9 Messaging Apps That Are Much Better with a Data SIM Card
Simply recollect how often you launched a messaging app today. I believe you used it up to a dozen times, if not more. And now imagine that you arrived to a foreign country and didn’t take proper care to switch to the right roaming plan that would keep all of your preferred messaging apps up and running on your smartphone or any other handheld device.
In the age of instant communication, it’s essential to have speedy Internet connectivity “in your pocket” no matter where you go. Today, we can choose from a number of messaging apps for iOS and Android devices. We also can choose from a range of connectivity providers offering global coverage and speedy connectivity services no matter where we go.
You will have no worries running your preferred messaging apps in 100+ popular places around the globe if you use a Data SIM Card in your phone. It’s generally considered to be one of the best mobile data solutions for international travelers. You don’t need to hunt for free WiFi hotspots in airports or hotels, and thus avoid the security risks associated with their use. The 3-in-1 SIM kit fits all mobile devices while delivering global coverage wherever you go.
The global data SIM card will keep you online no matter what message or web browsing app you launch on your smart device. What are your most preferred messaging apps to stay connected while you travel abroad or simply communicate with your friends locally? Let’s see if your preferred apps are on our list.
Top 9 Messaging Apps for Travelers
More than 20 billion text messages are sent daily by people from every place in the world. So, it would be irrational if connectivity providers and tour operators dismiss messaging apps as innovational technologies that aren’t applied to their brands. By means of such valuable apps, connectivity providers can provide their customers with better traveling experience while delivering beneficial connectivity plans that keep them always connected from every point of their journey.
According to the statistics shared by statista.com, here are the 9 most popular messaging apps that are used globally. Listed from the most monthly active users, let’s enumerate the major apps that will provide you with instant connectivity when you install a Data SIM card in your smartphone .
Whatsapp (1,500 million monthly active users)
Whatsapp is used by more than 1 billion users monthly in over 180 countries. In fact, it was the first messaging app that was released in 2009. Back then, there was only one application for making phone and video call through Internet connection - Skype. At that time, Whatsapp wasn’t a VoIP (voice over IP/internet) app. It was mainly used for messaging purposes. Unlike Skype, Whatsapp came out on the market with a new communication mode and wasn’t perceived as an alternative to Skype. Whatsapp was focused on sending text messages, which had a welcome place alongside free calling opportunities offered by Skype.
When Whatsapp appeared, people were complaining about the high cost of SMS messaging and expensive roaming costs. Whatsapp solved this problem. Installing the messaging app on their smart devices, people could send text messages without counting words and without being restricted to the number of contacts. All this was accessible for free.
Facebook Messenger (1,300 million monthly active users)
It may sound somewhat misleading but you do not need to actually have a Facebook profile in order to use the messenger. With the help of Facebook Messenger, you can exchange text messages, make video calls, react to messages, exchange emoticons, respond to inquiries, etc.
WeChat (1,083 million monthly active users)
WeChat is the #1 messaging app on the Chinese market, with about 1.1 billion registered accounts. In fact, this is more than just a messaging app. This is a lifestyle application that lets you take control and manage all your daily needs in a single convenient location. With its help, people can send voice messages, exchange stickers, share “moments” that perform similar to the News Feed on Facebook, etc.
Taking into account the growing demand in the use of the app in China, mobile and tour operators need to make WeChat part of their marketing plans in order to attract the influx of Chinese travelers.
QQ (803 million monthly active users)
QQ is an instant messaging software service developed by Tencent, a Chinese tech giant. The service offers comprehensive online communication functions, including text messaging, video and voice chat as well as online and offline file transmission. It is available in English, French, Japanese, Spanish, German, and Korean. By means of its unique instant translation feature, the QQ International chat client immediately translates your messages between 50 different languages to help users overcome language barriers.
Skype (300 million monthly active users)
Skype is a VoIP service to make and receive free voice and video calls. Skype was created in 2003. For more than a decade, Skype has grown into more than just a regular service for Internet calling. Now, it’s one of the leading PC and mobile apps that are used for personal calls and online business conferences.
Skype is a full-fledged communication tool with advanced presence management, contact list, community tools, instant messaging app, and collaboration tools with many other features. Skype is a feature-rich and innovative app that allows people to talk in different languages while still understanding each other thanks to the app translating what is being said in real time.
SnapChat (287 million monthly active users)
Snapchat messaging app is mostly preferred by younger generations of users. However, it’s rapidly gaining wider popularity among those who are older as well. There are more than 200 million people using the app globally, with about 9,000 snaps being sent every second. The major feature of the apps that lures users globally is the possibility to send short snaps that disappear within a matter of moments. Considering the impressive popularity of this messaging app, connectivity providers need to include it into connectivity plans that deliver seamless connectivity services in different popular travel destinations.
Viber (260 million monthly active users)
Viber is often installed in phones as a secondary application to send text/voice/video messages, make phone and video calls. It’s especially popular in such countries as Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, Belarus, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The messaging app can be used on iOS and Android devices, as well as via desktop. In addition to running private chats, Viber supports group communications where people can exchange stickers and GIFs, use chat extensions, edit and delete already-seen messages, etc.
Telegram (200 million monthly active users)
Telegram is getting more popular among younger generations as well as businesses worldwide. The messenger lets you create free channels to which users can subscribe to track the news feed or exchange text messages, send stickers, etc. The app can be installed in phones and desktops. It lets you exchange photos and video content without compromising on their quality. You can also make use of a secret chat feature for optimum privacy and groups.
LINE (194 million monthly active users)
LINE changes the way people communicate around the globe. It lets people enjoy not only messaging but also free voice and video calls no matter where they travel. By means of the app, you can exchange free voice and video calls, share messages/photos/stickers/locations with your friends, connect directly with celebrities while subscribing to their official accounts, make international calls to mobile phones and landlines at low rates.
Here we go. This was a quick review of the 9 top-trending messaging apps that work much better with a Data SIM Card inside. Whether you run these apps while you are at home or during a trip to a foreign country, they will deliver the required services instantly. Simply make sure that you opt for the right connectivity plan for the best performance.
