Communication is essential: the more efficient the bridge that connects one channel to another, the better. Instant messaging apps are essential in both the professional and professional spheres – there is no way around it.

Due to their practicality, almost all smartphones nowadays have at least one of these apps installed in their memory: why waste time calling others, if sending short audio messages or text messages is so much simpler, right?

All of these options are very simple to use and free: you don’t need to worry about hidden charges or anything like that. What’s more, you can share photos, videos and other files with whoever you want, at any time!

Enjoy all the practicality of instant messaging apps and have the world in the palm of your hand: check out the most used ones around the world, choose the one you want (if you want, even more than one) and, of course, have fun.

WhatsApp

Android [DOWNLOAD] ● iOS [DOWNLOAD]

Image: Google Play

How could we talk about instant messaging apps without mentioning the most widely used app on the planet? WhatsApp was launched in November 2009 and has since gained over 2 billion users.

The reasons behind its immense popularity are not few: it is an extremely easy-to-use application, quite lightweight and with features that are sufficient for the vast majority of people, such as sharing photos, videos and files and video conferencing in pairs or with more people.

WhatsApp periodically creates backups of your conversations: if you need to change your smartphone, you won't lose your entire history. As it is by far the most used app in the world, finding users to share your experiences with is incredibly easy and natural.

WhatsApp Business

Android [DOWNLOAD] ● iOS [DOWNLOAD]

Image: Google Play

This version of WhatsApp was specifically designed for companies and freelancers who want to improve communication with their peers and customers. You can create a complete business profile, with a variety of important information about your company (email address, official website, etc.).

What's more, WhatsApp Business allows you to set up automatic messages: if you're not near your cell phone when you receive a call, at least your customers will know that you're available. 

A really cool feature of the app is that it has a tag system. With it, you can better categorize conversations, giving more organization to your tasks.

You can also create product and service catalogs, which is great for promoting marketing campaigns among your authorized contacts! Connect with those you care about in an increasingly personalized way.

Telegram

Android [DOWNLOAD] ● iOS [DOWNLOAD]

Image: Wikipedia

Telegram has quickly become one of WhatsApp's biggest competitors: it currently has around 700 million active users. It turns out that it has some very interesting features that WhatsApp doesn't have (at least not yet).

For the most basic users, it has the same features as WhatsApp: encrypted messages, self-destructing messages, voice and video calls, file sharing, and so much more. However, it has several advantages for specific uses!

One of them is the creation of groups of up to 200,000 users (WhatsApp supports up to 256 users): this is especially important for companies that want to create stronger engagement with their customers. In addition, the app itself provides bots so that users can personalize the entire experience of their channels and groups.

File sharing via Telegram is also much better: you can exchange up to 2GB of data at once. At first glance, this may not seem like much – but it is a real game-changer for certain users, especially business users.

If you switch between your computer and smartphone, it's worth mentioning that Telegram's PC app is also far superior to WhatsApp's: all of its features are available on both platforms.

If you are interested, you can subscribe to Telegram X, which offers advanced features and a different interface. However, keep in mind that this is still an experimental version and, therefore, it may present bugs during use.

Signal

Android [DOWNLOAD] ● iOS [DOWNLOAD]

Image: Google Play

Focused on privacy, Signal is an open-source instant messaging app that is also very simple and lightweight to use. Like the others, all your messages are end-to-end encrypted, meaning only the sender and recipient can check them.

One notable feature of this app is that it is developed and maintained by a non-profit organization: therefore, there are no commercial interests involved in the same way as WhatsApp or Telegram. Furthermore, Signal does not collect any user data, so it is not possible to track or identify users.

You can share files up to 1GB, as well as create self-destructing messages, private groups of up to 1,000 people, make high-quality voice and video calls and use stickers to make the experience more fun and enjoyable.

Although it is not yet as popular as WhatsApp and Telegram, Signal already has a reasonable user base: around 100 million members. Developers interested in participating in the project can contact the team behind the scenes, by the way!

Discord

Android [DOWNLOAD] ● iOS [DOWNLOAD]

Image: Google Play

This app is especially aimed at gamers. Through it, you can chat in real time via voice, text or video with millions of users, either directly or through groups. 

Discord groups are, by the way, one of its greatest strengths: it is possible to customize every aspect of the groups (such as roles, administrative functions, bots, channels, etc.) with great ease. Even companies in specific niches make extensive use of the tool to communicate with their customers!

Even if you're not into gaming, having Discord installed and configured on your smartphone is a great idea. On the other hand, if you're familiar with the app, you can also opt for Discord Nitro, which will allow you to enhance your personal experience and the groups you create.

What did you think of the app recommendations?