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The increasing popularity of communication platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram has put the good ol' SMS in the backseat across a lot of regions. That's not to say text messaging is a dying breed because it's still quite popular in countries like the US, and while your friends and family may not be pinging you on SMS as much, you’re still likely getting dozens of text messages from companies and service providers every day. You can always rely on the built-in SMS app that shipped with your phone, but we recommend getting something better and a bit more reliable to keep a track of all the messages. If you're wondering which text messaging apps to use on your Android phone, then here are some good options to consider:

Best overall: Google Messages

Previously known as Android Messages, the Messages app from Google is the company’s official app for texting and RCS messages. It comes pre-installed on Google's Pixel series and select other phones, but other Android users can download it from Google Play. It's also available on Google's Wear OS, meaning it's good for Android users who actively use a smartwatch. The Google Messages app packs support for sending text messages via your computer or pretty much any device that has a browser.

Additionally, there are basic theming options, search support, spam protection, and a lot more. You can also send group texts, emojis, GIFs, stickers, videos, and audio messages using the app. Notably, you also use Google Assistant within the app to help you with things like quick responses, looking up locations, saving notes, and more. Google regularly adds new features and improvements to the app, so you can expect it to evolve a lot more over time too. Some notable additions over the past months include AI-powered messaging sorting, auto OTP deletion, and the ability to star important conversations. Google Messages is free to download and use. New versions of the app have also been updated to support Android's Material You theming.

One of the oldest and reliable: Chomp SMS

Chomp SMS is one of the more popular picks that's been available for over a decade and is consistently recommended as one of the best texting apps on the platform. The app comes with a number of very useful features, including a passcode lock, scheduled messages, and a quick reply popup.

It works perfectly with dual-SIM devices and supports group messaging, MMS, SMS blocking, and lots more. Chomp is also great at customization. You can change notification LED colors, ringtones, and vibrate patterns for different senders. Additionally, the app is compatible with PushBullet, Yappy, and Wear OS for notifications and replying.

Chomp is free to download and use; however, it does include ads that can be removed with an in-app purchase.

Best app with lots of features: Pulse SMS

Pulse SMS is another great texting app for Android. It works very well and comes with a lot of useful features too. With Pulse, you get support for sending text messages from any platform, per-contact customization, blacklist support, and backup/restore function.

Additionally, there's support for smart replies, web previews, scheduled messages, delayed sending, and search. Moreover, you can also password-protect select conversations you don’t want others to see. On the design front, Pulse SMS uses Material Design, so it looks simple and elegant.

The app is free to download and use, but there are some in-app purchases to enable features like sending messages from any platform.

Best open-source app: QKSMS

QKSMS is a simple and open-source app. Its clean and intuitive design makes it easy to use, and it offers support for MMS, group texting, scheduled messages, and search functionality. With QKSMS, you can also backup and restore your texts, block specific conversations, and create a blacklist of unwanted numbers.

In addition to these features, QKSMS also uses the 'Should I Answer' service to filter out spam messages, and it is compatible with Wear OS. For added convenience, the app also includes a night mode and various accessibility options.

QKSMS is completely free to download and use, and you don't have to deal with any ads, either.

Best for sorting messages: Microsoft SMS Organizer

SMS Organizer is an amazing SMS app from Microsoft. In fact, it's one of the smartest texting apps out there. Much of its development is focused on India, but its features will work just as well even outside the country. SMS Organizer, however, is only available to use in select markets like Australia, India, the UK, and the US.

The best part of the app is its organizational capabilities. It intelligently sorts your messages into different sections, like personal, offers, reminders, and texts from financial organizations. All of this is aimed at decluttering your inbox and doing right on your device. Moreover, you get a dark theme, auto-backup support, the ability to block senders, and a number of customization options.

SMS Organizer is free to download and use.

Best for theming options: Textra SMS

Textra SMS has also been around for quite some time, and it's one of the oldest and most reliable text messaging apps out there right now. It's highly customizable and comes with a lot of theming options. You also get chat heads like Facebook Messenger, support for both MMS and group messaging, and blacklisting support.

An interesting and quite useful feature of Textra SMS is the support to copy just part of an SMS instead of copying the entire message. Some other noteworthy features of the app include things like scheduled messages, undo while sending a message, a ton of emojis, and compatibility with PushBullet, Mighty Text, and Wear OS.

Textra is free to download and use, but there are ads that you can remove using an in-app purchase.

Best app that works without the phone: Handcent Next SMS

Handcent Next SMS is another good texting app for your Android phone. It comes with all typical texting features, like scheduled messages, SMS blocker, blacklisting, search, and SMS backups. Additionally, you can password-protect select messages, and the app supports MMS and group messaging.

One of the highlights of this app is its Handcent Anywhere function which allows users to send text messages from their computer or tablet without touching their phone. You also get a lot of theming and customization options, which is good.

Handcent Next SMS is free to download and use, but there are some in-app purchases.

Best free app with no ads: Simple SMS Messenger

Simple SMS Messenger is another open-source texting app available on Android. This app offers a range of features that are commonly found in other texting apps, such as the ability to send SMS messages, MMS messages, and group messages. It also allows users to block unwanted senders and create backups of their messages.

One of the key features of Simple SMS Messenger is that it does not contain any ads or require any unnecessary permissions. You won't get bombarded with unwanted advertisements or have to worry about the app accessing your personal data.

In addition to these core features, Simple SMS Messenger also includes a number of useful extras. It has a search function that allows users to quickly locate specific messages, as well as various customization options that allow users to personalize the look and feel of the app. It also includes a mute feature, which allows users to silence notifications for specific conversations.

Simple SMS Messenger has a smaller footprint than many other texting apps, meaning it takes up less space on your device. Finally, the app follows the Material Design guidelines.

App with the smallest file size: Yaata

Yaata is a relatively new and simple SMS app that you can use on your Android phone. It only has a file size of 3.9MB, meaning it won't take up much space on your phone. Despite its small size, Yaata includes all the essential features you'd expect from an SMS app, such as support for MMS, group chats, and delayed sending. It also comes with a backup and restore feature, themes, and advanced search capabilities, as well as the ability to customize settings for individual contacts.

In addition to these free features, Yaata also offers a premium subscription that unlocks additional capabilities such as scheduled messages, night mode, blacklisting, auto-forwards, and auto-responder capabilities. The app itself is free to download and use, but you'll need to make an in-app purchase to access the premium features. Hit the link below to try it out.

Bonus pick: SMS Backup and Restore

It's not a texting app, but it is still very useful for anyone who relies on SMS. If your favorite SMS app doesn’t come with built-in backup and restore functions, SMS Backup and Restore can help. It's probably one of the oldest and best SMS backup apps on the Play Store.

The app allows you to back up SMS, MMS, and call logs in XML format. You can create local backups or store them in Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox. The app also supports recurring scheduled backups, backups of select conversations, and backup transfers over Wi-Fi Direct. Moreover, the backed-up messages can also be viewed on the developer’s website using the XML file.

The app is free to download and use, but you'll have to upgrade to the Pro version to get rid of ads.

Best text messaging apps for Android in 2023: The bottom line

If you feel the need to swap out the built-in text messaging app on your Android phone, then we recommend checking out Google Messages. It's one of the most reliable text messaging apps out there right now, and it works so well that it's pre-installed on many of the best Android phones. One of the highlights of this particular app is that it comes with built-in Google Assistant to help make your experience better with smart suggestions. Google Messages also works flawlessly on the Wear OS platform so that you can rely on it for all of the best Wear OS smartwatches.

Microsoft's SMS Organizer is also a solid option to consider if you want a smart SMS app that can intelligently sort your messages to make your lives easier. You are bound to get some similar features on almost all the apps mentioned in this collection, so it comes down to your personal preference and little things that matter. We recommend going through each and every option to see if you come across a particular feature you like the most.