Android Instant Messaging Market

The Android Instant Messaging Market is poised for opportunities and growth. The recent acquisition of Facebook acquiring WhatsApp last month indicates a promising future for instant messaging platforms. Facebook paid an estimate of $16 billion for WhatsApp. WhatsApp currently has an estimate of 450 million monthly active users.

Text communication is a common way of messaging today. Keeping in touch through text messaging requires convenient options today for Android users. Even the costs are free for texting app. These types of apps are even created specifically for Android smartphones and tablets. Free texting apps can save all costs versus carrier rates.

Facebook for Android

The Facebook for Android app available at Google Play. The messenger app works like texting (SMS) and other mobile messaging apps to let users reach people instantly on their phones. When a user sends a message from the Messenger app, the location is included by default. A user can turn this feature off by tapping before they send a message, which turns the arrow from blue (on) to gray (off). If they tap to turn location off, it will remain off.

Skype

The Skype App for Android offers instant message, voice or video call on Skype for free. Skype is popular, with over millions of worldwide users. The app allows users to call friends and talk with fingers. Chat messaging is also enabled and social sharing connects for an even more personal experience. Video messaging is also enabled for the free app.

Google Cloud Messaging for Android

Google Cloud Messaging for Android (GCM) is a free service that helps developers send data from servers to their Android applications on Android devices, and upstream messages from the user's device back to the cloud. This could be a lightweight message telling the Android application that there is new data to be fetched from the server (for instance, a "new email" notification informing the application that it is out of sync with the back end), or it could be a message containing up to 4kb of payload data (so apps like instant messaging can consume the message directly). GCM handles all aspects of queueing of messages and delivery to the target Android application.

Viber

Viber’s Android app offers many features which with Viber, everyone in the world can connect. The free app has over 200 million Viber users. The app is used to text, call, and send photo and video messages worldwide over Wifi or 3G - for free. Viber Out can be used to make calls to non-Viber mobile and landline numbers at low rates. Viber is available for many smartphones and platforms. The app is available for Android users 2.2 and higher.

Pinger Text + Free Call

Pinger for Android is available at Google Play. The app features free texting and free calling in one app. Pinger gives Android phones free text messaging and users receive their own real phone number for SMS to be received by any phone number in Canada and the US, even if users don’t have a calling plan. Incoming calls are free. Android device users have key features which include: Free calls to any phone in the US and Canada, free second line, unlimited free SMS to more than 35 countries, full screen text and call notifications, view for texts, calls and voicemails and more.

Mobile applications have made it simple for customer experience. Today there virtual options,  geo-location services, barcodes that link to online and hyper-local to harness touch-screen functionality in downloading applications.  All of these applications are unique to mobile application platforms which offer various opportunities.