Best video chat apps on Android in 2023

Social messaging platforms allow the freedom to hop in and out of calls, text anyone globally, and send private media on various channels. Businesses have adopted practices using these platforms to connect socially, and even everyday users may already use several social apps on their phones. However, depending on your goals, you may be looking for secure and confidential texting apps while still offering a seamless experience with video calls is challenging to find.

Video chats have obstacles like participant limits, poor server connections, and the need for more transitional fluidity to get in and out of calls. So we rounded up some of the best apps on Android that deliver worthwhile social messaging designed for premium text and video chats that are easy to toggle on your favorite Android phones.

Google Meet

Google Meet is one of the best apps for video calls with large crowds. Calls you make on Google Meet offer little to no lag, and the sound and video quality are top-notch. Google Meet includes a photo-taking mode and an integrated family mode where you can doodle, add masks, and play with fun effects while on a call.

Anyone with a Google account can create a session that holds 100 people in the call for an hour, and all you do is share the link created by the host to get started. If you desire a more extensive call experience that hosts larger businesses and schools, look into a Google Workspace plan. These paid plans hold a call with 500 participants and 100,000 viewers.

Google Meet replaces the former Google Duo app but still delivers a great experience fitting for your personal life, workplace, and community.

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Viber

Viber is an all-in-one social app where you can text and make video calls with your contacts, use end-to-end encryption for messages and video audio calls, and make calls to landlines and mobile numbers for a low cost through VoIP. You can select any of your contacts for video calls or start a group video call with 39 other participants, which is more than most.

Viber is a fantastic alternative to Telegram and Whatsapp, ensuring total accessibility and privacy for every call you make.

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Zoom

Sometimes you don’t have time to manage and set up your meetings. This is where Zoom comes in handy. Zoom is similar to Google Meet, except anyone can access the Zoom meeting if they have the invite link (no account is required to participate when joining through the web version).

You can set your video conferencing calls to HD, up to 720p on default, or 1080p for paid accounts. Another great feature is the ability to record meetings through the app onto the Zoom cloud. That way, you can view, share and download the recording whenever it suits you. Don’t miss a work meeting or an interview ever again!

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If you value privacy and speed for all your activities, including file sharing and social messaging, Telegram is one of the best social apps you can get your hands on. Telegram syncs across all devices, so you can seamlessly carry your social activity from one device to another.

You don’t have to deal with file limits, and you can freely store your entire chat history without clogging up space on your device (it all goes onto Telegram’s cloud storage). But the highlight of Telegram is how everything is encrypted, including video calls. For video chatting, you can set portrait and landscape, initiate group calls, and set an overlay while browsing other apps on your phone.

Telegram is completely free and open source, meaning other developers can use the API to implement it on other apps. There’s also a dedicated desktop app, which is rarer and rarer nowadays.

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Tango

Maybe you’re looking to shake things up but don’t have many pre-established communities and friends you can connect to socially (or you have but are looking for more). If you’re willing to put yourself out there to meet new people, you can do that with Tango. Tango strives to be a haven for livestreaming. You can connect and interact with livestreamers across the globe, but if you want to use the essential video calling tools for your contacts, Tango has that covered too.

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Suppose you’re looking for a secure messaging app with a simple video call option for your contacts. Whatsapp can only host eight participants at a time, which is perfect if all you’re looking for is a quick facetime chat with your family and friends who might be traveling. Still, Whatsapp is popular and many already have it installed. Overall, Whatsapp is a solid and secure messaging app to add to your library, and you won’t have trouble finding other users.

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Discord

Discord is another all-in-one social messaging app where you can join communities, integrate voice channels, join group chats, and take part in one-on-one calls. You can stream using 720p on default or pay for a higher resolution at 1080p with more FPS as a Nitro user. You can host video calls in server channels or through contact messaging.

Discord offers plenty, whether you’re looking for a personalized experience with a small group of friends, joining in on a study group or a class, or just gaming within a community.

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Microsoft Teams

Are you seeking an app that is professional enough for team meetings and group chats with an option to add personal groups for family and friends? Microsoft Teams gives you all the tools to keep collaborations strong, whether for work meetings, group projects with your colleagues, or remotely organizing a get-together with your family and friends.

You can convert any of your group chats to video calls, and while you’re not on a call, you can view all shared content through the dashboard feature. You can conduct secure conference calls without worrying about compromising your data and privacy with any external partner, making Microsoft Teams the go-to platform for large corporations. You’ll have to pay for the Microsoft 365 commercial subscription to access commercial features on this app.

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Signal Private Messenger

Signal has had built-in privacy settings from the get-go. No more worrying about having your data spied on while you’re having private conversations, and you can enjoy all the instant messaging perks like file sharing, text messages, and video calls for free. You can customize the audio for each contact, so you’ll know who you’re talking to once the custom sound prompts up.

You also don’t have to worry about message delivery even on a slower connection. Signal is optimized to be secure and fast for message delivery. The only caveat is that your contacts need to be using Signal. Other SMS apps won’t work, so you may need to plan accordingly before downloading the app.

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Glide — Video Chat Messenger

Maybe you’re not looking for a social messaging app specializing in teleconferencing, like Google Meet and Zoomm, but perhaps you prefer an app that integrates video messaging with texting, like having the ability to send short video clips of your dogs playing together or showing off the finishing touches to your next batch of delicious home-baked Christmas cookies. Glide helps you capture and share these moments in real-time, adding more expression in social messaging for your long-distance contacts at blazing speeds. Of course, you can add Glide to Android Wear to keep up to date with all the activity with your smartwatch too! Remember not to let physical distance take away these special moments when apps like Glide exist.

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ICQ Video Calls & Chat Rooms

ICQ makes video chat and text integration easier; you don’t have to sacrifice quality to ensure a well-rounded experience. The app features stickers, smart reply messaging for quick and effortless responses, voice-to-text conversions, group messaging, and video calling. And ICQ still values your privacy: you can mask your video calls when you’re not ready to show your face. Quality continues beyond the available features, like sending videos and photos without compromising the quality of the file; the app lets you send the original files without any compression.

When you’re swapping between devices, the app syncs all your history and contacts so you can keep and access everything within the app. Thanks to flexible apps like ICQ, you no longer need to juggle your social activity across many apps; ICQ is an excellent choice for an all-in-one premium experience without cutting corners.

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There are many options to consider when choosing your primary video messaging app, like if you’re aiming for complete privacy, a crisp video calling experience, or are simply looking for a convenient all-in-one social ecosystem. One thing to note is that the top social messaging apps use end-to-end encryption to protect your conversations, meaning no one can spy on your conversations since your privacy matters as much (even more so) online as it would offline.

You can always test out more options on a budget since even the best free video calling apps on Android can still match up to premium experiences.

Valuing your social privacy