Best Communication App 2022

Duolingo

If you’re looking to learn another language, Duolingo gamifies language learning with bite-sized lessons and a friendly interface. Starting with simple vocabulary and building from there, Duolingo is your guide to learning a new language or brushing up on one you already know. The more you use the app, the more you unlock and—with practice—the more you learn. This free app currently supports Danish, Dutch, French, German, Irish, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, and Swedish. Or more practical choices, like Esperanto and Klingon.

Facebook Messenger

The problem with most mobile messengers is convincing your friends to sign up. That said, there’s a good chance that most people you know are already on Facebook. This is handy, because the Facebook Messenger app is fantastic. It’s simple, clean, and easily handles voice and video calling. Check out our feature on Facebook Messenger to discover its other capabilities.The problem with most mobile messengers is convincing your friends to sign up. That said, there’s a good chance that most people you know are already on Facebook. This is handy, because the Facebook Messenger app is fantastic. It’s simple, clean, and easily handles voice and video calling. Check out our feature on Facebook Messenger to discover its other capabilities.

Google Translate

Many people fear not being unable to communicate with people from another country while traveling. Google Translate takes a bit of the edge off, quickly translating either written text or spoken words. You can even use the app to do the speaking for you, and input text through your camera or handwriting. The app can translate 103 languages with a data connection and 52 when you’re offline. It can’t handle Tamarian, but it’s sure to be a handy tool here on Earth. Another option is Microsoft Translator, which offers 60 offline languages, travel phrasebooks, a real-time conversation mode, and actually translates Klingon.

LingoDeer

LingoDeer is a fantastic language-learning tool with a strong Asian-language focus (though it includes a few major European languages, too). The app’s courses are multilingual, so if you wish to learn Japanese as a German speaker, this is the app for you. That said, LingoDeer is also quite challenging, as it features specific, high-level terminology and detailed grammatical explanations. Nonetheless, it is a superb resource, and the developer is constantly improving the app based on community feedback.

LinkedIn

Most people are probably familiar with LinkedIn as a service only visited in times of desperation—after being laid off, maybe, or after a day in the office so bad that you’re just not going to take it anymore. The LinkedIn app aims, however, to be a companion to the LinkedIn web service that you check every day. Sure, there’s the all-important profile pages showing off your work experience, and the handy tools for networking, but the service now includes visitor metrics and a newsfeed for a decidedly more social feel. It’s sometimes the easiest way to reach out and make a business connection. It’s like Facebook for grown-ups.

Snapchat

With Snapchat, you quickly snap and exchange photos with one or several friends. The app also supports video snaps, as well as voice and video calling. The catch is that whatever you post vanishes after a day. It’s just a fun and ephemeral way to share the world around you.

Signal

There are many apps that pay lip service to security and privacy, but Signal was built from the ground up with the goal of letting people easily communicate without having to worry about being overheard. The Signal app is a complete phone and SMS client replacement (though it works just fine as a standalone app, too) for sending and receiving encrypted calls and messages. The app’s look and feel continues to improve, too.

Textra

Textra is an excellent alternative to Messages on Android. The app includes numerous customization options that you won’t find with the stock messaging app, including custom contact colors, text bubble styles, and notification icons. Additionally, you get extra features such as text scheduling, the ability to blacklist contacts, and the option to rename group conversations. Textra also has excellent light and dark modes.

WhatsApp

In a world rife with messenger apps, WhatsApp is among the most successful, boasting an enormous and dedicated user base. Add to that an integrated web version that lets users take their chats to the desktop. This Facebook-owned app is bolstered by encrypted messaging provided by the minds behind Signal. It might just be the largest secure messaging service out there.

Your Phone Companion

Microsoft’s Your Phone Companion app lets you link your Android phone and text from your Windows 10 PC. As a bonus, you can also quickly access photos from your camera, as well as manage your device notifications. The app setup is easy, and it’s certainly more comfortable to type out longer responses on a physical keyboard than craft a message on your phone.