iMessage for Android: How to Send and Receive Messages
By Jessica RegheliniUpdated on February 21, 2018
Want to use iMessage, but don’t have an iPhone? If so, you’re in luck. We have a solution for you. In this article, we’ll be telling you about whether Android devices can use iMessage, and how you can have a great messaging experience even if you don’t have an iPhone.
Can iMessage be used with Android devices?
Unfortunately, there is no legal way to get iMessage for Android. The only way to do this is by illegally modifying your device and pirating software. On the plus side, there are plenty of apps available that can give you a similar (or better) messaging experience than the illegal Android iMessage.
Here are some of the best apps you can use to solve this problem.
1. Facebook Messenger
Messenger is an app created by Facebook that allows users to communicate with their Facebook friends on their mobile device. You can use it to send text, picture, and video messages, as well as fun stickers and GIFs. You can even use the Messenger app to make video calls with your friends and family. Messenger has more features than iMessage, is free to use, and is compatible with all kinds of devices. You can download Messenger for Android here.
2. WhatsApp
WhatsApp is another great messaging app that is compatible with Android. Like Messenger, it offers more features than iMessage. It also has a built in “Status” feature, that allows users to share what they’re up to throughout the day with all of their contacts simultaneously. WhatsApp also offers video and audio calls to be made within the app. WhatsApp is easy to use and free to download and install. Download the WhatsApp Android app here .
If you’d like to learn how to use it, check out our WhatsApp course.
3. GroupMe
GroupMe is an awesome messaging app to use on Android if you want to have group messages. It allows users to add anyone into a group chat through their phone number or email address. It also has built-in search functions to find fun memes and GIFs that you can send to your friends. GroupMe also allows you to leave or end group chats, or mute notifications, similarly to how you can with iMessage. Download GroupMe on your Android phone for free.
4. Kik
Kik Messenger is an all-in-one messaging app. It allows for more privacy than some of the other apps we’ll mention today because it only shares your username with other people, where some others require you to share your phone number, email address, or full name. Kik is free to use, and allows users to send and receive text, pictures, videos, emoji stickers, GIFs, and more! It also allows you to create group chats and send messages to everyone in the group at once. You can even video chat with Kik, either one-on-one, or with a group! Click here to download Kik for your Android device.
Be sure to check out our Kik course if you’re interested in learning more about it.
5. Skype
Skype is a super popular communication program that is available on almost all kinds of devices. It is famous for its video chatting and screen sharing features, but it also allows users to communicate in other ways, like sending text messages, pictures, videos, voice recordings, and other computer files. You can even use Skype to call standard telephones at low rates. Skype is free to download and use, and can be found on the Google Play store here.
Want to learn how to use Skype? Head over to our free Skype course.
6. Viber
Another Android messaging app you can check out is called Viber. Viber is similar to Skype, in that it has tons of features that iMessage doesn’t. It offers text messaging, file sharing, voice calls, video chats, and additional features like games and playful stickers. You can also use Viber to have group chats with up to 250 people at the same time! Another cool feature of Viber is that it allows you to delete text and voice messages even after sending them, so you don’t have to worry if you send something by accident. Viber can be downloaded for free here.
7. Android Messages
The last app we’ll be mentioning today is a lesser-known one made by Google, called Android Messages. Android Messages is kind of like the Android version of iMessage. It allows for easy communication using SMS or MMS text messaging, group chats, audio messages, and file sharing. It allows you to capture and share pictures and videos within the app, and even allows you to share your location with Google Maps integration. You can download Android Messages from the Google Play store for free here.
Those are all of the best apps you can use for messaging on Android. We hope one of them works out for you. If you’ve tried any of these apps before, let us know your thoughts on them in the comment section below.