HowTo: Text For Free (Smartphones Only)

Gizmodo has compiled a list of the 8 best free texting apps for a variety of smartphones. Their favorite pick? Google Voice. No charges, no ads, and doubles as a second phone line. 

For more detailed reviews of each app, click through. For the impatient, here's a quick breakdown of the 8 selected apps, with supported phones and download links included:

1. Kik (the free BlackBerry Messenger alternative for iPhone and Android )

2. Google Voice (for Android, iPhone, and Blackberry)

3. Fring (uses major instant messaging networks; for iPhone, Android, and Nokia Symbian)

4. textPlus (supported by ads, but user can pay pay $2.99 per year to remove; for iPhone-only)

5. TextNow (supported by ads, but user can pay pay $0.99 per month or $5.99 per year to remove; for iPhone-only)

6. Meebo (uses major instant messaging networks; for iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry)

7. WhatsApp ($0.99 for iPhone and free for Android (Beta), BlackBerry, and Nokia Symbian Beta)

8. Textfree (supported by ads, but user can pay pay $5.99 per year to remove; for iPhone-only)

Image credit 1, 2.