The default SMS client on most new Android phones is Google ... tiny symbols next to the texts you send using apps like ...

or to an Android phone that doesn't have RCS messaging turned on. That's because in both cases, you'd be sending an SMS message, which doesn't have any smart capabilities (that's also the reason ...

With all that in mind, here are the best free texting apps for Android. Please note that these apps send texts as a service and are not a replacement for the stock SMS app on your phone.