How to use eBuddy

After installing the app on your phone, you'll be prompted to sign up for a free eBuddy account. After you've completed the short registration process you're ready to start importing your contacts from your various IM and social networks, which you do just by signing into them all from within eBuddy Mobile Messenger.

When you're all set up, you'll see a list of all your online and offline contacts in the main window. Starting a conversation is merely a case of clicking a person's name to open the chat tab. The chat interface looks great, and the use of speech bubbles makes chats easier to follow and much less cluttered that other IM apps.

Limitations of eBuddy

Unfortunately, the Android version of eBuddy doesn't have a great many chat options, such as the ability to send pictures and files or to insert quick text from a list of common phrases. You are able to view a buddy's profile and add emoticons, however. On the latter point, the preset emoticons within eBuddy Mobile Messenger are pretty basic. You can download new ones from eBuddy, but not that many.

eBuddy Mobile Messenger comes with a tidy, colorful user interface which is a pleasure to use. The use of tabs helps to keep the screen clutter-free and makes everything clearly visible.

eBuddy is great at what it does, but it's a shame it doesn't go quite as far as the likes of Nimbuzz or fring, which both offer VoIP as well as text chat. Even to have Skype text chat would've been a nice addition.

If all you want to do is send instant messages though, eBuddy makes it quick and easy to chat across different IM networks.

Download eBuddy 3.4.0 in Softonic

fring supports most of the major chat services including Skype, MSN Messenger, Google Talk, ICQ, Yahoo!, and AIM. The application is simple to install and set up. Once you've registered for a fring account you can import your online contacts very easily. You just go to the 'Add-ons' section, click a service you want to access (e.g. Skype, Yahoo!) and sign in using your normal log-in for that account.

Contacts are automatically pulled into fring and displayed in the main window, and you can quickly view who is online and who isn't. If you like, you can alter your fring profile, adding a mugshot, mood message and email address to your details.

Not only can you chat via instant messages but fring also lets you make cheap or free calls to your buddies via the fringOut service. This means you can ring people from your phone's contacts locally or internationally, at vastly reduced rates (it's even cheaper than Skype, too!).

The user interface in the Android version of fring is pretty attractive. Buddy lists are very well laid out, and all of the options are very touch friendly. There's even an attractive dialer that can be pulled up to help you type phone numbers more easily.

fring now includes group video chat with support for up to four people in the conversation at once. There's even a feature, called Playgrounds, that allows you to take part in group chats with like-minded strangers. Be warned though, you never know what some people will be doing when they show up here!

fring represents a fun way to stay in touch with friends and family via voice, video and text.

Download fring 4.0.1.4 in Softonic