Tech
A Guide to the Best Messaging Apps of 2023
Best Messaging Apps
As of April 2023, over 5 million people, or nearly two-thirds of the global population, use the Internet. That’s 147 million more than April 2022. Many of these folks use the Internet for online communication, particularly app-to-app messaging.
Digital messaging platforms, after all, deliver messages almost instantly. They also rely on any Internet connection, whether Wi-Fi or data service. Plus, unlike SMS, they let you send text, videos, graphics, documents, and hyperlinks.
But with so many options out there, which ones should you use?
This guide details the best messaging apps this 2023 (and most likely, beyond), so read on.
WhatsApp is among the best messaging apps because it works on Apple, Android, and Windows. It provides various messaging options, including text, multimedia, and voice. You can also use it for audio, video, and group calls.
Another great thing about WhatsApp is that it safeguards data with end-to-end encryption. It also creates encrypted backups of your chat history but doesn’t store them on its servers. It further secures things by requiring two-step verification.
With all those features, it’s no wonder the original WhatsApp has over 2 billion active users. It’s also one of the few multi-platform apps downloaded over 5 billion times on iOS and Android.
WhatsApp also has a paid tier, WhatsApp Business, marketed to small businesses. It allows account holders to simplify customer interactions with automation and sorting tools. It’s a paid subscription but offers 1,000 free conversations monthly.
A modified version of WhatsApp, called WhatsApp Plus, is available on Android devices. It boosts the original app’s core functions and has extras like custom themes and colors. It also allows users to sync up to four accounts.
iMessage via Apple Messages
Apple Messages is Apple’s native messaging app. With this, you can send regular SMS/MMS to non-Apple users. These messages appear inside green text bubbles.
If you’re messaging another Apple user, your message turns into an iMessage. This is exclusive to Apple devices. You can use it on iOS (iPhones), macOS (Mac computers), iPadOS (iPads), and watchOS (Apple Watches).
You’ll know it’s an iMessage because it appears inside a blue text bubble. It’s a secure platform offering end-to-end encryption for both you and the recipient.
One of the niftiest features of iMessage is its integration with other Apple devices.
Let’s say you’re one of the one billion plus Apple users worldwide and own a Mac, iPad, Apple Watch, or all three. As long as you use a single Apple ID on all your devices, you can sync their iMessage app, too.
So, suppose you want to send another Apple user an iMessage, but your phone is far, although you’re in front of your Mac. You can use your Mac’s Messages app instead. You can send texts, photos, videos, documents, graphics, and even add special effects.
You can also take and make audio, video, and group calls from your Messages app. Just remember that these are only for other Apple users. However, you can still send regular SMS/MMS to non-Apple users through your Mac.
Google Messages
This is Android’s native, private, secure, and encrypted messaging app. It uses the new rich communication services (RCS) protocol by default. RCS is more secure than SMS and can handle photo, file, and location sharing, among other media types.
With the RCS protocol, you can send messages to any other Android user connected to the Internet at no cost. However, you can get charged the usual if you send SMS or MMS to Apple devices.
Telegram
Telegram works much like WhatsApp and is available on Android and Apple devices. However, its primary advantage is that you can use it for group chats with up to 200,000 members. By contrast, WhatsApp’s maximum is 1,000 participants.
Telegram also doesn’t limit media and chat sizes, whereas WhatsApp does. It’s also a social media platform letting users create or subscribe to channels.
As for drawbacks, Telegram’s end-to-end encryption isn’t available by default; WhatsApp is. So with Telegram, you must first enable the app’s “secret chats” mode. Only after this do your messages get encrypted and secured.
Viber
Viber offers standard text and multimedia messaging and chatting. It also lets users make voice and video calls to other Viber users.
Viber also features disappearing messages and secret chats. Plus, you can sync it across your mobile devices, desktop, or laptop computer.
With Viber, you can rest assured your messages are secure with end-to-end encryption. What sets apart its security protocol from others is its color coding, which lets you see how secure a convo is.
For instance, green means you have an encrypted chat with a trusted contact. Gray means the app has encrypted the message but hasn’t yet marked the connection as trusted. Finally, red is for a recipient that the platform can’t authenticate.
Signal
Compared to all other apps in this list, Signal offers the highest level of security. For one, it safeguards both calls and texts with end-to-end encryption.
Signal is also the company that created the encryption protocol in the first place. This is the same one used by other popular apps like WhatsApp.
Despite its high security, Signal is still easy to use and offers the same features as other leading apps. For example, it lets you send messages, files, and photos and make voice and video calls.
Another great thing about Signal is that it doesn’t have ads or affiliates. Neither does it perform secret tracking. You can also set your messages to disappear after presetting custom time frames.
The Signal app is available on desktop computers and Apple and Android smartphones. It’s free and easy to join; you only have to download the app and sign up with a valid phone number.
Start Using the Best Messaging Apps
From WhatsApp to iMessage and Viber to Signal, these are the best messaging apps to use this 2023. Not only do they offer the most expansive reach, but they also offer many functions and features. Plus, because they’re free, you can use more than one to ensure you can reach as many contacts as possible.
Did you enjoy reading this piece? If so, you’d surely love our other informative tech articles! For starters, check out our guide on the best face recognition apps for Macs.
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