California may have a new tax or phone users that would make them pay taxes on text messaging. This most likely would be a tax to go with the phone bill at the end of the month. Text messaging may have a new set back that would make phone users not too exited to use their phones anymore. However in the recent years there have been alternatives to text messaging that are being increasingly used. 

Some of these alternatives are using social media apps to communicate messages. Social media apps such as Facebook Messenger, Google Hangouts, and Snapchat.

Facebook Messenger is made to replace text messaging. When you first download the app and tap on it it will ask you if you want to replace your other text messaging app with Facebook Messenger. It also asks if you want to allow Facebook Messenger access to your phone’s contacts. 

Google Hangouts does the same thing like Facebook Messenger where it asks for access to contact information. It can also be a replacement for your phone’s previous text messaging app. Google Hangouts can also be synced with your gmail account as well.

Snap chat is an app that lets the cell phone user send pictures to other Snap chat users. This app does not fully replace the text messaging app unfortunately but is so widely used that it could someday be as popular as text messaging. 

Now there are apps that let a phone user not just text but call as well. Some of these apps are Whatsapp, Line, and Viber.

Whatsapp is one of the most widely used apps in the world. It supports video calls and voice calls. It encrypts (codes) both ends of the communication for a secure connection. Like Snapchat you can also photos with captions as well as GIFs (moving pictures). 

Line is basically Whatsapp used mostly in Asia. Line has a timeline like Facebook where you can post events going on in your life and other people can comment on them. It supports voice and video calls. It also supports chat encryption like Whatsapp. 

Viber is an app that has text abilities and call abilities that are free as long as the app is calling another phone with the same app. It allows both video calls and voice calls from Viber to Viber. Viber also has a calling feature that you need to pay for and it can make calls to non-viber numbers. This app comes with other abilities like text message encryption, sticker sending, and emojis.