1. Facebook Messenger
Facebook Messenger is an instant messaging service and software application for text and voice communication. Integrated with Facebook's chat feature and built on the MQTT protocol, Messenger allows Facebook users to chat with friends on both mobile and the main website.
Since being spun off from Facebook as a standalone app, Messenger has continuously improved and expanded its capabilities. Messenger now enables us to make free video calls like FaceTime, share current locations with friends, send money, and many more features. Recent companies have also begun using Messenger to support customers, making this app an incredibly effective daily information tool for many people around the world.
Specific features
- Phone number login: No need to use Facebook to use Messenger. You can easily register and log in to this messaging app using your phone number, even if you have locked your Facebook account.
- Chat with strangers: Combined with Chatible, Facebook Messenger has introduced a feature to chat with strangers without revealing the identity of both. Go to the Facebook Messenger search section and type 'Chatible' to activate this feature.
- Keep chat conversations secret: Concerned that your information and conversations may be eavesdropped on? Facebook Messenger provides users with an option to encrypt their conversations to ensure privacy.
- Record high-quality videos: You can shoot short videos with a maximum duration of 15 seconds to send to friends, a feature similar to what Snapchat has done. Your task is to access the Camera feature on Messenger. Hold down the capture button to record a video, and release it when you're done recording.
- Send and receive money: The latest feature from Messenger brings convenience to users. Through linking with a bank wallet, you can quickly transfer funds to and from your friends. Currently, the money transfer feature is only available in some major countries such as the United States and European countries.
- Customize unique icons: The messaging app allows users to change theme colors as well as default emoticons. And even more special is changing the nickname will make you more excited when using Messenger.
- Simple group calls: Facebook Messenger provides users with the ability to chat in groups. You can exchange information with your chat group through free calls.
- Group polls, voting: As a new and outstanding feature that has been warmly received, the group polling feature allows users to conduct small-scale 'referendum' within their chat groups to get opinions from participants for a common task or plan.
- Real-time location sharing: A tool that makes it easy for users to share locations and 'Check-in' accurately. The location map of areas is always updated frequently by Facebook Messenger.
- Turn on/off notifications: If you feel bothered by the phone vibrating with message notifications in a series of chat groups, a few simple operations will 'free' you. There are many notification turn-off modes for you to choose from based on specific times.
When most of your friends and colleagues are using Facebook, this is the most suitable app for your communication needs.
2. Skype
Skype stands out as one of the most popular video chat, calling, and messaging apps nowadays, used by a vast number of people across various platforms from computers to mobile devices. With Skype, users can comfortably engage in conversations, group chats, use emojis, share files, images right within the chat interface. Moreover, Skype offers users the ability to conduct online meetings for easy work exchange. Additionally, its robust group management, address book, and the ability to add favorite contacts make it even more convenient for users.
Microsoft continues to refine the Skype app, introducing many important features such as free video calls, improved continuous online communication. Skype is gradually becoming the number one chat and messaging software. This is good news for Facebook and Microsoft enthusiasts who want to use Skype to connect with friends. So, what are you waiting for? Download Skype for free on your device to enjoy free messaging and calls to stay connected with friends around the world.
3. Zalo
Zalo is a free messaging and calling app that operates on mobile and computer platforms, used in countries such as Vietnam, the United States, Myanmar, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, Angola, the Czech Republic, and Russia.
Zalo is a new type of messaging app and a leading community connector for Vietnamese mobile users. What makes Zalo special?
- Lightning-fast message sending speed, you always receive notifications of new messages even when the app is not open.
- Express emotions with fun emoticons and animated images.
- Send voice messages with clear, noise-free audio quality.
- Connect you with interesting people around your location.
- Chat with friends, send group messages in your contact list easily (chat, SMS, voice, photo, games).
- Meet interesting friends in Chat Rooms or around your location.
- Share moments instantly with family and friends.
- No need for registration, integrated with social networks (Facebook, Google).
- Safe and private.
The advantage of this app is its lightning-fast message sending speed, and you will always receive messages from friends anytime, anywhere. Zalo integrates many fun emoticons and animated images to make your conversations more intimate. When messaging with sound or making calls, the audio quality is praised by many. The list of friends will be synchronized with the contact list on the phone.
4. Tango
Tango is also one of the well-known free OTT applications, although its name is not as popular as Viber or Zalo in the Vietnamese market, its user base is not inferior. However, unlike many similar apps, Tango stands out in its ability to provide video call features. Additionally, the app's interface is designed to be very simple and easy to use.
With Tango, users can make regular voice calls, video calls, or engaging video messages with friends as long as they also have the Tango app installed for free on their mobile phones, tablets, or personal computers.
Tango is considered one of the leading all-in-one social networking apps today, supporting multiple device platforms such as iOS, Android, Windows Phone. Tango also allows users to connect directly with friends, become closer to family members through a simple, engaging, fun, and suitable approach for all occasions. And most importantly, it's completely free.
5. Viber
Viber is a free messaging app that helps you connect with people around the world through the internet (using Wi-Fi or your data plan*). Chat with friends and family with Viber messenger. Express yourself with fun stickers and emoji icons, share your photos and videos. The free messaging app also allows for free international phone calls - whether it's a quick voice call or catching up with friends through live video chat!. Connect with friends and family through instant messaging, voice calls or live video chats.
You can choose contacts from your phone book or simply enter a phone number to add new contacts to Viber messenger. You can send messages, but Viber isn't just a free messaging app! Share photos and videos freely, use fun emoji and sticker icons, record voice messages, and even send files.
Group chats for up to 250 people! With Viber messenger, setting up and joining group chats is very simple - you can connect with up to 250 people at once! Invite your favorite friends to group chats, create work groups, and organize events conveniently. You can also express your 'like' for messages or voice notes from any user.
Reasons users worldwide choose Viber Messenger for Free:
- Making long-distance calls is extremely simple - Viber Messenger is a free international phone call app! No need for usernames or login information, just launch the app by entering your phone number
- Voice or video calls - Make free phone calls! - Choose between regular voice calls or live video chats if you want to see each other's faces! Whether you're making local calls or international calls, all calls are in HD audio quality.
- Instant video messages - Press and hold the video icon to record 30-second video clips, release the video icon to send.
- Data security - Viber messenger automatically encrypts messages, video calls, voice calls, images, videos, and group chats.
- Trusted contact verification - Manually verify contacts to ensure you're communicating with the right person.
- Expressive stickers - Make your messages more vivid with fun emoji icons and interesting stickers.
- Messenger allows you to change your mind - Delete messages or voice messages even after sending to avoid 'disaster'.
- 'Hide Chats' feature - Choose to hide certain conversations from the messaging screen and access them later
- Additional features! Use Viber Messenger to play games on Viber with friends, follow Public Accounts, share contact lists, find out if your messages have been read, turn on location features, and many more utilities!
Viber Messenger connects over 800 million people globally! Send messages, make phone calls, chat, and share with everyone, everywhere!
6. Snapchat
Group video calling is one of the features that Snapchat introduced to enhance competitiveness with other social networks. With Snapchat's group video calling feature, up to 16 users can join a group video call at once.
To start a group video call, users simply tap on the video camera icon in the group chat to invite everyone in the group to join the video call. Friends in the group will receive invitations to join the video call. Additionally, users can use Lenses or chat normally, or join without showing their faces.
If you want to increase the number of participants, users can switch to using the voice call feature in Snapchat. With this feature, although you cannot see your friends, users can talk to a maximum of 32 people at once.
7. Instagram
Instagram allows users to video chat with individual friends or with groups of up to 4 people at a time. During calls, users can still browse the News Feed, post Stories, or message anyone via the minimized video call window feature. Users don't need to verify their phone numbers to video call on Instagram.
Some filter designs, stickers, and fonts for Instagram have also allowed third parties to intervene. Facebook is collaborating with brands and celebrities such as Ariana Grande, Lizy Kopshy, Vogue, and Buzzfeed for the new feature. Lastly, the Explore section has been enhanced with artificial intelligence (AI). Now, when accessing Explore, you'll see a list of interesting topics suggested by AI at the top based on your interests and the accounts you follow.
For example, if you follow many accounts posting cat photos, AI will learn and present the 'Animals' topic in the Explore section, click on it to view more accounts and hashtags related to animals.
8. Telegram
From group video calls to encrypted messaging, Telegram provides you with all the tools you need to connect with people worldwide. The Telegram video calling feature allows you to seamlessly turn a voice call into a video call. Telegram's video calling feature works on various devices such as computers, smartphones, and tablets. The additional screen space and display options are a major advantage when participating in video chats on a computer or tablet instead of your phone.
Telegram's video calling feature is also easy to use on Android and iOS devices. Just like with the desktop app, the first step is to create a group or switch to an existing group. Next, click on the three-dot menu at the top right corner of the group info page. Then, select the Start Video Chat option to initiate the video call.
Additionally, there are some useful Telegram features that you can take advantage of when participating in a group video call. If you want to bring a participant to the forefront of the screen, simply click on their window. Furthermore, you can pin a participant to ensure they always answer before new participants join the call.
9. WhatsApp
WhatsApp, or WhatsApp Messenger, is a cross-platform instant messaging and Voice over IP (VoIP) calling software owned by Facebook. This application allows users to send text messages and voice messages, make voice and video calls, share images, documents, locations, and more.
With voice calls, you can chat for free with friends and family, even if they are in a different country. And with free video calls, you can have face-to-face conversations when voice calls and messages aren't enough. WhatsApp voice and video calls use an internet connection on your phone instead of your mobile phone plan's voice minutes, so you don't have to worry about expensive call charges.
Note: To successfully make a video call on WhatsApp, the person needs to be online with an internet connection via Wi-Fi or 3G.
In a WhatsApp video call, you can tap the Camera icon to switch the camera on your device or the Record icon to record this WhatsApp video call.
10. LINE
LINE is a free software application for communicating with everyone, everywhere on electronic devices such as smartphones, tablets, and laptops. Users can exchange text, images, videos, and audio, or conduct free voice and video calls.
The LINE app offers you more than just a calling and messaging app. You can send high-quality photos to friends, share contacts, locations, or even play games with friends, create polls, etc., with one person or a group of up to 100 friends.
You can easily communicate with friends by making video calls, you can see loved ones from afar as long as you have an internet connection. You can create beautiful pictures because the LINE app integrates photo filter features, with many different beauty modes for you to choose from. During live streaming, you can also set a beauty mode, which will make you more confident even when streaming live.