What SMS App do you use?

[Hojunhu]

I'm a huge sucker for trying out all kinds of apps, especially if the only app I have is the stock app for that function.

When I got my Nexus 5 I was surprised to find out that the stock app 'Messages' was no longer in charge of sending out SMS. Instead, to my horror, Hangouts was responsible for that duty. For about a month I tolerated it until I came across the app 'Hello SMS.' I enjoyed that app while I was using it, but then stumbled across 'Contacts+' which I currently use. What I enjoy about 'Contacts+' is that it takes over the job of 'People,' 'Dialer,' and 'Hangouts' making my experience more cohesive. Now I'm getting the itch for something new and I figured what better place to ask than here. So, any reccommendations on messaging apps?

TL;DR what messaging app do you use?

 

[Crashdamage]

The stock messaging app is available for the N5:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fr.slvn.mms
I like to keep things simple.

 

[PattiCakeUS]

I'm currently using Textra for texts, along with Mighty Text to send texts from PC. Seems like a good combo so far.

 

[Hojunhu]

The stock messaging app is available for the N5:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=fr.slvn.mms
I like to keep things simple.

Thanks! Never hated stock so this is good to know.

 

[shauny13]

used textra for a long time, have recently switched to chomp as i can blacklist numbers with it, that textra couldn't do (last time i looked). Go sms and Handcent are too bloated for me.

 

[PattiCakeUS]

Oh shauny, that's good to know. I used handcent for years but thought I'd try something different, I haven't had the need to block anyone's texts yet but it doesn't look like Textra can do that. One thing both handcent & Textra can do is customize the notification vibration - do you know if chomp can do that? I like 3 long vibrates on incoming texts.

 

[kmf]

I use Hangouts. Seems to work OK.

 

[shauny13]

Oh shauny, that's good to know. I used handcent for years but thought I'd try something different, I haven't had the need to block anyone's texts yet but it doesn't look like Textra can do that. One thing both handcent & Textra can do is customize the notification vibration - do you know if chomp can do that? I like 3 long vibrates on incoming texts.

Yes you can customize the vibrate pattern.

 

[lexluthor]

I use Verizon Messages
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.verizon.messaging.vzmsgs

I don't think that many people know about it and I don't think you have to be on Verizon to use it (not certain about that though). If you are on a Verizon residential account (I'm on a business account), it syncs messages with the web and you can send/receive on the web too (like when you use Mightytext, I guess).

It really works great. Never have any issues with SMS/MMS not coming through and group messaging with iPhones always works.

It's actually pretty feature rich too.

I really like the ability to set per conversation custom notifications without having to add the sender into my contact list. Most SMS programs require the number to be in your contact list in order to set custom notifications for that contact.

 

[PattiCakeUS]

Go sms and Handcent are too bloated for me.

Interesting... just installed chomp, it's 6.6M and Handcent is 6.7M... so bloat seems comparable (compared to 2.5M for textra)
- although I think textra is a more basic messaging app

But... I'm still going to give chomp a try, thanks for the recommendation!

edit: talking about texting apps & features got me to look at handcent again; one thing handcent has that I don't see in chomp is the ability to use "batch mode" to delete a bunch of texts, selectively. I have 495 texts from my daughter & want to keep some of them, but don't want to delete them all. Does chomp have a batch mode that I'm just not seeing?

 

[Italo]

I'm trying out Evolve SMS right now. I've used Handcent for a while, but it is kind of bloated and ugly. Evolve is the most streamlined SMS app I've seen. You can swipe left or right to switch conversation threads, or drag out the menu from the left to see the list.

 

[DragonSlayer95]

I use to use go sms for a while, but recently I've just been using the stock messaging for moto g.

 

[Hadron]

I've used various and tried most, but am currently using Textra.

 

[chanchan05]

EvolveSMS for me. Awesome sms app.

 

[shauny13]

Interesting... just installed chomp, it's 6.6M and Handcent is 6.7M... so bloat seems comparable (compared to 2.5M for textra)
- although I think textra is a more basic messaging app

But... I'm still going to give chomp a try, thanks for the recommendation!

edit: talking about texting apps & features got me to look at handcent again; one thing handcent has that I don't see in chomp is the ability to use "batch mode" to delete a bunch of texts, selectively. I have 495 texts from my daughter & want to keep some of them, but don't want to delete them all. Does chomp have a batch mode that I'm just not seeing?

Settings, multiple delete.

 

[Clementine_3]

I use Verizon Messenger too. It really is a good texting app, even if it does come from Verizon! My only gripe with it right now is that they updated it so you can have individual tones for each contact (nice feature) but now there is no silent/vibrate/none. I don't use a tone for texts, just vibrate and that's no longer an option. Annoying. Other than that though it is truly a good app.

 

[PattiCakeUS]

Settings, multiple delete.

Seems like that's just to delete entire conversations, Handcent has an easy way to delete multiple selected messages within a conversation. If that "multiple delete" option was there when you're looking at all the messages from one person, that would be great. I went to chomp's website & apparently they haven't added this feature yet. Guess it's back to handcent until chomp adds that, or I find an alternative app with the features I use.

 

[gingersnapgirl]

I'm trying out Evolve SMS right now. I've used Handcent for a while, but it is kind of bloated and ugly. Evolve is the most streamlined SMS app I've seen. You can swipe left or right to switch conversation threads, or drag out the menu from the left to see the list.

I loved Evolve SMS, until I realized it just couldn't handle MMS. Yes, you can change the APN settings, but that would always work only temporarily, and would fail again right when I needed it most. So I switched back to handcent, which has never given me any trouble.

 

[Hojunhu]

Because of this thread I am giving Chomp a whirl and so far so good. Granted, I haven't had the need to send an MMS yet, but the notification customisation is really nice.

 

[shauny13]

Seems like that's just to delete entire conversations, Handcent has an easy way to delete multiple selected messages within a conversation. If that "multiple delete" option was there when you're looking at all the messages from one person, that would be great. I went to chomp's website & apparently they haven't added this feature yet. Guess it's back to handcent until chomp adds that, or I find an alternative app with the features I use.

what i do is lock the messages i want to keep, than batch delete. It will ask you if you want to include locked messages.

 

[PattiCakeUS]

Interesting workaround but that's way too much work for me! I'll keep it in mind though, thanks.

 

[lexluthor]

I use Verizon Messenger too. It really is a good texting app, even if it does come from Verizon! My only gripe with it right now is that they updated it so you can have individual tones for each contact (nice feature) but now there is no silent/vibrate/none. I don't use a tone for texts, just vibrate and that's no longer an option. Annoying. Other than that though it is truly a good app.

I saw someone comment about that in the play store reviews. Easy workaround is to just create an .mp3 with a split second of silence. Call it silence.mp3 and put it with your notification tones. Would that work for you?

 

[Clementine_3]

It would, and I've thought about doing just that. I probably will when I get a second or three to play

 

[Jeran2]

I use the Talkatone from the Google Play store. The app is free. All outgoing and incoming texts are free in the U.S. It gives you a new local number to use to send and receive texts. I live in Phoenix, but it ran out of Phoenix numbers, so it gave me a Tucson number, but I don't care because it still works fine and and it is free.

Also, all incoming phone calls (voice calls) are free to that number.

And it gives you about 10 to 20 minutes per month of free outgoing phone calls (voice calls) per month, and after that you can buy more outgoing minutes at 60 minutes for 99 cents.

I use Talkatone over wifi, and it doesn't use any of my cell phone's minutes, texts, or data. When I want to have a long voice conversation with someone I know, I send them a text message to call me back on my Talkatone phone number, and then it is a free call for me.

Another one I use for free texts is the Google Voice app. Texts are free, and they don't use up your cell phone's minutes or texts, etc.

 

[lexluthor]

Interesting workaround but that's way too much work for me! I'll keep it in mind though, thanks.

Looks like the silent setting is back with today's Verizon messages update.