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• Best Apps For Secret Chatting
• Best Messaging Apps For Android

Not everybody uses WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger: there are some instances where a good old SMS message is still preferred. We've gathered a list of the best apps for doing just that.

Android Messages is an app that comes first in our mind as one of the best apps for your texting and SMS messaging needs. It has got easy to use UI and has a very lightweight navigation. When iMessage just isn't enough Best messaging apps for iPad: How to instantly connect with anyone, from anywhere!

Many of you probably have unlimited texts as part of your data plan but let's face it, they don't get much use with apps such as WhatsApp and Facebook messenger being so popular. Perhaps you want to ditch Facebook and WhatsApp following the data privacy issues. It makes sense then, to download an SMS app to have a better texting experience with improved security, customization, and more.

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Best for fun features: Mood Messenger

Mood Messenger is a newer messaging/SMS/MMS app that is perfect for casual users, offering a good spread of nice features from internet messaging apps like animated emojis, location sharing, typing indicator and chat heads. It's also great for the creative types who enjoy customization with a bunch of themes and backgrounds available. Best of all, the app is free with no ads shoved in your face.

Best for themes: GO SMS Pro

GO SMS Pro is a great all-inclusive texting app. It really helps you get the most out of those unlimited texting plans. There are some advertisements, but often you need to click on the advertisement-animation feature to see them. You have some excellent features but the best part of this app is the themes and stickers.

The themes on the GO SMS Pro app are really well designed and integrate well with its interface. You need to download each from Google Play but once you do they are easy to set up. Many of them are free but if you want specialized ones, you need to pay extra.

The 'Delay to send' option is a good idea to activate just in case you make a mistake. This happens a lot; I've had plenty of messages I sent I wanted to quickly get back. If you've ever accidentally sent a swear word to a contact then you'll probably want to use the blacklist function so it doesn't go, well..you get the point.

Best for customization: Handcent Next SMS

It takes a few minutes to get set up but Handcent Next SMS has some excellent customization features that give you a seamless personalized experience, making texting enjoyable and is similar to messenger apps like WhatsApp or WeChat.

You'll notice that it is a really clean experience. It feels like you can move quickly through its functions without clutter everywhere distracting you. It also has features like festive e-cards or text messages for birthdays or holidays. You can even get some inspiration from heartfelt messages made public by other texters.

The customization features really make Handcent shine and we highly recommend you take advantage of them. You can use a skin for their interface and there are a few good ones to choose from, which they update frequently. There are some pretty neat themes too. The in-text customization features really keep you coming back because they change the way you interact with texting in general.

Best for simplicity: Android Messages

We're not fans of Hangouts, which complicates the simple process of sending texts, but Android Messages is another story. It makes use of many of Hangouts' finer qualities while cutting out the clutter. Messages has an eye-soothing interface and, as well as sending texts, you can take photos and record audio messages from within the app.

It's a typical Google app in that it nails the essentials of what it should do.

Best for multiple devices: MySMS

MySMS comes garlanded with rave reviews from press and users alike. It's available for Windows, Mac and web browsers as well as Android, which means you can post from a computer or tablet using your Android phone's number. Adobe photoshop 7.0 free download.

It supports group messaging and MMS, message scheduling, message export and backup, and connects with services such as Evernote, Dropbox and Google Drive. Many of the advanced features require a premium membership, but at just US$9.99 per year, MySMS is hardly going to break the bank.

Best for security: Signal Private Messenger

If you like to err on the side of caution, it's hard to overlook Signal Private Messenger. It's super secure – you can't even take screenshots of the app. Signal Private Messenger encrypts your personal communications with end-to-end encryption protocols as soon as you register your number.

As you may recall, the NSA has a habit of intercepting SMS content as it passes through data centers. Signal only handles encrypted content so your messages are safe in transit. All of your attachments are also encrypted.

Best for comprehensive service: chomp SMS

chomp SMS has been around for a long time, and has become one of the most popular Android SMS apps. Its features include a huge array of emojis, passcode app lock, message locks, intense privacy options, blacklists and quick reply popups, not to mention a ton of customization options, plus it offers Pushbullet and Android Wear compatibility.

Best looking: QKSMS

QKSMS is one of the prettiest SMS apps we've seen, offering Material Design plus a range of themes, night mode, customization, quick replies, group messaging, message scheduling and more in an ad-free environment. The basic app is free but if you want to unlock all the color options and advanced features, you can get premium mode in exchange for a US$1.99 in-app purchase.

Best all-rounder: EvolveSMS/Pulse

EvolveSMS is the Google-inspired SMS app that we wish Hangouts was. EvolveSMS is feature-packed, with support for multimedia messages (including GIFs) and even smartwatch compatibility. The default orange interface looks great, but you can also grab more themes if you're willing to drop a little coin for the customization pack.

Swiping between conversations and a navigation drawer make it a breeze to navigate, and there are plenty of free pre-loaded customization options. If you want an SMS app that does everything, go with Evolve.

The developer of EvolveSMS has made not only one, but two SMS apps and frankly, the second is also deserving of a place on the list. Pulse SMS offers a full-fat SMS app for your phone for free with all the bells and whistles: nice interface, customization, media sharing, contact management, blacklisting and so on. It also lets you use it from other devices such as your laptop, at an additional subscription fee.

Do you use your unlimited texts? Do you prefer any of these apps to WhatsApp or messenger? Let us know in the comments below!

Android phones are amongst the hottest on the market, currently accounting for around 70% of the European mobile market.

Headlined by flagship handsets such as the HTC One (M8), Samsung Galaxy S5 and LG G3, and supported with the strong range of cheaper devices such as the Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini and uber cheap Motorola Moto E, there is more demand for the Android market than ever.

Whether you've just purchased a new Android device, or whether you're 23 months into a 24 month contract, you're going to want to make sure that you are getting the most out of your tech.

Fortunately, there are a variety of different messaging apps available on the app store, to complement the variety of apps that come preinstalled.

Google is famed for its Gmail service, one that has an amazing array of features such as labels and filters, as well as massive storage meaning you never have to delete anything.

The search giant also throws Hangouts, its own IM and SMS service, into Android so that you can message all your Google (and non-Google) buddies quickly.

Most Android smartphones also come with a separate SMS app (the Nexus devices just have Hangouts), although each manufacturer throws in varying levels of customisation, so there are too many offerings for us to comment specifically. What each app will do, though, is send a text (or similar).

Below you'll find our list of the best apps out there, to help you stay in contact with all your friends and colleagues.

1. WhatsApp (First year free, $0.99 per year thereafter)

Now that Facebook has decided to pay a whopping $19 billion for WhatsApp, it has to be top on our list - it's the biggest messaging app around by far with a user base that's in love with the service.

WhatsApp is probably the most popular and well known cross OS messaging app out there, sending messages over your Wi-Fi or mobile internet signal.

No longer completely free, although it's only $0.99 per year with the first year free, WhatsApp covers all your basic needs from a messaging service. The sending of text, pictures, video and voice messages are all supported, as is group chat.

Working with your mobile number, WhatsApp also doesn't require usernames, passwords and pins, and using the web rather than the mobile network means that there are no pesky international charges.

In all, WhatsApp is popular for a reason. It's highly customisable, and very easy to use to message others on the service as it connects via your mobile number.

Still don't want to use WhatsApp, why not try Samsung's ChatON? ChatON is a well designed, comprehensive (now cross OS) messaging app that even features a built in translator.

2. Kik (Free)

With over 80 million users, Kik is another app that can't be ignored. Like WhatsApp, it is cross OS and features many nifty features.

There are many similarities to WhatsApp, such as the ability to send photos, have group chats, as well as being able to search for YouTube links, images and self drawn sketches. More interesting features include downloadable emoticons, our favourites being Rage Memes and South Park characters.

You can also create and send different memes from within Kik, or 'Photobomb' your friends. The latter is Kik's answer to SnapChat, which we will cover later.

Kik also prides itself on being personal and private, not having to share your mobile number or email address, rather a username that you can create. Download lagu rossa full album.

If Kik doesn't take your fancy, why not try BBM? BBM uses another private way of connecting, the same way it always has, taking a pin rather than username. It too supports both group and image messaging.

3. Skype (Free)

Best Apps For Secret Chatting

Play hindi songs online free. First gaining prominence on the desktop, and gaining a lot of publicity following its sale to Microsoft, Skype is possibly the best known and overall best video calling app out there.

It is also more than just a video and voice calling service, however. IM is fully supported, with Skype's custom array of smileys making their way over, albeit without the 'cute' little animations that we are so fond of.

Again, group messaging is supported, as is the sending of media files and video messages.

Connection to Skype can be done through a dedicated username and password or through an existing Microsoft account, something you might have created to use Windows Live or Windows 8. Since the merge with Microsoft, the Redmond based firm is pushing to connect any existing Skype accounts to your Windows account.

In the way of video calling alternatives, why not try ooVoo? Also free to download, ooVoo features video chat at its heart, whilst also supporting group messaging, video statuses and a speed dial.

4. SnapChat (Free)

Best Messaging Apps For Android

Chances are that you have heard of SnapChat, not least because of what you can use it for. It is becoming ever popular as a way to share images quickly and privately, with the added bonus that they don't hang around.

SnapChat gained popularity because of the temporary nature of the images sent. Images are captured and then sent immediately, to select SnapChat compatriots, with a self destruct timer built in.

Images, or videos, can be sent for anything up to ten seconds, and then wipe themselves off the receivers phone. Whilst there is nothing to stop a screenshot, senders are notified if this occurs. Image editing is also possible, but only to a narrow degree.

A small level of text can be added, and images can be sketched over, so you can show your friends what you look like with a bright red cartoon afro. You can also save your own images.

Not your thing though? Clipchat works on a very similar basis, though shows a pixellated preview of the image to receivers, so they have a rough idea of what they're opening.