Communication and Social Apps for Android

A list of essential apps for communication and social networking for your Android smarthphone.

• Gmail and Talk : These two apps from Google come preloaded on most android phones. These are excellent apps to check your Gmail or chat with people using google chat. The latest version of Talk also comes with the ability to make voice and video calls.

• WhatsApp : This app allows free messaging over the internet, and has virtually replaced Text Messaging or SMS for many smartphone users. This app is available for iPhone as well as Nokia smartphones, making almost anyone with a smartphone reachable, thus making it a must have. It is free for the first year.

• Skype : For voice or video calls, skype is still the most frequently used service. The official app works very well and supports video calls using the front camera on most high end android devices, although some devices might have to stay content with just audio calling.

• Twitter: The official Twitter app for you to check on the latest tweets or tweet yourself. The app has a simple interface and is easy to use.

• Meebo IM: An instant messaging app on which you can log in to different accounts such as Google, Facebook, Yahoo or MSN and chat with your buddies. A useful all in one chat client.

Note: There is an official Facebook app and a Facebook messenger app for android, but the Facebook apps tends to run slowly and it is often easier to use the mobile facebook site on a browser.