If there is one industry that has changed our lives significantly in the past few decades, it is surely telecommunications. We are now literally glued to our phones, sending and receiving text messages nonstop.
In fact, it can be argued that sending and receiving text messages has become the most common mode of communicating with others at a distance. Why take the time to call or send an email when you can send a text message to someone virtually wherever they are in the world. Text messages are faster, easier to send, and a lot more practical.
Anonymous Messaging
Many people like to keep their identities private when sending text messages, for a variety of different reasons. Perhaps they want to send someone an anonymous tip or warning or to comment on a certain situation without revealing their identity.
They may even be writing to a business or service provider for some information and wish to avoid those unsolicited marketing or follow-up calls that often follow a call to some commercial businesses and organizations. On other occasions, a person may be writing to someone that you hardly know and feel unsure about giving them their number.
There are certain inherent risks in revealing your phone number to people that you are not very familiar with, be they strangers, potential dates, clients, or colleagues. You can become a victim of identity theft, stalking, harassment, and even kidnapping and it may all begin with sharing your phone number with a stranger.
Today's wrongdoers are more tech-savvy than ever. As such many people have become very cautious about sharing the slightest bit of personal information with strangers, including their phone numbers.
Anonymous Texting Apps to Try
Regardless of the reason, sending anonymous messages isn't just for spies and shady criminals anymore. Knowing how to communicate anonymously and privately over digital networks is fast becoming a very useful skill to possess.
Therefore, it is a good idea to be aware of the various tools available that will enable you to send anonymous text messages. Here, in no particular order, is a list of popular anonymous texting apps you may want to try:
- Snapchat
- Wickr
- Text Now
- Anonymous Texting
- Mustache App
- Burner App
- Yik Yak
- Text Plus
- Pinger Text Free
- Whisper
Each of these apps allows the user to send messages and make phone calls without showing their phone number or caller ID to the recipient. Furthermore, with the exception of Anonymous Texting, each can be downloaded and installed on either an Android or iOS phone.
What's more, some of these apps, such as Wickr, offer some rather unique features. Wickr, for example, allows the user to send documents to others. So, if you want to send someone a document, but don't want to reveal your identity, the app can accomplish the task for you.
Snapchat is another anonymous texting app that offers some bonus features. Though Snapchat is well-known for enabling users to upload photographs and videos, most users are unaware that the app also allows you to send anonymous messages. Once you send the message and it has been read, the message is automatically deleted.
A Warning to Some User of Anonymous Texting Apps
While anonymous texting apps can be used for a variety of useful purpose, it is no secret that some people use them to threaten and harass others. Often, people use anonymous texting apps to make practical jokes that sometimes go too far and cause others a great deal of distress.
While the average person alone will be unable to identify the person sending a text through an anonymous texting app, all a victim of a malicious anonymous text needs to do is get the authorities involved and the sender's identity can be discovered very easily.
So, if you intend to use these apps for less than friendly purposes, you should know that there is no such thing as complete anonymity, and if you cross certain lines, you can be found out and held accountable for any wrongdoing.
For assistance with any legal issues arising from sending or receiving an anonymous text, or the use of any anonymous texting app, consult with an experienced attorney who can advise you appropriately.