Keeping sensitive messages private is often a priority for many people, and the default SMS app on most Android phones simply does not have any feature that prevents your secret texts from being intercepted by snoopy individuals.
However, there are many replacement SMS apps for Android available for free that offer this feature. I’m going to go over five of the best SMS apps for privacy in this article. Feel free to suggest some more in the comments section below.
Also read:How to Back Up Your Text Messages in Android
1. Go SMS Pro
Go SMS Pro has been around for a long time and packs many useful features for the privacy-minded individual. The app is fully customisable with plenty of themes available to download plus full support for emoji, stickers, SMS-blocking and dual sim devices. Importantly, there is a private box feature that can help you protect selected conversations from prying eyes. All you need to do is set a pin and add a private contact so that all your conversations will be sent to your private box.
2. Handcent Next SMS
Handcent SMS is another solid option packed with plenty of customisation options such as custom themes, background, fonts, ringtones and more. There is built-in spellchecking and password protection. It also has a private box for keeping sensitive messages private, but you need to sign up for a Handcent Online account to access this feature.
3. Chomp SMS
Chomp SMS is another app that has been around for so long (since the days of Eclair and Froyo) and is still going from strength to strength today. It sports a clean material design look that is reminiscent of Google Messenger but packs a lot more features such as pattern locking, blacklisting spammers, custom themes, delayed sending, scheduled SMS, templates and much more. Chomp SMS is also compatible with Android Wear and Pushbullet.
4. Private SMS & Call (Private Space)
Private Space is a dedicated app for keeping your SMS, call logs and contacts private. The app allows you to add contacts into a “private space,” and after that all SMS and calls between you and your private contacts will be found in that private space and not in the normal message box or call log history. You can even hide the app icon and launch the app from your dialer using a predefined pin trigger, and it doesn’t appear on your recent apps list either.
5. Private Message Box
Private Message Box is another app that works just like Private Space. It allows you to choose private contacts and then hides SMS conversations and calls between you and the contact in a pin-protected secret mailbox. You can also hide the app icon from your app drawer and launch it from your app default phone dialer app. The app also provides free texting between app users. All you need to do is sign up with your number and send unlimited messages to another user.
Do you agree with our list of the best text messaging apps for privacy? If you think there’s an app or two that we should have mentioned here, feel free to share in the comments section below. Happy texting!
Image credit: IMG_1505.jpg
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