Free Chatting Apps in India: 14 Best Picks

Looking for Indian apps for chatting? Then this post is the RIGHT fit for you. Here we’ve compiled the list of the top 20 best free chatting apps in India that you can use without any fear of privacy and safety and are 100% legal.

The rise of chatting apps in India has been meteoric. In a country with a population of over 1.3 billion people, there are now over 500 million active users of chatting apps. This is an incredible number, and it is only expected to grow in the coming years. There are several reasons for the popularity of chatting apps in India.

Firstly, they are incredibly convenient. With a chat app, you can communicate with anyone, anywhere in the world, at any time of day or night. This is perfect for a country like India, where people are often on the go and may not have time to sit down and have a traditional phone conversation.

Secondly, chat apps are often free, or very low-cost. This is another big advantage in a country like India, where many people are on a tight budget. Thirdly, chat apps offer a level of anonymity that many people appreciate. In a country where arranged marriages are still the norm, it can be difficult to meet new people and start a relationship. Chatting apps provide a safe space for people to explore their options and chat with potential partners without fear of judgment.

Finally, chat apps are just plain fun! They provide a great way to stay connected with friends and family and to make new ones. There is no doubt that chat apps are here to stay in India. They offer a convenient, affordable, and fun way for people to connect, and there is no sign that their popularity is waning.

With the ever-increasing requirement of constant texting, there are ample messaging services that are now available in India, in this article, we are going to discuss the top 15 best chatting apps in India. The list enlists the best players and also how they earn their positions in it.

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Best Free Chatting Apps in India

We will talk about the best Indian apps for chatting and discuss their features, what distinguishes them, their customer base, and what they support. We have included different messaging platforms that are popular among different kinds of audiences in the country, although WhatsApp usually aces this list, there are a lot of players coming up with newer features, better security, and easier user interface.

So, without further ado, let’s take a deeper look at all these best Indian apps for Chatting, shall we?

1. WhatsApp

WhatsApp - Best Chatting Apps in India

This one is a no-brainer! The top online chatting app in India is WhatsApp. Using the internet connection on your phone, helps you to exchange messages, photos, videos, documents, and voice communications. Whatsapp was first designed as an instant messaging service, but it has now included audio and video calling features.

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It is utilized by more than 200 million people in India. This app connects to your phone number and phone’s address book as well. Only some time back, it also launched the option of sending money to your contact list. All the chats on WhatsApp are encrypted for high security.

2. JioChat

JioChat - Best Chatting Apps in India

JioChat is a venture of Reliance Industries Ltd. It is regarded as one of the fastest-growing chatting apps in India. It is available in many different languages. Text messages, audio files, and movies can all be sent by users. The instant messaging service also provides users with updates on news, movies, and sports.

The app also features emoticons, emojis, audio communications, and video conferencing. If you are linked to the Jio 4G Volte network it works very efficiently for you. Compared with many international chat apps accessible today, its features and speed are significantly better. It comes as a default chatting app when you purchase a Jio sim, also with Jio it provides very high-quality audio and video calling services. 

3. Messenger

Messenger - Best Chatting Apps in India

Messenger was developed by Facebook Inc. The all-in-one contact app includes voice, video, and text messaging in addition to community video chat. The service was made available in August 2011.  Even without a Facebook account, Messenger can be utilized. On your computer and as an iOS and Android mobile app, Messenger is accessible. This app enables the sending of images and videos in good quality.

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Numerous emoticons, stickers, and GIFs are included. To add a degree of security, Facebook has updated Messenger’s privacy settings. Using face or fingerprint identification, the Messenger app can be unlocked. Messenger which is among the best chatting apps in India replaced Facebook Messenger.

4. Skype

Skype - Best Chatting Apps in India

One of the most well-known instant messaging apps in India ever is Skype. It supports voice calls, video calls, and text chats. You can even call on regular phone numbers for a small price. Additionally, it supports the majority of file formats, including documents, GIFs, and others, and it has strong cross-platform support, multiple chat support, and file-type support.

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If you like Skype but don’t require all the features,  you can use the Lite edition. Skype is a service owned by Microsoft. The app also features emails and business messaging and because of its interface, it’s a common way to do interviews. Using the app, you may participate in group conversations, and read and react to SMS messages delivered to your phone.

5. Snapchat

Snapchat - Best Chatting Apps in India

One of the more distinctive chatting apps available in India is Snapchat. Voice calls, video messaging, photo messages, and text messages are just a few of the many features it enables. After viewing the sent text/image, the service deletes the communications. This implies that other than a streak counter, there is no history to speak about.

Snapchat also offers Stories. This enables users to provide figurative status updates that their followers can see. They run out after 24 hours. In various regions of the world, the app also facilitates money transfers. It is very popular among younger generations and it has a feature called Snap Streak, wherein every day you send a snap to your friends and accumulate scores. 

6. Signal

Signal - Best Chatting Apps in India

Another full-featured one of the best apps for chatting in India is Signal Messenger, which has a privacy focus. The app supports phone and video calls in addition to text and photo messaging. A simple picture editor, a dark theme, and other features are also included. After WhatsApp’s privacy policy hijinks in 2021, it witnessed an increase in users, and if you need privacy, it’s a decent alternative.

The fact that the content of your messages is encrypted is only one aspect of privacy. You can configure messages to disappear after specific, programmable periods. Additionally, Signal barely ever gathers any user data. Your phone number is the only data you provide to the app, and the developers are even working on a means to separate it from utilizing Signal by using encrypted contact.

7. Telegram

Telegram - Best Chatting Apps in India

With up to 100,000 people nearby or throughout the world, Telegram enables you to build sizable chat groups as well. It enables the sharing of huge films, and documents of any format (.DOC,.MP3,.ZIP, etc.), and it configures bots to do particular functions. It’s the ideal tool for managing teamwork and running online communities.

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Telegram sends messages with the fewest number of bytes possible. It boasts 2048-bit RSA encryption, 256-bit symmetrical AES encryption, and more. As a result, it ranks as one of the safest and best Indian apps for chatting and calling available. 

8. Kik

Kik - Best Chatting Apps in India

Kik is a messaging tool for instant messaging that was created in Canada and is accessible on a variety of operating systems, including Android, iOS, Windows, etc. It sends messages in the form of pictures, videos, web pages, doodles, etc. using the mobile’s internet connection.

Users can sign up for Kik anonymously without giving their mobile number, protecting their identity. Kik is a well-liked chat app among the best chatting apps in India. It also offers an in-built browser that can be used for multiple functions. Plus it gives you the option to talk with 50 people simultaneously and also do anonymous chats. 

9. Hike

Hike - Best Chatting Apps in India

​​The Hike which is among the best chatting apps in India is available in 40 different languages. There are more than 2000 stickers on it. Additionally, you’ll receive sticker recommendations to lessen your dependency on the keyboard.

Along with being a conversation app, The Hike also functions as a news, stock market, and live cricket score app. HikeMoji, customized emojis that allow users to express themselves, is one of the many new and innovative features that this app is continually adding.

Hike uses 2048-bit RSA and 128-bit AES encryption to safeguard user security and privacy. In India alone, Hike claims to have over 100 million users. You can find the ideal location to eat or shop using the polls section because it is based on ratings given by different hike users. 

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10. Glide

Glide - Best Chatting Apps in India

The Glide chatting app essentially functions as a real-time video walkie-talkie that allows users to communicate with one another. To share a video with their pals, users don’t necessarily need to upload it to a chat app. Real video discussions are made possible by the Glide program, which makes sure that the video is sent to the messenger as it is being captured.

Video recordings made by the person in the video may be sent at any time. While people can view it whenever suits them and then comment. Users of the Glide app may unleash the full potential of video chatting in their lives. No amount of text messages or emoticons can ever replace the value of face-to-face contact. 

11. Line

Line - Best Chatting Apps in India

You can use smartphones, tablets, and laptops to send messages using Line.  Users of Line may text, send photographs, and videos, and even participate in free online video conferences, which also come with effects and filters that you can use while you’re on the call.

It is one of the most popular social messaging and instant best chatting apps in India. You can talk with up to 200 individuals online at once. Additionally, you can choose where to hang out or eat with family and friends using the Poll feature on the app. It also offers sports and news updates.

12. Viber 

Viber - Best Chatting Apps in India

Viber, arguably one of the best chatting apps in India and which is used by over a billion people globally, has every feature you might want from a messaging app. You may place voice and video calls as well as send text messages using Viber. Viber is a voice-over-internet protocol (VoIP) and instant messaging program that was created by Viber Media. 

This app is accessible on all mobile platforms, however to use it on the PC version, one must first download it to a phone. Viber became popular due to its quick access to friends and contacts than Skype and its quick telephony. Another feature that makes it so unique is that its performance does not depend upon the speed of the mobile Internet.

13. WeChat

WeChat - Best Chatting Apps in India

In India, WeChat is a widely used Indian chatting app and calling application. You can use voice and video calls, as well as text messages like SMS and MMS, to communicate. With this software, you may also share games, live videos, and images with your loved ones. If you frequently travel to locations where 4G service might not be available, WeChat is the best option.

WeChat performs admirably on both 2G and 3G networks. WeChat is among the most trusted as it supports high-quality audio and video even when the network is very poor and glitchy. This instant messaging app, which is multi-platform, was created by a Chinese company.

14. ShareChat 

ShareChat - Best Chatting Apps in India

The most popular chatting app in India, ShareChat, enables users to express their ideas, keep a diary of their lives, and meet new people in their language. Although ShareChat can currently be downloaded for free, the next stage of its development will focus on improving how it makes money from its service to benefit both users and investors.

The app presently makes money from advertisements to fund app development. The business links content producers and brands to develop regional language campaigns. It allows you to make friends using chat rooms. Other than uploading you can also download all kinds of entertaining media. 

FAQs

Which chat app is most used in India?

WhatsApp is the most used chat app in India.

Which is the 1 chatting app?

WhatsApp is the most popular chatting app with over 1.6 billion monthly active users.

Is there any free chat app in India?

There are many free chat apps in India, including WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, and more.

Which is the best free chatting app in India?

There are many free chatting apps in India, but the best one is undoubtedly WhatsApp. It has a huge user base in the country and offers a wide range of features that make it the perfect choice for anyone looking for a chat app.

What are the Indian WhatsApp alternatives?

There are many free WhatsApp alternatives in India, including Messenger, Telegram, Hike, Skype, Google Chat, Signal, and more.

End Words on Best Indian Apps for Chatting

This list entails almost all the popular chatting apps in India, it is a versatile list and would be changing. However, some apps would still stay on the list and prevail for a long time due to high user dependency and the gradual inclusion of new features to keep the user interface smooth.

Whatsapp for example has been the list topper for some time now and looks like it has a long way ahead. Although, with newer services blooming every day, the popularity and the user experience have been constantly changing and upgrading. 

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Editorial Board

Our editorial board consists of the individual fact checkers, writers and development practitioners who determine the editorial policy. Our editorial board has complete independence to express their opinions with accuracy and impartiality.