For those looking to text for free when traveling internationally, I suggest you check out a cool phone App called WhatsApp Messenger.
WhatsApp Messenger is a cross-platform mobile messaging app which allows you to send messages without having to pay for SMS. WhatsApp Messenger is available for iPhone, BlackBerry, Windows Phone, Android and Nokia.
The great thing about this App is it is alvailable for many phone platforms not just iPhones.
- Download for iPhone from iTunes App Store
- Download for Android from our site
- Download for BlackBerry from our site
- Download for Nokia Symbian from our site
- Download for Nokia S40 from our site
- Download for Windows Phone from Marketplace
When downloading from iTunes the first year is free to use this and then it is only 99 cents a year after that. All your contacts from your phone transfer over so there is no need to re-add them.
You can send video chats, text chats, even voice chats for free to/from internationally. This app runs on Wi-Fi and is a great choice for when traveling internationally.
Have you used WhatsApp before when traveling? What was your experience with this App?
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PMM, you should check out VIBER. Its also wifi based and text and video calling are free. Weve been using it for several years now.
I use Google Voice when I’m overseas for texting and voice calls. You can send text messages to US cell phones and is wifi based. I also forward my cell phone to my free Google Voice number and can listen to voicemails for free when I’m over wifi.
Viber, WeChat and LINE achieve the same functionality as well, for FREE, there’s no yearly subscription fee after the 1st year.
See this link to demonstrate how popular what’s app is in Spain that it appears on traffic signs.
http://www.bubblews.com/news/view/1005492
Hmmmm…..are u trying to get some traffic from the Facebook announcement?
@Nic I think so!
Also the problem with these apps (Viber/WA) is that the user also has to have. Why not mention something like Talkatone where you can call and text and the user doesnt need to have the app???
It’s a good app and I have used it while traveling. While in Hong Kong I was told by a local friend that it was everyone’s exclusive MMS plan for everyone he knew.
I find it funny you had never posted about it until their mammoth acquisition today – it’s been around a long time and has been extremely useful for many a traveler. Now if only they would magically integrate with iMessage or send texts to those without the app…
Does WhatsApp have a gateway to send standard SMS messages to non-WhatsApp subscribers?
I care about texting people at home (the US) or where I’m visiting. A local SIM works great for messaging people for where I’m at, and Google Voice works great for free messaging anyone with text messaging capability in the US. They don’t even need a smartphone, let alone a specific app.
You might want to clarify in your post that WhatsApp REQUIRES both parties to use the application; as such it’s not an SMS replacement. It’s very popular and most likely many of your readers and many of their contacts/friends already use it, but for the sake of not confusing folks unfamiliar with the app some clarification would help.
@Patrick W: I will take that as a “no” — thanks for the clarification.