In my last post, I covered a list of fun things to do during the Circuit Breaker period. One of them was using instant messaging apps to communicate with your relatives and loved ones at home.
Other than the popular (and recently controversial) Zoom, there’s loads of different messaging apps. These are the most popular, and all of them are free.
We also share a trick or two that you didn’t know you could do with these apps.
Each of these apps are used for their different features such as encryption, secret chats and more.
Table of Contents
1. WhatsApp
The undisputed king of instant messaging apps out there, WhatsApp is by far the most popular and common app, with more than 1.6 billion users globally. Just about everyone who owns a phone has this installed.
Features include encrypted texts (meaning your texts can’t be seen by people you don’t want to), along with video and voice calls. You can also connect your phone to WhatsApp Web on your computer if you don’t like texting on a tiny screen.
The only downside is that the app requires an internet connection to text and make calls.
2. Telegram
Telegram is the fastest instant messaging app today, sending messages far quicker than any others. Unlike WhatsApp, you don’t need a constant connection to your mobile phone in order to use the desktop version, but you do need an internet connection.
More than that, it also allows the use of bots. These bots can range from giving you practical advice such as telling you when the next bus will arrive, to trivia quizzes.
Like WhatsApp, its texts are all encrypted for maximum safety. At the moment, however, it does not allow users to have video or voice calls, and is strictly a messaging app. That isn’t to say that these features won’t be added in the future, however.
3. Facebook Messenger
Despite the name, you don’t actually need a Facebook account to use Facebook Messenger. All you need to do is sign up with your phone number. However, if you do have a Facebook account, you can connect Messenger to it and jump right in without creating a new profile.
While providing all the essential features of a messaging app such as voice and video calls, the app provides much more than that. You can play games with friends, watch videos together, and even share music.
4. Discord
If you’ve got a relative who loves to play video games or is just a greek in general, he’s bound to have Discord installed. Discord was conceived as a way for communities to come together and chat, a goal it has succeeded. The app boasts some of the largest servers, with the largest one being the official Roblox server with a mind-boggling 300,000 members.
With a whole host of servers with many, many different communities, there’s bound to be one that suits your interests. You can even create your own for free. Like Telegram, Discord allows users access to bots. These bots tend to be more developed, and in addition to playing games such as trivia mentioned above, they can also stream music.
Discord allows for voice and video calls. Unlike most messaging apps, Discord does not require a phone number to sign up.
5. WeChat
An instant messaging app immensely popular in China and the rest of the world, WeChat is another app that dominates. Alongside all the features that are included in other messaging apps such as video and voice calls, WeChat also offers quirky and innovative features.
One such feature is WeChat Shake. If you’re feeling lonely, you can give your phone a little shake. The app will then look for another person doing the same thing, and connect you two. You can then have fun chatting to your new friend.
6. Line
A Japanese messaging app, Line has been around since 2011. Line features a social media-like system known as Timeline, allowing you to post status updates and images onto your wall. If you’re familiar with Facebook this is for you.
Line also allows you to follow your favourite brands and celebrities on official channels so that you can always hear the latest news about them.
7. Skype
The premier app for video calls, Skype is best known for its voice and video call functions. However, it also includes a well-developed instant messaging system that makes it as good as any other.
What’s more is that it also includes Skype Credit. This allows you to call phones and sent SMS texts just like you would with any other phone, without using your phone.
You require a Microsoft account to use Skype.
8. Google Hangouts
Unfortunately overshadowed by the above, Google Hangouts is a great and simple instant messaging app. While having everything you’d expect from an instant messaging app, on the desktop version, it also includes the Screen Share feature.
Screen Sharing allows you to share whatever’s on your screen to your audience with a simple click of a button. So if you want to ask your more tech-savvy relative for help, you can show him what’s wrong and get the problem sorted out in no time.Google Hangouts can be accessed through your Gmail account.
