The Google-owned operating system boasts an incredible collection of texting apps. If we put aside the cost, messaging apps provide a multitude of great features that are unavailable on SMS. So why do people prefer to use messaging apps over SMS? The answer boils down to a couple of factors, each presenting a unique value. SMS has managed to maintain its popularity in the US thanks to telecommunications carriers offering free SMS messages as part of their mobile plans. However, that’s not the case in the United States. In most countries, using SMS as a means of communication is losing prevalence. While SMS charges for messages, apps are free with a minimal data charge. The main difference between messaging apps and traditional SMS lies in pricing. Since the rise of smartphones, people migrated from calling and texting, and using SMS for messaging slowly started to lose popularity. As far as operating systems go, messenger apps are not exclusive to any, meaning they are available on both iOS and Android.Ĭonsequently, these apps have replaced instant messaging platforms like Yahoo! Messenger and Windows Live Messenger, which were only available on desktop computers. Some also require a phone number for registration like Viber and WhatsApp. Most, if not all, text messaging apps need internet to provide their services and act as a substitute for SMS. Facebook owns two of the best messaging apps for Android: WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. The biggest messaging apps have an estimated 2.1 billion unique users daily. The ease of use combined with the convenience is a good enough reason to justify their growth. Nowadays, messaging apps on mobile phones have more traction on a daily basis than most apps can even come close to.

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