



Update: This is a depreciated list and will no longer be updated. Please refer to our current best list of best SMS apps and best texting apps here: The best texting apps and SMS apps for Android (new!) This is a depreciated list and will no longer be updated. Please refer to our current best list of best SMS apps and best texting apps here:

SMS has been the gold standard for text messaging for a long time. Most cell phone plans just give them away in unlimited capacities these days and it’s dead easy to use. As such, there are plenty of apps that can send and receive SMS and MMS messages. Some are heavy with a lot of pizzazz and some are lightweight with just the basics. Whatever you need, we think we have you covered with the 10 best SMS apps for Android![Price: Free]Chomp SMS is a relic in the world of Android. It’s been around since the days of Eclair and FroYo and it was known as one of the two best SMS replacement apps. It’s still wildly popular today and for good reason. There is theme support that lets you make your text messages look how you want it to look. Included also is over 800 emoticons, widgets, quick reply pop ups, and even SMS blocking if you’re tired of getting texts from a number. If you need something with a lot of theming options, this is among the best options out there for you. Beware, though, it is a little bit bloated.[Price: Free with in-app purchases]EvolveSMS is a long time popular texting app with a lot of good features. One of its hallmark features is the ability to swipe between conversations which makes texting with a lot of people easier than hitting the back button and then selecting another conversation. It also has Android Wear support, password support for security, customizable notifications, and more. The in-app purchases are essentially just purchasing the pro version.[Price: Free]Like Chomp SMS, Handcent is the other texting app that’s been around and popular since the “good old days.” Handcent is packed with features including theme support, built-in spell checking, password protection for individual conversations to keep prying eyes away, group chatting, and more. You can also backup texts, send eCards, and there is support for many languages. It’s a solid option but like ChompSMS, it is a little bloated.[Price: Free]Google Messenger is Google’s stock texting app that you’ll find on the latest Nexus devices. It’s a simple SMS app without a lot of extra features which makes it a good option for those looking for something less bloated. It comes with full blown Material Design which looks just lovely and there are a few extra features such as text search, SMS blocking, location sharing, and audio messages. It’s a well-rounded app that looks good. It’s also totally free[Price: Free with in-app purchases]GO SMS Pro has been around for a while but has undergone several complete redesigns since then. Their most recent, dubbed GO SMS Pro 7, has been remade with full Material Design along with a smattering of features that has made this app so popular for so many years. You’ll find theming, a private box where only you can read your messages, dual SIM support, delayed sending, and you can even use GO Chat, which is a built-in, non-SMS messaging service. It’s a good option and has been for a long time.[Price: Free with in-app purchases]QKSMS is a lesser known but really good option for texters. It comes with Material Design which looks clean and awesome. You’ll also find additional features like over 200 themes, night mode, quick reply support, Android Wear support, text search, and even built-in protection from Stagefright. It’s completely open source and all of the features come in the free version so you don’t have to buy anything. It’s good and getting better.[Price: Free]Signal Private Messenger is actually a messaging service akin to Google Hangouts, WhatsApp, or Facebook Messenger. However, it uses a phone number system to find people and if those people don’t have Signal, then it just sends regular SMS which is kind of cool. Signal focuses on security and has end-to-end encryption in place to prevent the powers that be from snooping. To get the full security, both people have to be using Signal, but it also works very well as a standalone text app. It’s also free, open source, and supports phone calls as well.[Price: Free / $2.89]Textra SMS originally made headlines as one of the first apps to fully embrace the new Material Design and its popularity has only increased since then. It rocks a very fashionable dark theme with fully customizable color accents. You can also choose the icon color if you want to which is kind of cool. It has decent features when it comes to texting, including over 1600 emoji, slide to delete (or call), 21 text sizes, SMS blocking and blacklisting, scheduled SMS and MMS sending (great for birthdays!), and a light mode if you want to go brighter. It’s a solid texting app worth your time.[Price: Free with in-app purchases]YAATA SMS is an up-and-coming texting appplication that strikes a lot of the right chords. It uses Material Design with both light and dark themes which is always a plus. It also includes the ability to send all kinds of MMS files, delivery reports, send delays, and more. If you go premium, you’ll also get text blocking, auto-responding, and auto-forwarding. It looks good, works well, and most of the features are in the free version.[Price: Free with in-app purchases]ZERO SMS has managed to fly under the media radar for a long time but has still managed to pick up over five million downloads to date. This one includes the standard Material Design along with a small file size (Google Play says 2.7MB), dual SIM support, various themes and emoji to choose from, and SMS blocking along with spam filtering. It’s a good little SMS app with some unique features and manages to not feel bloated like others.

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