Out – much like adding Skype credit to call people who aren’t on the service.

The fresh look Viber is feature packed and looks superb. / © ANDROIDPIT Viber Messenger

Best up-and-coming messaging app: Line

Line is becoming more and more popular, and for good reason. With the recently added movie calling functionality, it is now as fully featured as Skype, but has a junior, sexier feel to it than the attempted and true Skype. It’s jam packed total of stickers and other joy stuff, and is immensely popular across large parts of Asia. But it’s also feature-filled with group talks, multi-platform capabilities (phone, tablet, PC), timeline, recorded voice messages, media sharing and much, much more, including official account messages from celebrities you like. Line is kind of like Twitter, Facebook and Skype all flipped into one.

I’m pretty fresh to Line, but I’m liking it a lot already. / © ANDROIDPIT/Line LINE: Free Calls & Messages

Best for the office: BBM

After a substantial waiting period, BlackBerry’s messaging service eventually made it to the Android platform last year. BBM is not as Androidy as the rest of the apps on this list, but it does suggest some very cool features including: always-on service (you don’t need to open the app to use it), timed and retractable messages, two-way opt-in (nobody can message you until you specifically permit them), delivery reporting, groups, emoticons, broadcast messages and more. The capability to choose who can message you, rather than it being available to anybody with your number, makes this an attractive messaging option.

One of BBM’s standout features is its capability to schedule messages. / © ANDROIDPIT / BlackBerry Limited BBM – Free Calls & Messages

Best for gamers: Razer Comms

Tho’ Razer Comms is a fantastic instant messenger in its own right, it’s very first and foremost known for its popularity in the gaming community. With an accompanying PC version too, Razer Comms permits to you to group conversations, free VoIP talk, and it makes it quick and effortless to connect with other gamers around the world. Think of it as Xfire for the smartphone era.

Razer Comms puts a serious concentrate on gamers. / © ANDROIDPIT / Razer Razer Comms – Gaming Messenger

Best for kicks: kik

"185 million people love Kik!" Says its Play Store description, proving there is more to messaging than just WhatsApp. Kik is a little more playful than the likes of WhatsApp, with more color and sticker options. Kik also houses its own built-in browser, to make movie and picture sharing inbetween friends ordinary. It’s a swift growing and friendly messenger with users from all over the planet. Give it a attempt.

Kik Messenger resumes to grow its userbase. / © ANDROIDPIT Kik

Best all-around messaging app: WhatsApp

It’s not all about WhatsApp. but WhatsApp sure is a big part of it. While it doesn’t have the same feature-rich content as many of the other apps on this list, WhatsApp can’t be hammered for simpleness, reliability, and the sheer number of contacts using it. Chances are, if you know someone with a smartphone, they’ve got WhatsApp.

WhatsApp uses your existing contacts’ phone numbers, so you don’t need to add contacts by hand. You can send written messages, stickers, emojis and media, as well as broadcast and group messages.

WhatsApp also permits you to make free calls to your contacts and now you can make Google Drive backups of your talks, too.

WhatsApp is continually improving, but is also behind some of the competition. / © ANDROIDPIT WhatsApp Messenger

What would you say is the best instant messenger apps for Android? Let us know in the comments.

Best instant messenger apps for Android

Best instant messenger apps for Android

Update: Two fresh additions

It’s not all about WhatsApp, there are tons of instant messengers. We’ve rounded up the best Android has to suggest, so you can choose the one that best suits your individual tastes and needs. Here are the best instant messenger apps for Android.

Best for expanding your network: WeChat

There are few options for expanding your network. You could attempt Meetups but those are for specific venues. Social media sites like Facebook and Linkedin specifically forbid adding contacts you don’t know personally. There are dating apps but those are for, well, dating.

WeChat works like other messenger apps, in fact it works fairly well. The big difference is that it attempts to expand your network with potential contacts who are nearby. You just have to wiggle your phone and you could find someone on WeChat who’s also looking for a fresh friend. You can then add them or choose not to.

You can use the ‘Friend Radar’ to find friends who are nearby so you can meet up with them. When you do this a little ‘radar’ pops up on the app and searches for friends in your surroundings. Once you see them on your radar you can talk with them and propose a meeting.

WeChat lets you find fresh contacts. / © ANDROIDPIT WeChat

Best for connecting with celebrities: KakaoTalk

KakaoTalk is effortless to use but has many complicated features. You have basic functions that perform truly well and are fairly ordinary. But if you want to get more out of those features, you can quickly dig in and find other ways to use them.

There is a large network who use the feature ‘Plus Friends’ on KakaoTalk. This feature permits you to connect with people outside of your instant network. These could be everyday messengers in your area who are sharing content or could be bands, celebrities, companies, etc.

When you add a friend through ‘Plus Friends’ you get to see their feed where they can share content. You can see what your dearest band is doing and find sensational releases from them. If you’re fortunate, you can even talk 1-on-1 with a celebrity. There’s a button for this next to their name. Give it a attempt, who knows, they might react.

KakaoTalk lets you connect with celebrities, in some cases, talk 1-on-1 with them. / © ANDROIDPIT KakaoTalk: Free Calls & Text

Best for contacts volume: Facebook Messenger

Facebook’s official instant messaging app has recently been made over to produce a swifter, cleaner service and interface. It’s much like WhatsApp (as are most of the apps on this list), but Messenger instantly connects to all of your Facebook contacts, making it one of the most convenient messaging apps, if nothing else.

A latest update is that you can also message non-Facebook friends by using their phone number. Messenger permits you to access all of your Facebook messages without using the main app or website. It also has stickers and emojis, groups, voice recordings, location data, free calls, photo sharing and more.

The unmistakably clean interface of Facebook Messenger. / © ANDROIDPIT Messenger

Best for movie calls: Skype

The granddaddy of movie calls, Skype has been around for forever and is still kicking strong. Skype is primarily used for calls, but the IM component is just as useful. In fact, we use it as our primary communication instrument here at AndroidPIT.

Skype requires Skype IDs, so you’ll only be able to add friends if you know their Skype contact name. But once you do, you can send instant messages anytime you want, for free, as well as make movie calls. You can also add Skype credit and make cheap international calls to landlines and mobile phones.

The talk section offers group talk, media sharing, emoji and more. Plus you can have one account on several devices (something that WhatsApp doesn’t permit).

The original (but not necessarily the best), Skype still offers reliable messaging. / © ANDROIDPIT Skype – free IM & movie calls

Best for secure messaging: Telegram

Speed and security are the name of the game for Telegram. The app provides encrypted cross-platform messaging and it’s totally free.

Founder Nikolai Durov stated that he set out to design a messenger that could not be accessed by Russian security agencies. When he suggested a prize of US$200,000 to anyone who could crack the app’s encryption protocol, no one managed it.

If you want a swift, free and secure messenger, Telegram comes very recommended.

Keep your messages safe from the FSB with Telegram. / © ANDROIDPIT Telegram

Best for off the hook features: Dasher

Dasher is making an effort to spice up the messenger market by employing some pretty cool and unusual features. It permits you to share GIFs and play YouTube movies directly in the talk window and there are rich URL previews: features that WhatsApp is only just kicking off to catch up with.

One of Dasher’s most unusual additions is that of being able to share money with your friends using Venmo, something that no other messenger provides – useful when you’re lounging in bed remembering how your friend bundled you into a taxi last night.

For innovative features, Dasher is the way to go. / © ANDROIDPIT Dasher Messenger

Best for networking: Tango

It takes two to Tango, but there are slew more than that using the service. Tango does much the same as the rest: instant messaging, media sharing, stickers, group talk, movie calling, group talk, etc, but it also has a ton of extras. Tango recently went through a accomplish overhaul and now hosts a news feed and even dedicated news channels for you to go after.

Tango will automatically find your friends based on your contact list, but they must be using the service to demonstrate up (or you can invite them). Additionally, Tango can be used to place calls, find like-minded friends or people in the neighborhood using the service, which adds a bit more social networking to the mix than some other providers. The mid-call mini-games also help Tango stand out from the rest.

Tango is now much more than just a messaging app. / © ANDROIDPIT Tango – Free Movie Call & Talk

Best for SMS: Google Hangouts

Google set up Hangouts as the standard (but interchangeable) messaging app in Android Four.Four KitKat, and thanks to this it picked up a lot more users. Hangouts is a combined SMS and IM app, that separates the two types of messages, but can be used to automatically place voice calls and movie calls from your phone via Hangouts rather than traditional carriers.

Because it treats both SMS and IM, it cuts down on the number of apps you need to be working with, and its movie calling quality is arguably better than Skype’s. In addition, Hangouts integrates with Google+ in much the same way that Facebook Messenger interacts with Facebook, meaning contacts added via the social network can be called or messaged in the separate app. Be careful who you connect with if you’re a particularly private person.

Hangouts still has a long way to go, but as YouTube and Google+ grow, so will hangouts. / © ANDROIDPIT Hangouts

Best for sticker enthusiasts: Viber

Viber is indeed pushing the sticker market, where you can get tons of free and paid sticker packs, but the core business of Viber is instant messages. You can also send recorded voice messages like WhatsApp (but not movie calls like Skype) and you now have the option to call any phone number anywhere with Viber Out – much like adding Skype credit to call people who aren’t on the service.

The fresh look Viber is feature packed and looks superb. / © ANDROIDPIT Viber Messenger

Best up-and-coming messaging app: Line

Line is becoming more and more popular, and for good reason. With the recently added movie calling functionality, it is now as fully featured as Skype, but has a junior, sexier feel to it than the attempted and true Skype. It’s jam packed total of stickers and other joy stuff, and is immensely popular across large parts of Asia. But it’s also feature-filled with group talks, multi-platform capabilities (phone, tablet, PC), timeline, recorded voice messages, media sharing and much, much more, including official account messages from celebrities you like. Line is kind of like Twitter, Facebook and Skype all spinned into one.

I’m pretty fresh to Line, but I’m liking it a lot already. / © ANDROIDPIT/Line LINE: Free Calls & Messages

Best for the office: BBM

After a substantial waiting period, BlackBerry’s messaging service ultimately made it to the Android platform last year. BBM is not as Androidy as the rest of the apps on this list, but it does suggest some very cool features including: always-on service (you don’t need to open the app to use it), timed and retractable messages, two-way opt-in (nobody can message you until you specifically permit them), delivery reporting, groups, emoticons, broadcast messages and more. The capability to choose who can message you, rather than it being available to anybody with your number, makes this an attractive messaging option.

One of BBM’s standout features is its capability to schedule messages. / © ANDROIDPIT / BlackBerry Limited BBM – Free Calls & Messages

Best for gamers: Razer Comms

However Razer Comms is a fantastic instant messenger in its own right, it’s very first and foremost known for its popularity in the gaming community. With an accompanying PC version too, Razer Comms permits to you to group conversations, free VoIP talk, and it makes it quick and effortless to connect with other gamers around the world. Think of it as Xfire for the smartphone era.

Razer Comms puts a serious concentrate on gamers. / © ANDROIDPIT / Razer Razer Comms – Gaming Messenger

Best for kicks: kik

"185 million people love Kik!" Says its Play Store description, proving there is more to messaging than just WhatsApp. Kik is a little more playful than the likes of WhatsApp, with more color and sticker options. Kik also houses its own built-in browser, to make movie and pic sharing inbetween friends elementary. It’s a rapid growing and friendly messenger with users from all over the planet. Give it a attempt.

Kik Messenger resumes to grow its userbase. / © ANDROIDPIT Kik

Best all-around messaging app: WhatsApp

It’s not all about WhatsApp. but WhatsApp sure is a big part of it. While it doesn’t have the same feature-rich content as many of the other apps on this list, WhatsApp can’t be hammered for plainness, reliability, and the sheer number of contacts using it. Chances are, if you know someone with a smartphone, they’ve got WhatsApp.

WhatsApp uses your existing contacts’ phone numbers, so you don’t need to add contacts by hand. You can send written messages, stickers, emojis and media, as well as broadcast and group messages.

WhatsApp also permits you to make free calls to your contacts and now you can make Google Drive backups of your talks, too.

WhatsApp is continually improving, but is also behind some of the competition. / © ANDROIDPIT WhatsApp Messenger

What would you say is the best instant messenger apps for Android? Let us know in the comments.

Best instant messenger apps for Android

Best instant messenger apps for Android

Update: Two fresh additions

It’s not all about WhatsApp, there are tons of instant messengers. We’ve rounded up the best Android has to suggest, so you can choose the one that best suits your individual tastes and needs. Here are the best instant messenger apps for Android.

Best for expanding your network: WeChat

There are few options for expanding your network. You could attempt Meetups but those are for specific venues. Social media sites like Facebook and Linkedin specifically forbid adding contacts you don’t know personally. There are dating apps but those are for, well, dating.

WeChat works like other messenger apps, in fact it works fairly well. The big difference is that it attempts to expand your network with potential contacts who are nearby. You just have to wiggle your phone and you could find someone on WeChat who’s also looking for a fresh friend. You can then add them or choose not to.

You can use the ‘Friend Radar’ to find friends who are nearby so you can meet up with them. When you do this a little ‘radar’ pops up on the app and searches for friends in your surroundings. Once you see them on your radar you can talk with them and propose a meeting.

WeChat lets you find fresh contacts. / © ANDROIDPIT WeChat

Best for connecting with celebrities: KakaoTalk

KakaoTalk is effortless to use but has many complicated features. You have basic functions that perform truly well and are fairly elementary. But if you want to get more out of those features, you can quickly dig in and find other ways to use them.

There is a large network who use the feature ‘Plus Friends’ on KakaoTalk. This feature permits you to connect with people outside of your instantaneous network. These could be everyday messengers in your area who are sharing content or could be bands, celebrities, companies, etc.

When you add a friend through ‘Plus Friends’ you get to see their feed where they can share content. You can see what your dearest band is doing and find special releases from them. If you’re fortunate, you can even talk 1-on-1 with a celebrity. There’s a button for this next to their name. Give it a attempt, who knows, they might react.

KakaoTalk lets you connect with celebrities, in some cases, talk 1-on-1 with them. / © ANDROIDPIT KakaoTalk: Free Calls & Text

Best for contacts volume: Facebook Messenger

Facebook’s official instant messaging app has recently been made over to produce a quicker, cleaner service and interface. It’s much like WhatsApp (as are most of the apps on this list), but Messenger instantly connects to all of your Facebook contacts, making it one of the most convenient messaging apps, if nothing else.

A latest update is that you can also message non-Facebook friends by using their phone number. Messenger permits you to access all of your Facebook messages without using the main app or website. It also has stickers and emojis, groups, voice recordings, location data, free calls, photo sharing and more.

The unmistakably clean interface of Facebook Messenger. / © ANDROIDPIT Messenger

Best for movie calls: Skype

The granddaddy of movie calls, Skype has been around for forever and is still kicking strong. Skype is primarily used for calls, but the IM component is just as useful. In fact, we use it as our primary communication contraption here at AndroidPIT.

Skype requires Skype IDs, so you’ll only be able to add friends if you know their Skype contact name. But once you do, you can send instant messages anytime you want, for free, as well as make movie calls. You can also add Skype credit and make cheap international calls to landlines and mobile phones.

The talk section offers group talk, media sharing, emoji and more. Plus you can have one account on several devices (something that WhatsApp doesn’t permit).

The original (but not necessarily the best), Skype still offers reliable messaging. / © ANDROIDPIT Skype – free IM & movie calls

Best for secure messaging: Telegram

Speed and security are the name of the game for Telegram. The app provides encrypted cross-platform messaging and it’s entirely free.

Founder Nikolai Durov stated that he set out to design a messenger that could not be accessed by Russian security agencies. When he suggested a prize of US$200,000 to anyone who could crack the app’s encryption protocol, no one managed it.

If you want a rapid, free and secure messenger, Telegram comes very recommended.

Keep your messages safe from the FSB with Telegram. / © ANDROIDPIT Telegram

Best for sensational features: Dasher

Dasher is making an effort to spice up the messenger market by employing some pretty cool and unusual features. It permits you to share GIFs and play YouTube movies directly in the talk window and there are rich URL previews: features that WhatsApp is only just embarking to catch up with.

One of Dasher’s most unusual additions is that of being able to share money with your friends using Venmo, something that no other messenger provides – useful when you’re lounging in bed remembering how your friend bundled you into a taxi last night.

For innovative features, Dasher is the way to go. / © ANDROIDPIT Dasher Messenger

Best for networking: Tango

It takes two to Tango, but there are slew more than that using the service. Tango does much the same as the rest: instant messaging, media sharing, stickers, group talk, movie calling, group talk, etc, but it also has a ton of extras. Tango recently went through a accomplish overhaul and now hosts a news feed and even dedicated news channels for you to go after.

Tango will automatically find your friends based on your contact list, but they must be using the service to display up (or you can invite them). Additionally, Tango can be used to place calls, find like-minded friends or people in the surroundings using the service, which adds a bit more social networking to the mix than some other providers. The mid-call mini-games also help Tango stand out from the rest.

Tango is now much more than just a messaging app. / © ANDROIDPIT Tango – Free Movie Call & Talk

Best for SMS: Google Hangouts

Google set up Hangouts as the standard (but interchangeable) messaging app in Android Four.Four KitKat, and thanks to this it picked up a lot more users. Hangouts is a combined SMS and IM app, that separates the two types of messages, but can be used to automatically place voice calls and movie calls from your phone via Hangouts rather than traditional carriers.

Because it treats both SMS and IM, it cuts down on the number of apps you need to be working with, and its movie calling quality is arguably better than Skype’s. In addition, Hangouts integrates with Google+ in much the same way that Facebook Messenger interacts with Facebook, meaning contacts added via the social network can be called or messaged in the separate app. Be careful who you connect with if you’re a particularly private person.

Hangouts still has a long way to go, but as YouTube and Google+ grow, so will hangouts. / © ANDROIDPIT Hangouts

Best for sticker enthusiasts: Viber

Viber is truly pushing the sticker market, where you can get tons of free and paid sticker packs, but the core business of Viber is instant messages. You can also send recorded voice messages like WhatsApp (but not movie calls like Skype) and you now have the option to call any phone number anywhere with Viber Out – much like adding Skype credit to call people who aren’t on the service.

The fresh look Viber is feature packed and looks fine. / © ANDROIDPIT Viber Messenger

Best up-and-coming messaging app: Line

Line is becoming more and more popular, and for good reason. With the recently added movie calling functionality, it is now as fully featured as Skype, but has a junior, sexier feel to it than the attempted and true Skype. It’s jam packed total of stickers and other joy stuff, and is immensely popular across large parts of Asia. But it’s also feature-filled with group talks, multi-platform capabilities (phone, tablet, PC), timeline, recorded voice messages, media sharing and much, much more, including official account messages from celebrities you like. Line is kind of like Twitter, Facebook and Skype all flipped into one.

I’m pretty fresh to Line, but I’m liking it a lot already. / © ANDROIDPIT/Line LINE: Free Calls & Messages

Best for the office: BBM

After a substantial waiting period, BlackBerry’s messaging service ultimately made it to the Android platform last year. BBM is not as Androidy as the rest of the apps on this list, but it does suggest some very cool features including: always-on service (you don’t need to open the app to use it), timed and retractable messages, two-way opt-in (nobody can message you until you specifically permit them), delivery reporting, groups, emoticons, broadcast messages and more. The capability to choose who can message you, rather than it being available to anybody with your number, makes this an attractive messaging option.

One of BBM’s standout features is its capability to schedule messages. / © ANDROIDPIT / BlackBerry Limited BBM – Free Calls & Messages

Best for gamers: Razer Comms

Tho’ Razer Comms is a fantastic instant messenger in its own right, it’s very first and foremost known for its popularity in the gaming community. With an accompanying PC version too, Razer Comms permits to you to group conversations, free VoIP talk, and it makes it quick and effortless to connect with other gamers around the world. Think of it as Xfire for the smartphone era.

Razer Comms puts a serious concentrate on gamers. / © ANDROIDPIT / Razer Razer Comms – Gaming Messenger

Best for kicks: kik

"185 million people love Kik!" Says its Play Store description, proving there is more to messaging than just WhatsApp. Kik is a little more playful than the likes of WhatsApp, with more color and sticker options. Kik also houses its own built-in browser, to make movie and picture sharing inbetween friends elementary. It’s a swift growing and friendly messenger with users from all over the planet. Give it a attempt.

Kik Messenger resumes to grow its userbase. / © ANDROIDPIT Kik

Best all-around messaging app: WhatsApp

It’s not all about WhatsApp. but WhatsApp sure is a big part of it. While it doesn’t have the same feature-rich content as many of the other apps on this list, WhatsApp can’t be hammered for plainness, reliability, and the sheer number of contacts using it. Chances are, if you know someone with a smartphone, they’ve got WhatsApp.

WhatsApp uses your existing contacts’ phone numbers, so you don’t need to add contacts by hand. You can send written messages, stickers, emojis and media, as well as broadcast and group messages.

WhatsApp also permits you to make free calls to your contacts and now you can make Google Drive backups of your talks, too.

WhatsApp is continually improving, but is also behind some of the competition. / © ANDROIDPIT WhatsApp Messenger

What would you say is the best instant messenger apps for Android? Let us know in the comments.

Best instant messenger apps for Android

Best instant messenger apps for Android

Update: Two fresh additions

It’s not all about WhatsApp, there are tons of instant messengers. We’ve rounded up the best Android has to suggest, so you can choose the one that best suits your individual tastes and needs. Here are the best instant messenger apps for Android.

Best for expanding your network: WeChat

There are few options for expanding your network. You could attempt Meetups but those are for specific venues. Social media sites like Facebook and Linkedin specifically forbid adding contacts you don’t know personally. There are dating apps but those are for, well, dating.

WeChat works like other messenger apps, in fact it works fairly well. The big difference is that it attempts to expand your network with potential contacts who are nearby. You just have to wiggle your phone and you could find someone on WeChat who’s also looking for a fresh friend. You can then add them or choose not to.

You can use the ‘Friend Radar’ to find friends who are nearby so you can meet up with them. When you do this a little ‘radar’ pops up on the app and searches for friends in your neighborhood. Once you see them on your radar you can talk with them and propose a meeting.

WeChat lets you find fresh contacts. / © ANDROIDPIT WeChat

Best for connecting with celebrities: KakaoTalk

KakaoTalk is effortless to use but has many sophisticated features. You have basic functions that perform truly well and are fairly plain. But if you want to get more out of those features, you can quickly dig in and find other ways to use them.

There is a large network who use the feature ‘Plus Friends’ on KakaoTalk. This feature permits you to connect with people outside of your instantaneous network. These could be everyday messengers in your area who are sharing content or could be bands, celebrities, companies, etc.

When you add a friend through ‘Plus Friends’ you get to see their feed where they can share content. You can see what your beloved band is doing and find sensational releases from them. If you’re fortunate, you can even talk 1-on-1 with a celebrity. There’s a button for this next to their name. Give it a attempt, who knows, they might react.

KakaoTalk lets you connect with celebrities, in some cases, talk 1-on-1 with them. / © ANDROIDPIT KakaoTalk: Free Calls & Text

Best for contacts volume: Facebook Messenger

Facebook’s official instant messaging app has recently been made over to supply a swifter, cleaner service and interface. It’s much like WhatsApp (as are most of the apps on this list), but Messenger instantly connects to all of your Facebook contacts, making it one of the most convenient messaging apps, if nothing else.

A latest update is that you can also message non-Facebook friends by using their phone number. Messenger permits you to access all of your Facebook messages without using the main app or website. It also has stickers and emojis, groups, voice recordings, location data, free calls, photo sharing and more.

The unmistakably clean interface of Facebook Messenger. / © ANDROIDPIT Messenger

Best for movie calls: Skype

The granddaddy of movie calls, Skype has been around for forever and is still kicking strong. Skype is primarily used for calls, but the IM component is just as useful. In fact, we use it as our primary communication instrument here at AndroidPIT.

Skype requires Skype IDs, so you’ll only be able to add friends if you know their Skype contact name. But once you do, you can send instant messages anytime you want, for free, as well as make movie calls. You can also add Skype credit and make cheap international calls to landlines and mobile phones.

The talk section offers group talk, media sharing, emoji and more. Plus you can have one account on several devices (something that WhatsApp doesn’t permit).

The original (but not necessarily the best), Skype still offers reliable messaging. / © ANDROIDPIT Skype – free IM & movie calls

Best for secure messaging: Telegram

Speed and security are the name of the game for Telegram. The app provides encrypted cross-platform messaging and it’s fully free.

Founder Nikolai Durov stated that he set out to design a messenger that could not be accessed by Russian security agencies. When he suggested a prize of US$200,000 to anyone who could crack the app’s encryption protocol, no one managed it.

If you want a quick, free and secure messenger, Telegram comes very recommended.

Keep your messages safe from the FSB with Telegram. / © ANDROIDPIT Telegram

Best for sensational features: Dasher

Dasher is making an effort to spice up the messenger market by employing some pretty cool and unusual features. It permits you to share GIFs and play YouTube movies directly in the talk window and there are rich URL previews: features that WhatsApp is only just kicking off to catch up with.

One of Dasher’s most unusual additions is that of being able to share money with your friends using Venmo, something that no other messenger provides – useful when you’re lounging in bed remembering how your friend bundled you into a taxi last night.

For innovative features, Dasher is the way to go. / © ANDROIDPIT Dasher Messenger

Best for networking: Tango

It takes two to Tango, but there are slew more than that using the service. Tango does much the same as the rest: instant messaging, media sharing, stickers, group talk, movie calling, group talk, etc, but it also has a ton of extras. Tango recently went through a accomplish overhaul and now hosts a news feed and even dedicated news channels for you to go after.

Tango will automatically find your friends based on your contact list, but they must be using the service to display up (or you can invite them). Additionally, Tango can be used to place calls, find like-minded friends or people in the neighborhood using the service, which adds a bit more social networking to the mix than some other providers. The mid-call mini-games also help Tango stand out from the rest.

Tango is now much more than just a messaging app. / © ANDROIDPIT Tango – Free Movie Call & Talk

Best for SMS: Google Hangouts

Google set up Hangouts as the standard (but interchangeable) messaging app in Android Four.Four KitKat, and thanks to this it picked up a lot more users. Hangouts is a combined SMS and IM app, that separates the two types of messages, but can be used to automatically place voice calls and movie calls from your phone via Hangouts rather than traditional carriers.

Because it treats both SMS and IM, it cuts down on the number of apps you need to be working with, and its movie calling quality is arguably better than Skype’s. In addition, Hangouts integrates with Google+ in much the same way that Facebook Messenger interacts with Facebook, meaning contacts added via the social network can be called or messaged in the separate app. Be careful who you connect with if you’re a particularly private person.

Hangouts still has a long way to go, but as YouTube and Google+ grow, so will hangouts. / © ANDROIDPIT Hangouts

Best for sticker enthusiasts: Viber

Viber is indeed pushing the sticker market, where you can get tons of free and paid sticker packs, but the core business of Viber is instant messages. You can also send recorded voice messages like WhatsApp (but not movie calls like Skype) and you now have the option to call any phone number anywhere with Viber Out – much like adding Skype credit to call people who aren’t on the service.

The fresh look Viber is feature packed and looks excellent. / © ANDROIDPIT Viber Messenger

Best up-and-coming messaging app: Line

Line is becoming more and more popular, and for good reason. With the recently added movie calling functionality, it is now as fully featured as Skype, but has a junior, sexier feel to it than the attempted and true Skype. It’s jam packed total of stickers and other joy stuff, and is immensely popular across large parts of Asia. But it’s also feature-filled with group talks, multi-platform capabilities (phone, tablet, PC), timeline, recorded voice messages, media sharing and much, much more, including official account messages from celebrities you like. Line is kind of like Twitter, Facebook and Skype all flipped into one.

I’m pretty fresh to Line, but I’m liking it a lot already. / © ANDROIDPIT/Line LINE: Free Calls & Messages

Best for the office: BBM

After a substantial waiting period, BlackBerry’s messaging service ultimately made it to the Android platform last year. BBM is not as Androidy as the rest of the apps on this list, but it does suggest some very cool features including: always-on service (you don’t need to open the app to use it), timed and retractable messages, two-way opt-in (nobody can message you until you specifically permit them), delivery reporting, groups, emoticons, broadcast messages and more. The capability to choose who can message you, rather than it being available to anybody with your number, makes this an attractive messaging option.

One of BBM’s standout features is its capability to schedule messages. / © ANDROIDPIT / BlackBerry Limited BBM – Free Calls & Messages

Best for gamers: Razer Comms

However Razer Comms is a fantastic instant messenger in its own right, it’s very first and foremost known for its popularity in the gaming community. With an accompanying PC version too, Razer Comms permits to you to group conversations, free VoIP talk, and it makes it quick and effortless to connect with other gamers around the world. Think of it as Xfire for the smartphone era.

Razer Comms puts a serious concentrate on gamers. / © ANDROIDPIT / Razer Razer Comms – Gaming Messenger

Best for kicks: kik

"185 million people love Kik!" Says its Play Store description, proving there is more to messaging than just WhatsApp. Kik is a little more playful than the likes of WhatsApp, with more color and sticker options. Kik also houses its own built-in browser, to make movie and photo sharing inbetween friends plain. It’s a swift growing and friendly messenger with users from all over the planet. Give it a attempt.

Kik Messenger proceeds to grow its userbase. / © ANDROIDPIT Kik

Best all-around messaging app: WhatsApp

It’s not all about WhatsApp. but WhatsApp sure is a big part of it. While it doesn’t have the same feature-rich content as many of the other apps on this list, WhatsApp can’t be hammered for plainness, reliability, and the sheer number of contacts using it. Chances are, if you know someone with a smartphone, they’ve got WhatsApp.

WhatsApp uses your existing contacts’ phone numbers, so you don’t need to add contacts by hand. You can send written messages, stickers, emojis and media, as well as broadcast and group messages.

WhatsApp also permits you to make free calls to your contacts and now you can make Google Drive backups of your talks, too.

WhatsApp is continually improving, but is also behind some of the competition. / © ANDROIDPIT WhatsApp Messenger

What would you say is the best instant messenger apps for Android? Let us know in the comments.

Best instant messenger apps for Android

Best instant messenger apps for Android

Update: Two fresh additions

It’s not all about WhatsApp, there are tons of instant messengers. We’ve rounded up the best Android has to suggest, so you can choose the one that best suits your individual tastes and needs. Here are the best instant messenger apps for Android.

Best for expanding your network: WeChat

There are few options for expanding your network. You could attempt Meetups but those are for specific venues. Social media sites like Facebook and Linkedin specifically forbid adding contacts you don’t know personally. There are dating apps but those are for, well, dating.

WeChat works like other messenger apps, in fact it works fairly well. The big difference is that it attempts to expand your network with potential contacts who are nearby. You just have to jiggle your phone and you could find someone on WeChat who’s also looking for a fresh friend. You can then add them or choose not to.

You can use the ‘Friend Radar’ to find friends who are nearby so you can meet up with them. When you do this a little ‘radar’ pops up on the app and searches for friends in your neighborhood. Once you see them on your radar you can talk with them and propose a meeting.

WeChat lets you find fresh contacts. / © ANDROIDPIT WeChat

Best for connecting with celebrities: KakaoTalk

KakaoTalk is effortless to use but has many sophisticated features. You have basic functions that perform indeed well and are fairly plain. But if you want to get more out of those features, you can quickly dig in and find other ways to use them.

There is a large network who use the feature ‘Plus Friends’ on KakaoTalk. This feature permits you to connect with people outside of your instant network. These could be everyday messengers in your area who are sharing content or could be bands, celebrities, companies, etc.

When you add a friend through ‘Plus Friends’ you get to see their feed where they can share content. You can see what your dearest band is doing and find sensational releases from them. If you’re fortunate, you can even talk 1-on-1 with a celebrity. There’s a button for this next to their name. Give it a attempt, who knows, they might react.

KakaoTalk lets you connect with celebrities, in some cases, talk 1-on-1 with them. / © ANDROIDPIT KakaoTalk: Free Calls & Text

Best for contacts volume: Facebook Messenger

Facebook’s official instant messaging app has recently been made over to produce a swifter, cleaner service and interface. It’s much like WhatsApp (as are most of the apps on this list), but Messenger instantly connects to all of your Facebook contacts, making it one of the most convenient messaging apps, if nothing else.

A latest update is that you can also message non-Facebook friends by using their phone number. Messenger permits you to access all of your Facebook messages without using the main app or website. It also has stickers and emojis, groups, voice recordings, location data, free calls, photo sharing and more.

The unmistakably clean interface of Facebook Messenger. / © ANDROIDPIT Messenger

Best for movie calls: Skype

The granddaddy of movie calls, Skype has been around for forever and is still kicking strong. Skype is primarily used for calls, but the IM component is just as useful. In fact, we use it as our primary communication contraption here at AndroidPIT.

Skype requires Skype IDs, so you’ll only be able to add friends if you know their Skype contact name. But once you do, you can send instant messages anytime you want, for free, as well as make movie calls. You can also add Skype credit and make cheap international calls to landlines and mobile phones.

The talk section offers group talk, media sharing, emoji and more. Plus you can have one account on several devices (something that WhatsApp doesn’t permit).

The original (but not necessarily the best), Skype still offers reliable messaging. / © ANDROIDPIT Skype – free IM & movie calls

Best for secure messaging: Telegram

Speed and security are the name of the game for Telegram. The app provides encrypted cross-platform messaging and it’s fully free.

Founder Nikolai Durov stated that he set out to design a messenger that could not be accessed by Russian security agencies. When he suggested a prize of US$200,000 to anyone who could crack the app’s encryption protocol, no one managed it.

If you want a rapid, free and secure messenger, Telegram comes very recommended.

Keep your messages safe from the FSB with Telegram. / © ANDROIDPIT Telegram

Best for off the hook features: Dasher

Dasher is making an effort to spice up the messenger market by employing some pretty cool and unusual features. It permits you to share GIFs and play YouTube movies directly in the talk window and there are rich URL previews: features that WhatsApp is only just embarking to catch up with.

One of Dasher’s most unusual additions is that of being able to share money with your friends using Venmo, something that no other messenger provides – useful when you’re lounging in bed remembering how your friend bundled you into a taxi last night.

For innovative features, Dasher is the way to go. / © ANDROIDPIT Dasher Messenger

Best for networking: Tango

It takes two to Tango, but there are slew more than that using the service. Tango does much the same as the rest: instant messaging, media sharing, stickers, group talk, movie calling, group talk, etc, but it also has a ton of extras. Tango recently went through a finish overhaul and now hosts a news feed and even dedicated news channels for you to go after.

Tango will automatically find your friends based on your contact list, but they must be using the service to showcase up (or you can invite them). Additionally, Tango can be used to place calls, find like-minded friends or people in the surroundings using the service, which adds a bit more social networking to the mix than some other providers. The mid-call mini-games also help Tango stand out from the rest.

Tango is now much more than just a messaging app. / © ANDROIDPIT Tango – Free Movie Call & Talk

Best for SMS: Google Hangouts

Google set up Hangouts as the standard (but interchangeable) messaging app in Android Four.Four KitKat, and thanks to this it picked up a lot more users. Hangouts is a combined SMS and IM app, that separates the two types of messages, but can be used to automatically place voice calls and movie calls from your phone via Hangouts rather than traditional carriers.

Because it treats both SMS and IM, it cuts down on the number of apps you need to be working with, and its movie calling quality is arguably better than Skype’s. In addition, Hangouts integrates with Google+ in much the same way that Facebook Messenger interacts with Facebook, meaning contacts added via the social network can be called or messaged in the separate app. Be careful who you connect with if you’re a particularly private person.

Hangouts still has a long way to go, but as YouTube and Google+ grow, so will hangouts. / © ANDROIDPIT Hangouts

Best for sticker enthusiasts: Viber

Viber is indeed pushing the sticker market, where you can get tons of free and paid sticker packs, but the core business of Viber is instant messages. You can also send recorded voice messages like WhatsApp (but not movie calls like Skype) and you now have the option to call any phone number anywhere with Viber Out – much like adding Skype credit to call people who aren’t on the service.

The fresh look Viber is feature packed and looks good. / © ANDROIDPIT Viber Messenger

Best up-and-coming messaging app: Line

Line is becoming more and more popular, and for good reason. With the recently added movie calling functionality, it is now as fully featured as Skype, but has a junior, sexier feel to it than the attempted and true Skype. It’s jam packed utter of stickers and other joy stuff, and is immensely popular across large parts of Asia. But it’s also feature-filled with group talks, multi-platform capabilities (phone, tablet, PC), timeline, recorded voice messages, media sharing and much, much more, including official account messages from celebrities you like. Line is kind of like Twitter, Facebook and Skype all spinned into one.

I’m pretty fresh to Line, but I’m liking it a lot already. / © ANDROIDPIT/Line LINE: Free Calls & Messages

Best for the office: BBM

After a substantial waiting period, BlackBerry’s messaging service ultimately made it to the Android platform last year. BBM is not as Androidy as the rest of the apps on this list, but it does suggest some very cool features including: always-on service (you don’t need to open the app to use it), timed and retractable messages, two-way opt-in (nobody can message you until you specifically permit them), delivery reporting, groups, emoticons, broadcast messages and more. The capability to choose who can message you, rather than it being available to anybody with your number, makes this an attractive messaging option.

One of BBM’s standout features is its capability to schedule messages. / © ANDROIDPIT / BlackBerry Limited BBM – Free Calls & Messages

Best for gamers: Razer Comms

However Razer Comms is a fantastic instant messenger in its own right, it’s very first and foremost known for its popularity in the gaming community. With an accompanying PC version too, Razer Comms permits to you to group conversations, free VoIP talk, and it makes it quick and effortless to connect with other gamers around the world. Think of it as Xfire for the smartphone era.

Razer Comms puts a serious concentrate on gamers. / © ANDROIDPIT / Razer Razer Comms – Gaming Messenger

Best for kicks: kik

"185 million people love Kik!" Says its Play Store description, proving there is more to messaging than just WhatsApp. Kik is a little more playful than the likes of WhatsApp, with more color and sticker options. Kik also houses its own built-in browser, to make movie and pic sharing inbetween friends plain. It’s a swift growing and friendly messenger with users from all over the planet. Give it a attempt.

Kik Messenger resumes to grow its userbase. / © ANDROIDPIT Kik

Best all-around messaging app: WhatsApp

It’s not all about WhatsApp. but WhatsApp sure is a big part of it. While it doesn’t have the same feature-rich content as many of the other apps on this list, WhatsApp can’t be hammered for plainness, reliability, and the sheer number of contacts using it. Chances are, if you know someone with a smartphone, they’ve got WhatsApp.

WhatsApp uses your existing contacts’ phone numbers, so you don’t need to add contacts by hand. You can send written messages, stickers, emojis and media, as well as broadcast and group messages.

WhatsApp also permits you to make free calls to your contacts and now you can make Google Drive backups of your talks, too.

WhatsApp is continually improving, but is also behind some of the competition. / © ANDROIDPIT WhatsApp Messenger

What would you say is the best instant messenger apps for Android? Let us know in the comments.

Best instant messenger apps for Android

Best instant messenger apps for Android

Update: Two fresh additions

It’s not all about WhatsApp, there are tons of instant messengers. We’ve rounded up the best Android has to suggest, so you can choose the one that best suits your individual tastes and needs. Here are the best instant messenger apps for Android.

Best for expanding your network: WeChat

There are few options for expanding your network. You could attempt Meetups but those are for specific venues. Social media sites like Facebook and Linkedin specifically forbid adding contacts you don’t know personally. There are dating apps but those are for, well, dating.

WeChat works like other messenger apps, in fact it works fairly well. The big difference is that it attempts to expand your network with potential contacts who are nearby. You just have to jiggle your phone and you could find someone on WeChat who’s also looking for a fresh friend. You can then add them or choose not to.

You can use the ‘Friend Radar’ to find friends who are nearby so you can meet up with them. When you do this a little ‘radar’ pops up on the app and searches for friends in your surroundings. Once you see them on your radar you can talk with them and propose a meeting.

WeChat lets you find fresh contacts. / © ANDROIDPIT WeChat

Best for connecting with celebrities: KakaoTalk

KakaoTalk is effortless to use but has many sophisticated features. You have basic functions that perform indeed well and are fairly plain. But if you want to get more out of those features, you can quickly dig in and find other ways to use them.

There is a large network who use the feature ‘Plus Friends’ on KakaoTalk. This feature permits you to connect with people outside of your instant network. These could be everyday messengers in your area who are sharing content or could be bands, celebrities, companies, etc.

When you add a friend through ‘Plus Friends’ you get to see their feed where they can share content. You can see what your dearest band is doing and find off the hook releases from them. If you’re fortunate, you can even talk 1-on-1 with a celebrity. There’s a button for this next to their name. Give it a attempt, who knows, they might react.

KakaoTalk lets you connect with celebrities, in some cases, talk 1-on-1 with them. / © ANDROIDPIT KakaoTalk: Free Calls & Text

Best for contacts volume: Facebook Messenger

Facebook’s official instant messaging app has recently been made over to produce a quicker, cleaner service and interface. It’s much like WhatsApp (as are most of the apps on this list), but Messenger instantly connects to all of your Facebook contacts, making it one of the most convenient messaging apps, if nothing else.

A latest update is that you can also message non-Facebook friends by using their phone number. Messenger permits you to access all of your Facebook messages without using the main app or website. It also has stickers and emojis, groups, voice recordings, location data, free calls, photo sharing and more.

The unmistakably clean interface of Facebook Messenger. / © ANDROIDPIT Messenger

Best for movie calls: Skype

The granddaddy of movie calls, Skype has been around for forever and is still kicking strong. Skype is primarily used for calls, but the IM component is just as useful. In fact, we use it as our primary communication device here at AndroidPIT.

Skype requires Skype IDs, so you’ll only be able to add friends if you know their Skype contact name. But once you do, you can send instant messages anytime you want, for free, as well as make movie calls. You can also add Skype credit and make cheap international calls to landlines and mobile phones.

The talk section offers group talk, media sharing, emoji and more. Plus you can have one account on several devices (something that WhatsApp doesn’t permit).

The original (but not necessarily the best), Skype still offers reliable messaging. / © ANDROIDPIT Skype – free IM & movie calls

Best for secure messaging: Telegram

Speed and security are the name of the game for Telegram. The app provides encrypted cross-platform messaging and it’s fully free.

Founder Nikolai Durov stated that he set out to design a messenger that could not be accessed by Russian security agencies. When he suggested a prize of US$200,000 to anyone who could crack the app’s encryption protocol, no one managed it.

If you want a quick, free and secure messenger, Telegram comes very recommended.

Keep your messages safe from the FSB with Telegram. / © ANDROIDPIT Telegram

Best for special features: Dasher

Dasher is making an effort to spice up the messenger market by employing some pretty cool and unusual features. It permits you to share GIFs and play YouTube movies directly in the talk window and there are rich URL previews: features that WhatsApp is only just embarking to catch up with.

One of Dasher’s most unusual additions is that of being able to share money with your friends using Venmo, something that no other messenger provides – useful when you’re lounging in bed remembering how your friend bundled you into a taxi last night.

For innovative features, Dasher is the way to go. / © ANDROIDPIT Dasher Messenger

Best for networking: Tango

It takes two to Tango, but there are slew more than that using the service. Tango does much the same as the rest: instant messaging, media sharing, stickers, group talk, movie calling, group talk, etc, but it also has a ton of extras. Tango recently went through a accomplish overhaul and now hosts a news feed and even dedicated news channels for you to go after.

Tango will automatically find your friends based on your contact list, but they must be using the service to display up (or you can invite them). Additionally, Tango can be used to place calls, find like-minded friends or people in the neighborhood using the service, which adds a bit more social networking to the mix than some other providers. The mid-call mini-games also help Tango stand out from the rest.

Tango is now much more than just a messaging app. / © ANDROIDPIT Tango – Free Movie Call & Talk

Best for SMS: Google Hangouts

Google set up Hangouts as the standard (but interchangeable) messaging app in Android Four.Four KitKat, and thanks to this it picked up a lot more users. Hangouts is a combined SMS and IM app, that separates the two types of messages, but can be used to automatically place voice calls and movie calls from your phone via Hangouts rather than traditional carriers.

Because it treats both SMS and IM, it cuts down on the number of apps you need to be working with, and its movie calling quality is arguably better than Skype’s. In addition, Hangouts integrates with Google+ in much the same way that Facebook Messenger interacts with Facebook, meaning contacts added via the social network can be called or messaged in the separate app. Be careful who you connect with if you’re a particularly private person.

Hangouts still has a long way to go, but as YouTube and Google+ grow, so will hangouts. / © ANDROIDPIT Hangouts

Best for sticker enthusiasts: Viber

Viber is indeed pushing the sticker market, where you can get tons of free and paid sticker packs, but the core business of Viber is instant messages. You can also send recorded voice messages like WhatsApp (but not movie calls like Skype) and you now have the option to call any phone number anywhere with Viber Out – much like adding Skype credit to call people who aren’t on the service.

The fresh look Viber is feature packed and looks good. / © ANDROIDPIT Viber Messenger

Best up-and-coming messaging app: Line

Line is becoming more and more popular, and for good reason. With the recently added movie calling functionality, it is now as fully featured as Skype, but has a junior, sexier feel to it than the attempted and true Skype. It’s jam packed total of stickers and other joy stuff, and is immensely popular across large parts of Asia. But it’s also feature-filled with group talks, multi-platform capabilities (phone, tablet, PC), timeline, recorded voice messages, media sharing and much, much more, including official account messages from celebrities you like. Line is kind of like Twitter, Facebook and Skype all flipped into one.

I’m pretty fresh to Line, but I’m liking it a lot already. / © ANDROIDPIT/Line LINE: Free Calls & Messages

Best for the office: BBM

After a substantial waiting period, BlackBerry’s messaging service eventually made it to the Android platform last year. BBM is not as Androidy as the rest of the apps on this list, but it does suggest some very cool features including: always-on service (you don’t need to open the app to use it), timed and retractable messages, two-way opt-in (nobody can message you until you specifically permit them), delivery reporting, groups, emoticons, broadcast messages and more. The capability to choose who can message you, rather than it being available to anybody with your number, makes this an attractive messaging option.

One of BBM’s standout features is its capability to schedule messages. / © ANDROIDPIT / BlackBerry Limited BBM – Free Calls & Messages

Best for gamers: Razer Comms

Tho’ Razer Comms is a fantastic instant messenger in its own right, it’s very first and foremost known for its popularity in the gaming community. With an accompanying PC version too, Razer Comms permits to you to group conversations, free VoIP talk, and it makes it quick and effortless to connect with other gamers around the world. Think of it as Xfire for the smartphone era.

Razer Comms puts a serious concentrate on gamers. / © ANDROIDPIT / Razer Razer Comms – Gaming Messenger

Best for kicks: kik

"185 million people love Kik!" Says its Play Store description, proving there is more to messaging than just WhatsApp. Kik is a little more playful than the likes of WhatsApp, with more color and sticker options. Kik also houses its own built-in browser, to make movie and photo sharing inbetween friends ordinary. It’s a swift growing and friendly messenger with users from all over the planet. Give it a attempt.

Kik Messenger proceeds to grow its userbase. / © ANDROIDPIT Kik

Best all-around messaging app: WhatsApp

It’s not all about WhatsApp. but WhatsApp sure is a big part of it. While it doesn’t have the same feature-rich content as many of the other apps on this list, WhatsApp can’t be hammered for plainness, reliability, and the sheer number of contacts using it. Chances are, if you know someone with a smartphone, they’ve got WhatsApp.

WhatsApp uses your existing contacts’ phone numbers, so you don’t need to add contacts by hand. You can send written messages, stickers, emojis and media, as well as broadcast and group messages.

WhatsApp also permits you to make free calls to your contacts and now you can make Google Drive backups of your talks, too.

WhatsApp is continually improving, but is also behind some of the competition. / © ANDROIDPIT WhatsApp Messenger

What would you say is the best instant messenger apps for Android? Let us know in the comments.

Best instant messenger apps for Android

Best instant messenger apps for Android

Update: Two fresh additions

It’s not all about WhatsApp, there are tons of instant messengers. We’ve rounded up the best Android has to suggest, so you can choose the one that best suits your individual tastes and needs. Here are the best instant messenger apps for Android.

Best for expanding your network: WeChat

There are few options for expanding your network. You could attempt Meetups but those are for specific venues. Social media sites like Facebook and Linkedin specifically forbid adding contacts you don’t know personally. There are dating apps but those are for, well, dating.

WeChat works like other messenger apps, in fact it works fairly well. The big difference is that it attempts to expand your network with potential contacts who are nearby. You just have to wiggle your phone and you could find someone on WeChat who’s also looking for a fresh friend. You can then add them or choose not to.

You can use the ‘Friend Radar’ to find friends who are nearby so you can meet up with them. When you do this a little ‘radar’ pops up on the app and searches for friends in your surroundings. Once you see them on your radar you can talk with them and propose a meeting.

WeChat lets you find fresh contacts. / © ANDROIDPIT WeChat

Best for connecting with celebrities: KakaoTalk

KakaoTalk is effortless to use but has many sophisticated features. You have basic functions that perform indeed well and are fairly elementary. But if you want to get more out of those features, you can quickly dig in and find other ways to use them.

There is a large network who use the feature ‘Plus Friends’ on KakaoTalk. This feature permits you to connect with people outside of your instantaneous network. These could be everyday messengers in your area who are sharing content or could be bands, celebrities, companies, etc.

When you add a friend through ‘Plus Friends’ you get to see their feed where they can share content. You can see what your dearest band is doing and find sensational releases from them. If you’re fortunate, you can even talk 1-on-1 with a celebrity. There’s a button for this next to their name. Give it a attempt, who knows, they might react.

KakaoTalk lets you connect with celebrities, in some cases, talk 1-on-1 with them. / © ANDROIDPIT KakaoTalk: Free Calls & Text

Best for contacts volume: Facebook Messenger

Facebook’s official instant messaging app has recently been made over to produce a quicker, cleaner service and interface. It’s much like WhatsApp (as are most of the apps on this list), but Messenger instantly connects to all of your Facebook contacts, making it one of the most convenient messaging apps, if nothing else.

A latest update is that you can also message non-Facebook friends by using their phone number. Messenger permits you to access all of your Facebook messages without using the main app or website. It also has stickers and emojis, groups, voice recordings, location data, free calls, photo sharing and more.

The unmistakably clean interface of Facebook Messenger. / © ANDROIDPIT Messenger

Best for movie calls: Skype

The granddaddy of movie calls, Skype has been around for forever and is still kicking strong. Skype is primarily used for calls, but the IM component is just as useful. In fact, we use it as our primary communication contraption here at AndroidPIT.

Skype requires Skype IDs, so you’ll only be able to add friends if you know their Skype contact name. But once you do, you can send instant messages anytime you want, for free, as well as make movie calls. You can also add Skype credit and make cheap international calls to landlines and mobile phones.

The talk section offers group talk, media sharing, emoji and more. Plus you can have one account on several devices (something that WhatsApp doesn’t permit).

The original (but not necessarily the best), Skype still offers reliable messaging. / © ANDROIDPIT Skype – free IM & movie calls

Best for secure messaging: Telegram

Speed and security are the name of the game for Telegram. The app provides encrypted cross-platform messaging and it’s entirely free.

Founder Nikolai Durov stated that he set out to design a messenger that could not be accessed by Russian security agencies. When he suggested a prize of US$200,000 to anyone who could crack the app’s encryption protocol, no one managed it.

If you want a prompt, free and secure messenger, Telegram comes very recommended.

Keep your messages safe from the FSB with Telegram. / © ANDROIDPIT Telegram

Best for special features: Dasher

Dasher is making an effort to spice up the messenger market by employing some pretty cool and unusual features. It permits you to share GIFs and play YouTube movies directly in the talk window and there are rich URL previews: features that WhatsApp is only just embarking to catch up with.

One of Dasher’s most unusual additions is that of being able to share money with your friends using Venmo, something that no other messenger provides – useful when you’re lounging in bed remembering how your friend bundled you into a taxi last night.

For innovative features, Dasher is the way to go. / © ANDROIDPIT Dasher Messenger

Best for networking: Tango

It takes two to Tango, but there are slew more than that using the service. Tango does much the same as the rest: instant messaging, media sharing, stickers, group talk, movie calling, group talk, etc, but it also has a ton of extras. Tango recently went through a finish overhaul and now hosts a news feed and even dedicated news channels for you to go after.

Tango will automatically find your friends based on your contact list, but they must be using the service to demonstrate up (or you can invite them). Additionally, Tango can be used to place calls, find like-minded friends or people in the surroundings using the service, which adds a bit more social networking to the mix than some other providers. The mid-call mini-games also help Tango stand out from the rest.

Tango is now much more than just a messaging app. / © ANDROIDPIT Tango – Free Movie Call & Talk

Best for SMS: Google Hangouts

Google set up Hangouts as the standard (but interchangeable) messaging app in Android Four.Four KitKat, and thanks to this it picked up a lot more users. Hangouts is a combined SMS and IM app, that separates the two types of messages, but can be used to automatically place voice calls and movie calls from your phone via Hangouts rather than traditional carriers.

Because it treats both SMS and IM, it cuts down on the number of apps you need to be working with, and its movie calling quality is arguably better than Skype’s. In addition, Hangouts integrates with Google+ in much the same way that Facebook Messenger interacts with Facebook, meaning contacts added via the social network can be called or messaged in the separate app. Be careful who you connect with if you’re a particularly private person.

Hangouts still has a long way to go, but as YouTube and Google+ grow, so will hangouts. / © ANDROIDPIT Hangouts

Best for sticker enthusiasts: Viber

Viber is truly pushing the sticker market, where you can get tons of free and paid sticker packs, but the core business of Viber is instant messages. You can also send recorded voice messages like WhatsApp (but not movie calls like Skype) and you now have the option to call any phone number anywhere with Viber Out – much like adding Skype credit to call people who aren’t on the service.

The fresh look Viber is feature packed and looks fine. / © ANDROIDPIT Viber Messenger

Best up-and-coming messaging app: Line

Line is becoming more and more popular, and for good reason. With the recently added movie calling functionality, it is now as fully featured as Skype, but has a junior, sexier feel to it than the attempted and true Skype. It’s jam packed total of stickers and other joy stuff, and is immensely popular across large parts of Asia. But it’s also feature-filled with group talks, multi-platform capabilities (phone, tablet, PC), timeline, recorded voice messages, media sharing and much, much more, including official account messages from celebrities you like. Line is kind of like Twitter, Facebook and Skype all flipped into one.

I’m pretty fresh to Line, but I’m liking it a lot already. / © ANDROIDPIT/Line LINE: Free Calls & Messages

Best for the office: BBM

After a substantial waiting period, BlackBerry’s messaging service eventually made it to the Android platform last year. BBM is not as Androidy as the rest of the apps on this list, but it does suggest some very cool features including: always-on service (you don’t need to open the app to use it), timed and retractable messages, two-way opt-in (nobody can message you until you specifically permit them), delivery reporting, groups, emoticons, broadcast messages and more. The capability to choose who can message you, rather than it being available to anybody with your number, makes this an attractive messaging option.

One of BBM’s standout features is its capability to schedule messages. / © ANDROIDPIT / BlackBerry Limited BBM – Free Calls & Messages

Best for gamers: Razer Comms

Tho’ Razer Comms is a fantastic instant messenger in its own right, it’s very first and foremost known for its popularity in the gaming community. With an accompanying PC version too, Razer Comms permits to you to group conversations, free VoIP talk, and it makes it quick and effortless to connect with other gamers around the world. Think of it as Xfire for the smartphone era.

Razer Comms puts a serious concentrate on gamers. / © ANDROIDPIT / Razer Razer Comms – Gaming Messenger

Best for kicks: kik

"185 million people love Kik!" Says its Play Store description, proving there is more to messaging than just WhatsApp. Kik is a little more playful than the likes of WhatsApp, with more color and sticker options. Kik also houses its own built-in browser, to make movie and photo sharing inbetween friends elementary. It’s a quick growing and friendly messenger with users from all over the planet. Give it a attempt.

Kik Messenger proceeds to grow its userbase. / © ANDROIDPIT Kik

Best all-around messaging app: WhatsApp

It’s not all about WhatsApp. but WhatsApp sure is a big part of it. While it doesn’t have the same feature-rich content as many of the other apps on this list, WhatsApp can’t be hammered for plainness, reliability, and the sheer number of contacts using it. Chances are, if you know someone with a smartphone, they’ve got WhatsApp.

WhatsApp uses your existing contacts’ phone numbers, so you don’t need to add contacts by hand. You can send written messages, stickers, emojis and media, as well as broadcast and group messages.

WhatsApp also permits you to make free calls to your contacts and now you can make Google Drive backups of your talks, too.

WhatsApp is continually improving, but is also behind some of the competition. / © ANDROIDPIT WhatsApp Messenger

What would you say is the best instant messenger apps for Android? Let us know in the comments.

Best instant messenger apps for Android

Best instant messenger apps for Android

Update: Two fresh additions

It’s not all about WhatsApp, there are tons of instant messengers. We’ve rounded up the best Android has to suggest, so you can choose the one that best suits your individual tastes and needs. Here are the best instant messenger apps for Android.

Best for expanding your network: WeChat

There are few options for expanding your network. You could attempt Meetups but those are for specific venues. Social media sites like Facebook and Linkedin specifically forbid adding contacts you don’t know personally. There are dating apps but those are for, well, dating.

WeChat works like other messenger apps, in fact it works fairly well. The big difference is that it attempts to expand your network with potential contacts who are nearby. You just have to wiggle your phone and you could find someone on WeChat who’s also looking for a fresh friend. You can then add them or choose not to.

You can use the ‘Friend Radar’ to find friends who are nearby so you can meet up with them. When you do this a little ‘radar’ pops up on the app and searches for friends in your neighborhood. Once you see them on your radar you can talk with them and propose a meeting.

WeChat lets you find fresh contacts. / © ANDROIDPIT WeChat

Best for connecting with celebrities: KakaoTalk

KakaoTalk is effortless to use but has many sophisticated features. You have basic functions that perform indeed well and are fairly plain. But if you want to get more out of those features, you can quickly dig in and find other ways to use them.

There is a large network who use the feature ‘Plus Friends’ on KakaoTalk. This feature permits you to connect with people outside of your instantaneous network. These could be everyday messengers in your area who are sharing content or could be bands, celebrities, companies, etc.

When you add a friend through ‘Plus Friends’ you get to see their feed where they can share content. You can see what your beloved band is doing and find sensational releases from them. If you’re fortunate, you can even talk 1-on-1 with a celebrity. There’s a button for this next to their name. Give it a attempt, who knows, they might react.

KakaoTalk lets you connect with celebrities, in some cases, talk 1-on-1 with them. / © ANDROIDPIT KakaoTalk: Free Calls & Text

Best for contacts volume: Facebook Messenger

Facebook’s official instant messaging app has recently been made over to supply a swifter, cleaner service and interface. It’s much like WhatsApp (as are most of the apps on this list), but Messenger instantly connects to all of your Facebook contacts, making it one of the most convenient messaging apps, if nothing else.

A latest update is that you can also message non-Facebook friends by using their phone number. Messenger permits you to access all of your Facebook messages without using the main app or website. It also has stickers and emojis, groups, voice recordings, location data, free calls, photo sharing and more.

The unmistakably clean interface of Facebook Messenger. / © ANDROIDPIT Messenger

Best for movie calls: Skype

The granddaddy of movie calls, Skype has been around for forever and is still kicking strong. Skype is primarily used for calls, but the IM component is just as useful. In fact, we use it as our primary communication device here at AndroidPIT.

Skype requires Skype IDs, so you’ll only be able to add friends if you know their Skype contact name. But once you do, you can send instant messages anytime you want, for free, as well as make movie calls. You can also add Skype credit and make cheap international calls to landlines and mobile phones.

The talk section offers group talk, media sharing, emoji and more. Plus you can have one account on several devices (something that WhatsApp doesn’t permit).

The original (but not necessarily the best), Skype still offers reliable messaging. / © ANDROIDPIT Skype – free IM & movie calls

Best for secure messaging: Telegram

Speed and security are the name of the game for Telegram. The app provides encrypted cross-platform messaging and it’s entirely free.

Founder Nikolai Durov stated that he set out to design a messenger that could not be accessed by Russian security agencies. When he suggested a prize of US$200,000 to anyone who could crack the app’s encryption protocol, no one managed it.

If you want a swift, free and secure messenger, Telegram comes very recommended.

Keep your messages safe from the FSB with Telegram. / © ANDROIDPIT Telegram

Best for off the hook features: Dasher

Dasher is making an effort to spice up the messenger market by employing some pretty cool and unusual features. It permits you to share GIFs and play YouTube movies directly in the talk window and there are rich URL previews: features that WhatsApp is only just beginning to catch up with.

One of Dasher’s most unusual additions is that of being able to share money with your friends using Venmo, something that no other messenger provides – useful when you’re lounging in bed remembering how your friend bundled you into a taxi last night.

For innovative features, Dasher is the way to go. / © ANDROIDPIT Dasher Messenger

Best for networking: Tango

It takes two to Tango, but there are slew more than that using the service. Tango does much the same as the rest: instant messaging, media sharing, stickers, group talk, movie calling, group talk, etc, but it also has a ton of extras. Tango recently went through a finish overhaul and now hosts a news feed and even dedicated news channels for you to go after.

Tango will automatically find your friends based on your contact list, but they must be using the service to display up (or you can invite them). Additionally, Tango can be used to place calls, find like-minded friends or people in the neighborhood using the service, which adds a bit more social networking to the mix than some other providers. The mid-call mini-games also help Tango stand out from the rest.

Tango is now much more than just a messaging app. / © ANDROIDPIT Tango – Free Movie Call & Talk

Best for SMS: Google Hangouts

Google set up Hangouts as the standard (but interchangeable) messaging app in Android Four.Four KitKat, and thanks to this it picked up a lot more users. Hangouts is a combined SMS and IM app, that separates the two types of messages, but can be used to automatically place voice calls and movie calls from your phone via Hangouts rather than traditional carriers.

Because it treats both SMS and IM, it cuts down on the number of apps you need to be working with, and its movie calling quality is arguably better than Skype’s. In addition, Hangouts integrates with Google+ in much the same way that Facebook Messenger interacts with Facebook, meaning contacts added via the social network can be called or messaged in the separate app. Be careful who you connect with if you’re a particularly private person.

Hangouts still has a long way to go, but as YouTube and Google+ grow, so will hangouts. / © ANDROIDPIT Hangouts

Best for sticker enthusiasts: Viber

Viber is truly pushing the sticker market, where you can get tons of free and paid sticker packs, but the core business of Viber is instant messages. You can also send recorded voice messages like WhatsApp (but not movie calls like Skype) and you now have the option to call any phone number anywhere with Viber Out – much like adding Skype credit to call people who aren’t on the service.

The fresh look Viber is feature packed and looks superb. / © ANDROIDPIT Viber Messenger

Best up-and-coming messaging app: Line

Line is becoming more and more popular, and for good reason. With the recently added movie calling functionality, it is now as fully featured as Skype, but has a junior, sexier feel to it than the attempted and true Skype. It’s jam packed total of stickers and other joy stuff, and is immensely popular across large parts of Asia. But it’s also feature-filled with group talks, multi-platform capabilities (phone, tablet, PC), timeline, recorded voice messages, media sharing and much, much more, including official account messages from celebrities you like. Line is kind of like Twitter, Facebook and Skype all flipped into one.

I’m pretty fresh to Line, but I’m liking it a lot already. / © ANDROIDPIT/Line LINE: Free Calls & Messages

Best for the office: BBM

After a substantial waiting period, BlackBerry’s messaging service ultimately made it to the Android platform last year. BBM is not as Androidy as the rest of the apps on this list, but it does suggest some very cool features including: always-on service (you don’t need to open the app to use it), timed and retractable messages, two-way opt-in (nobody can message you until you specifically permit them), delivery reporting, groups, emoticons, broadcast messages and more. The capability to choose who can message you, rather than it being available to anybody with your number, makes this an attractive messaging option.

One of BBM’s standout features is its capability to schedule messages. / © ANDROIDPIT / BlackBerry Limited BBM – Free Calls & Messages

Best for gamers: Razer Comms

However Razer Comms is a fantastic instant messenger in its own right, it’s very first and foremost known for its popularity in the gaming community. With an accompanying PC version too, Razer Comms permits to you to group conversations, free VoIP talk, and it makes it quick and effortless to connect with other gamers around the world. Think of it as Xfire for the smartphone era.

Razer Comms puts a serious concentrate on gamers. / © ANDROIDPIT / Razer Razer Comms – Gaming Messenger

Best for kicks: kik

"185 million people love Kik!" Says its Play Store description, proving there is more to messaging than just WhatsApp. Kik is a little more playful than the likes of WhatsApp, with more color and sticker options. Kik also houses its own built-in browser, to make movie and photo sharing inbetween friends ordinary. It’s a rapid growing and friendly messenger with users from all over the planet. Give it a attempt.

Kik Messenger proceeds to grow its userbase. / © ANDROIDPIT Kik

Best all-around messaging app: WhatsApp

It’s not all about WhatsApp. but WhatsApp sure is a big part of it. While it doesn’t have the same feature-rich content as many of the other apps on this list, WhatsApp can’t be hammered for plainness, reliability, and the sheer number of contacts using it. Chances are, if you know someone with a smartphone, they’ve got WhatsApp.

WhatsApp uses your existing contacts’ phone numbers, so you don’t need to add contacts by hand. You can send written messages, stickers, emojis and media, as well as broadcast and group messages.

WhatsApp also permits you to make free calls to your contacts and now you can make Google Drive backups of your talks, too.

WhatsApp is continually improving, but is also behind some of the competition. / © ANDROIDPIT WhatsApp Messenger

What would you say is the best instant messenger apps for Android? Let us know in the comments.

Best instant messenger apps for Android

Best instant messenger apps for Android

Update: Two fresh additions

It’s not all about WhatsApp, there are tons of instant messengers. We’ve rounded up the best Android has to suggest, so you can choose the one that best suits your individual tastes and needs. Here are the best instant messenger apps for Android.

Best for expanding your network: WeChat

There are few options for expanding your network. You could attempt Meetups but those are for specific venues. Social media sites like Facebook and Linkedin specifically forbid adding contacts you don’t know personally. There are dating apps but those are for, well, dating.

WeChat works like other messenger apps, in fact it works fairly well. The big difference is that it attempts to expand your network with potential contacts who are nearby. You just have to wiggle your phone and you could find someone on WeChat who’s also looking for a fresh friend. You can then add them or choose not to.

You can use the ‘Friend Radar’ to find friends who are nearby so you can meet up with them. When you do this a little ‘radar’ pops up on the app and searches for friends in your surroundings. Once you see them on your radar you can talk with them and propose a meeting.

WeChat lets you find fresh contacts. / © ANDROIDPIT WeChat

Best for connecting with celebrities: KakaoTalk

KakaoTalk is effortless to use but has many sophisticated features. You have basic functions that perform truly well and are fairly elementary. But if you want to get more out of those features, you can quickly dig in and find other ways to use them.

There is a large network who use the feature ‘Plus Friends’ on KakaoTalk. This feature permits you to connect with people outside of your instantaneous network. These could be everyday messengers in your area who are sharing content or could be bands, celebrities, companies, etc.

When you add a friend through ‘Plus Friends’ you get to see their feed where they can share content. You can see what your beloved band is doing and find special releases from them. If you’re fortunate, you can even talk 1-on-1 with a celebrity. There’s a button for this next to their name. Give it a attempt, who knows, they might react.

KakaoTalk lets you connect with celebrities, in some cases, talk 1-on-1 with them. / © ANDROIDPIT KakaoTalk: Free Calls & Text

Best for contacts volume: Facebook Messenger

Facebook’s official instant messaging app has recently been made over to supply a swifter, cleaner service and interface. It’s much like WhatsApp (as are most of the apps on this list), but Messenger instantly connects to all of your Facebook contacts, making it one of the most convenient messaging apps, if nothing else.

A latest update is that you can also message non-Facebook friends by using their phone number. Messenger permits you to access all of your Facebook messages without using the main app or website. It also has stickers and emojis, groups, voice recordings, location data, free calls, photo sharing and more.

The unmistakably clean interface of Facebook Messenger. / © ANDROIDPIT Messenger

Best for movie calls: Skype

The granddaddy of movie calls, Skype has been around for forever and is still kicking strong. Skype is primarily used for calls, but the IM component is just as useful. In fact, we use it as our primary communication implement here at AndroidPIT.

Skype requires Skype IDs, so you’ll only be able to add friends if you know their Skype contact name. But once you do, you can send instant messages anytime you want, for free, as well as make movie calls. You can also add Skype credit and make cheap international calls to landlines and mobile phones.

The talk section offers group talk, media sharing, emoji and more. Plus you can have one account on several devices (something that WhatsApp doesn’t permit).

The original (but not necessarily the best), Skype still offers reliable messaging. / © ANDROIDPIT Skype – free IM & movie calls

Best for secure messaging: Telegram

Speed and security are the name of the game for Telegram. The app provides encrypted cross-platform messaging and it’s totally free.

Founder Nikolai Durov stated that he set out to design a messenger that could not be accessed by Russian security agencies. When he suggested a prize of US$200,000 to anyone who could crack the app’s encryption protocol, no one managed it.

If you want a quick, free and secure messenger, Telegram comes very recommended.

Keep your messages safe from the FSB with Telegram. / © ANDROIDPIT Telegram

Best for off the hook features: Dasher

Dasher is making an effort to spice up the messenger market by employing some pretty cool and unusual features. It permits you to share GIFs and play YouTube movies directly in the talk window and there are rich URL previews: features that WhatsApp is only just commencing to catch up with.

One of Dasher’s most unusual additions is that of being able to share money with your friends using Venmo, something that no other messenger provides – useful when you’re lounging in bed remembering how your friend bundled you into a taxi last night.

For innovative features, Dasher is the way to go. / © ANDROIDPIT Dasher Messenger

Best for networking: Tango

It takes two to Tango, but there are slew more than that using the service. Tango does much the same as the rest: instant messaging, media sharing, stickers, group talk, movie calling, group talk, etc, but it also has a ton of extras. Tango recently went through a finish overhaul and now hosts a news feed and even dedicated news channels for you to go after.

Tango will automatically find your friends based on your contact list, but they must be using the service to demonstrate up (or you can invite them). Additionally, Tango can be used to place calls, find like-minded friends or people in the neighborhood using the service, which adds a bit more social networking to the mix than some other providers. The mid-call mini-games also help Tango stand out from the rest.

Tango is now much more than just a messaging app. / © ANDROIDPIT Tango – Free Movie Call & Talk

Best for SMS: Google Hangouts

Google set up Hangouts as the standard (but interchangeable) messaging app in Android Four.Four KitKat, and thanks to this it picked up a lot more users. Hangouts is a combined SMS and IM app, that separates the two types of messages, but can be used to automatically place voice calls and movie calls from your phone via Hangouts rather than traditional carriers.

Because it treats both SMS and IM, it cuts down on the number of apps you need to be working with, and its movie calling quality is arguably better than Skype’s. In addition, Hangouts integrates with Google+ in much the same way that Facebook Messenger interacts with Facebook, meaning contacts added via the social network can be called or messaged in the separate app. Be careful who you connect with if you’re a particularly private person.

Hangouts still has a long way to go, but as YouTube and Google+ grow, so will hangouts. / © ANDROIDPIT Hangouts

Best for sticker enthusiasts: Viber

Viber is truly pushing the sticker market, where you can get tons of free and paid sticker packs, but the core business of Viber is instant messages. You can also send recorded voice messages like WhatsApp (but not movie calls like Skype) and you now have the option to call any phone number anywhere with Viber Out – much like adding Skype credit to call people who aren’t on the service.

The fresh look Viber is feature packed and looks fine. / © ANDROIDPIT Viber Messenger

Best up-and-coming messaging app: Line

Line is becoming more and more popular, and for good reason. With the recently added movie calling functionality, it is now as fully featured as Skype, but has a junior, sexier feel to it than the attempted and true Skype. It’s jam packed total of stickers and other joy stuff, and is immensely popular via large parts of Asia. But it’s also feature-filled with group talks, multi-platform capabilities (phone, tablet, PC), timeline, recorded voice messages, media sharing and much, much more, including official account messages from celebrities you like. Line is kind of like Twitter, Facebook and Skype all spinned into one.

I’m pretty fresh to Line, but I’m liking it a lot already. / © ANDROIDPIT/Line LINE: Free Calls & Messages

Best for the office: BBM

After a substantial waiting period, BlackBerry’s messaging service eventually made it to the Android platform last year. BBM is not as Androidy as the rest of the apps on this list, but it does suggest some very cool features including: always-on service (you don’t need to open the app to use it), timed and retractable messages, two-way opt-in (nobody can message you until you specifically permit them), delivery reporting, groups, emoticons, broadcast messages and more. The capability to choose who can message you, rather than it being available to anybody with your number, makes this an attractive messaging option.

One of BBM’s standout features is its capability to schedule messages. / © ANDROIDPIT / BlackBerry Limited BBM – Free Calls & Messages

Best for gamers: Razer Comms

Tho’ Razer Comms is a fantastic instant messenger in its own right, it’s very first and foremost known for its popularity in the gaming community. With an accompanying PC version too, Razer Comms permits to you to group conversations, free VoIP talk, and it makes it quick and effortless to connect with other gamers around the world. Think of it as Xfire for the smartphone era.

Razer Comms puts a serious concentrate on gamers. / © ANDROIDPIT / Razer Razer Comms – Gaming Messenger

Best for kicks: kik

"185 million people love Kik!" Says its Play Store description, proving there is more to messaging than just WhatsApp. Kik is a little more playful than the likes of WhatsApp, with more color and sticker options. Kik also houses its own built-in browser, to make movie and pic sharing inbetween friends ordinary. It’s a swift growing and friendly messenger with users from all over the planet. Give it a attempt.

Kik Messenger proceeds to grow its userbase. / © ANDROIDPIT Kik

Best all-around messaging app: WhatsApp

It’s not all about WhatsApp. but WhatsApp sure is a big part of it. While it doesn’t have the same feature-rich content as many of the other apps on this list, WhatsApp can’t be hammered for simpleness, reliability, and the sheer number of contacts using it. Chances are, if you know someone with a smartphone, they’ve got WhatsApp.

WhatsApp uses your existing contacts’ phone numbers, so you don’t need to add contacts by hand. You can send written messages, stickers, emojis and media, as well as broadcast and group messages.

WhatsApp also permits you to make free calls to your contacts and now you can make Google Drive backups of your talks, too.

WhatsApp is continually improving, but is also behind some of the competition. / © ANDROIDPIT WhatsApp Messenger

What would you say is the best instant messenger apps for Android? Let us know in the comments.

Best instant messenger apps for Android

Best instant messenger apps for Android

Update: Two fresh additions

It’s not all about WhatsApp, there are tons of instant messengers. We’ve rounded up the best Android has to suggest, so you can choose the one that best suits your individual tastes and needs. Here are the best instant messenger apps for Android.

Best for expanding your network: WeChat

There are few options for expanding your network. You could attempt Meetups but those are for specific venues. Social media sites like Facebook and Linkedin specifically forbid adding contacts you don’t know personally. There are dating apps but those are for, well, dating.

WeChat works like other messenger apps, in fact it works fairly well. The big difference is that it attempts to expand your network with potential contacts who are nearby. You just have to wiggle your phone and you could find someone on WeChat who’s also looking for a fresh friend. You can then add them or choose not to.

You can use the ‘Friend Radar’ to find friends who are nearby so you can meet up with them. When you do this a little ‘radar’ pops up on the app and searches for friends in your surroundings. Once you see them on your radar you can talk with them and propose a meeting.

WeChat lets you find fresh contacts. / © ANDROIDPIT WeChat

Best for connecting with celebrities: KakaoTalk

KakaoTalk is effortless to use but has many sophisticated features. You have basic functions that perform indeed well and are fairly plain. But if you want to get more out of those features, you can quickly dig in and find other ways to use them.

There is a large network who use the feature ‘Plus Friends’ on KakaoTalk. This feature permits you to connect with people outside of your instantaneous network. These could be everyday messengers in your area who are sharing content or could be bands, celebrities, companies, etc.

When you add a friend through ‘Plus Friends’ you get to see their feed where they can share content. You can see what your dearest band is doing and find special releases from them. If you’re fortunate, you can even talk 1-on-1 with a celebrity. There’s a button for this next to their name. Give it a attempt, who knows, they might react.

KakaoTalk lets you connect with celebrities, in some cases, talk 1-on-1 with them. / © ANDROIDPIT KakaoTalk: Free Calls & Text

Best for contacts volume: Facebook Messenger

Facebook’s official instant messaging app has recently been made over to produce a swifter, cleaner service and interface. It’s much like WhatsApp (as are most of the apps on this list), but Messenger instantly connects to all of your Facebook contacts, making it one of the most convenient messaging apps, if nothing else.

A latest update is that you can also message non-Facebook friends by using their phone number. Messenger permits you to access all of your Facebook messages without using the main app or website. It also has stickers and emojis, groups, voice recordings, location data, free calls, photo sharing and more.

The unmistakably clean interface of Facebook Messenger. / © ANDROIDPIT Messenger

Best for movie calls: Skype

The granddaddy of movie calls, Skype has been around for forever and is still kicking strong. Skype is primarily used for calls, but the IM component is just as useful. In fact, we use it as our primary communication device here at AndroidPIT.

Skype requires Skype IDs, so you’ll only be able to add friends if you know their Skype contact name. But once you do, you can send instant messages anytime you want, for free, as well as make movie calls. You can also add Skype credit and make cheap international calls to landlines and mobile phones.

The talk section offers group talk, media sharing, emoji and more. Plus you can have one account on several devices (something that WhatsApp doesn’t permit).

The original (but not necessarily the best), Skype still offers reliable messaging. / © ANDROIDPIT Skype – free IM & movie calls

Best for secure messaging: Telegram

Speed and security are the name of the game for Telegram. The app provides encrypted cross-platform messaging and it’s fully free.

Founder Nikolai Durov stated that he set out to design a messenger that could not be accessed by Russian security agencies. When he suggested a prize of US$200,000 to anyone who could crack the app’s encryption protocol, no one managed it.

If you want a swift, free and secure messenger, Telegram comes very recommended.

Keep your messages safe from the FSB with Telegram. / © ANDROIDPIT Telegram

Best for sensational features: Dasher

Dasher is making an effort to spice up the messenger market by employing some pretty cool and unusual features. It permits you to share GIFs and play YouTube movies directly in the talk window and there are rich URL previews: features that WhatsApp is only just embarking to catch up with.

One of Dasher’s most unusual additions is that of being able to share money with your friends using Venmo, something that no other messenger provides – useful when you’re lounging in bed remembering how your friend bundled you into a taxi last night.

For innovative features, Dasher is the way to go. / © ANDROIDPIT Dasher Messenger

Best for networking: Tango

It takes two to Tango, but there are slew more than that using the service. Tango does much the same as the rest: instant messaging, media sharing, stickers, group talk, movie calling, group talk, etc, but it also has a ton of extras. Tango recently went through a accomplish overhaul and now hosts a news feed and even dedicated news channels for you to go after.

Tango will automatically find your friends based on your contact list, but they must be using the service to demonstrate up (or you can invite them). Additionally, Tango can be used to place calls, find like-minded friends or people in the neighborhood using the service, which adds a bit more social networking to the mix than some other providers. The mid-call mini-games also help Tango stand out from the rest.

Tango is now much more than just a messaging app. / © ANDROIDPIT Tango – Free Movie Call & Talk

Best for SMS: Google Hangouts

Google set up Hangouts as the standard (but interchangeable) messaging app in Android Four.Four KitKat, and thanks to this it picked up a lot more users. Hangouts is a combined SMS and IM app, that separates the two types of messages, but can be used to automatically place voice calls and movie calls from your phone via Hangouts rather than traditional carriers.

Because it treats both SMS and IM, it cuts down on the number of apps you need to be working with, and its movie calling quality is arguably better than Skype’s. In addition, Hangouts integrates with Google+ in much the same way that Facebook Messenger interacts with Facebook, meaning contacts added via the social network can be called or messaged in the separate app. Be careful who you connect with if you’re a particularly private person.

Hangouts still has a long way to go, but as YouTube and Google+ grow, so will hangouts. / © ANDROIDPIT Hangouts

Best for sticker enthusiasts: Viber

Viber is indeed pushing the sticker market, where you can get tons of free and paid sticker packs, but the core business of Viber is instant messages. You can also send recorded voice messages like WhatsApp (but not movie calls like Skype) and you now have the option to call any phone number anywhere with Viber Out – much like adding Skype credit to call people who aren’t on the service.

The fresh look Viber is feature packed and looks good. / © ANDROIDPIT Viber Messenger

Best up-and-coming messaging app: Line

Line is becoming more and more popular, and for good reason. With the recently added movie calling functionality, it is now as fully featured as Skype, but has a junior, sexier feel to it than the attempted and true Skype. It’s jam packed utter of stickers and other joy stuff, and is immensely popular via large parts of Asia. But it’s also feature-filled with group talks, multi-platform capabilities (phone, tablet, PC), timeline, recorded voice messages, media sharing and much, much more, including official account messages from celebrities you like. Line is kind of like Twitter, Facebook and Skype all spinned into one.

I’m pretty fresh to Line, but I’m liking it a lot already. / © ANDROIDPIT/Line LINE: Free Calls & Messages

Best for the office: BBM

After a substantial waiting period, BlackBerry’s messaging service ultimately made it to the Android platform last year. BBM is not as Androidy as the rest of the apps on this list, but it does suggest some very cool features including: always-on service (you don’t need to open the app to use it), timed and retractable messages, two-way opt-in (nobody can message you until you specifically permit them), delivery reporting, groups, emoticons, broadcast messages and more. The capability to choose who can message you, rather than it being available to anybody with your number, makes this an attractive messaging option.

One of BBM’s standout features is its capability to schedule messages. / © ANDROIDPIT / BlackBerry Limited BBM – Free Calls & Messages

Best for gamers: Razer Comms

Tho’ Razer Comms is a fantastic instant messenger in its own right, it’s very first and foremost known for its popularity in the gaming community. With an accompanying PC version too, Razer Comms permits to you to group conversations, free VoIP talk, and it makes it quick and effortless to connect with other gamers around the world. Think of it as Xfire for the smartphone era.

Razer Comms puts a serious concentrate on gamers. / © ANDROIDPIT / Razer Razer Comms – Gaming Messenger

Best for kicks: kik

"185 million people love Kik!" Says its Play Store description, proving there is more to messaging than just WhatsApp. Kik is a little more playful than the likes of WhatsApp, with more color and sticker options. Kik also houses its own built-in browser, to make movie and picture sharing inbetween friends elementary. It’s a quick growing and friendly messenger with users from all over the planet. Give it a attempt.

Kik Messenger proceeds to grow its userbase. / © ANDROIDPIT Kik

Best all-around messaging app: WhatsApp

It’s not all about WhatsApp. but WhatsApp sure is a big part of it. While it doesn’t have the same feature-rich content as many of the other apps on this list, WhatsApp can’t be hammered for simpleness, reliability, and the sheer number of contacts using it. Chances are, if you know someone with a smartphone, they’ve got WhatsApp.

WhatsApp uses your existing contacts’ phone numbers, so you don’t need to add contacts by hand. You can send written messages, stickers, emojis and media, as well as broadcast and group messages.

WhatsApp also permits you to make free calls to your contacts and now you can make Google Drive backups of your talks, too.

WhatsApp is continually improving, but is also behind some of the competition. / © ANDROIDPIT WhatsApp Messenger

What would you say is the best instant messenger apps for Android? Let us know in the comments.

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