Medium of communication

There’s more to messaging than messaging – here are a few options to keep you tapping

Let’s be honest for a second. That amazing phone you’ve bought – quad core 2.5 GHz, 64GB internal memory, over 400 ppi pixel density – about 80 per cent of the time, you’re using it for messaging.

Now there’s nothing to be embarrassed about – communication is why phones were invented in the first place – but if you’re limited to Whatsapp and SMS, there’s a whole host of options out there.

Disa

If, like me, you find yourself switching between multiple apps at the same time, just for the purpose of messaging, it can get to you. Between that friend on a Euro-trip who doesn’t have a SIM card and is using Facebook messenger, your dad who just recently mastered the art of SMS, those six hundred group chats on Whatsapp and chatting up that cute girl who swiped right on you on Tinder – there is much to win awards for multi-tasking. This is where Disa comes in, like a knight in shining armour.

A unified messenger app, it brings together all the conversations you’re having on multiple apps onto a single platform – and is slightly reminiscent of the Blackberry Hub that came with the BB10 OS. A clean interface, and ingenious in its simplicity, Disa is on its beta version as yet, but we’re sure this one is going to set a trend.

Telegram

If you’re the conspiracy theorist in the closet and you have a sneaking suspicion your messages are being intercepted (hey, we all have our quirks) then Telegram might be the app for you. Their key selling point is that each message is heavily encrypted and hence safe from hacker attacks – just in case, you never know.

You can even start a secret chat that can self-destruct with a set timer, and you can take screenshots, but it shows up as a notification – there’s no sneaking around this one!

Also another point in telegram’s favour is that you access it from multiple devices – which means, even if you’ve forgotten your phone at home today, you can still get messages on Telegram from your computer. Perfect for those who get jittery at the thought of an entire day without their phones.

HoverChat

If you love the pop-up bubbles that come with Facebook’s Messenger App, you’re going to love HoverChat.

All your SMSes will pop up no matter what you’re doing on your phone, ensuring that you never miss one. Its great if you’re the sort who checks SMS notifications last, and thus miss out. However, if you’re worried about all that spam SMSes annoying you as popups now, you can simply change the settings to ensure that only messages from certain contacts show as popups. This app definitely makes seemingly outdated SMS seem more fun.

Source | Business Line | 13 August 2015