How to Instant Message

Written by Jack Lloyd

Last Updated: February 6, 2020 Tested

Instant messaging--also known as "IM-ing"--refers to the process of sending typed messages back and forth between two or more parties. If you want to IM, there are several high-quality (and free) options available for your mobile device; some of these options include WhatsApp, Skype, Facebook Messenger, and Snapchat.

Part 1

Part 1 of 6:

Updating Your Contacts

1
Ask friends for their IM names. In order to expedite the contact importing process from within your chosen IM service, you'll need to update your phonebook with your friends' IM names.
- For efficiency's sake, text your friends this inquiry--you'll be entering their IM names into your contact list later.
2
Open your phone's contact list. You'll need to update your current contacts with their IM usernames.
- On Android, you'll do this from the Google Contacts Manager by default; for iOS platforms, tap the "Contacts" app to access your contacts.
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3
Open a contact's settings. This should be a contact whom you wish to add to your IM database.
4
Add your contact's IM name(s). On both iOS and Android platforms, there is a space on each contact's card for IM names; on iPhones, this option is under the "Edit" setting, labelled "add instant message". For Android, you'll need to navigate to your pertinent contact-managing app and go into each contact's settings in order to add IM usernames.

Part 2

Part 2 of 6:

Downloading IM Apps

1
Open your phone's app store. If you're using iOS, tap the "App Store" app; for Android, tap the "Google Play Store" app.
2
Activate your app store's search function. You can type your app's name in from here. For an iPhone, tap the "Search" button in the bottom right side of your screen. If you're using an Android, tap the magnifying glass icon in the top right corner of your screen.
3
Type "WhatsApp" into the search bar to find WhatsApp. WhatsApp is a good choice for all-around texting and international communication.
4
Type "Skype" into the search bar to find Skype. Skype is a robust video- and voice-chat app with texting functionality.
5
Type "Facebook Messenger" into the search bar to find Facebook Messenger. Facebook Messenger supports texting, calling, and video-chatting with both Facebook friends and phone contacts.
6
Type "Snapchat" into the search bar to find Snapchat. Snapchat is a casual social app from which you can send picture, video, and text messages.
7
Tap the "GET" button next to your chosen app. This will begin downloading your app. Depending on your app's size and phone's connection speed, your download may take a few minutes.
- On Android platforms, the "GET" button is replaced by one that says "Install".

Part 3

Part 3 of 6:

Sending a Message on WhatsApp

1
Tap the "WhatsApp" app to open WhatsApp. Before you can send a message on WhatsApp, you'll need to confirm your phone's identity and add some minor profile information.
2
Allow WhatsApp to access your contacts when prompted. Opening WhatsApp for the first time will bring up a menu asking for permission to use your contacts; you'll need to press "OK" to enable this option.
3
Tap "Agree & Continue" on the following screen. Doing so acknowledges that you agree to WhatsApp's Terms and Conditions of use.
4
Enter your phone number for verification purposes. WhatsApp will send you a text with a code; you'll need to enter it in order to confirm your phone's identity.
5
Enter your code in the field provided. This will take you to your WhatsApp account creation page.
6
Enter your name and a photo. This will help identify you to contacts.
- You can also tap "Use Facebook Info" to use your Facebook picture and name.
7
Tap the "Chats" tab at the bottom of the screen. This will bring up an empty page; after you talk to somebody, your chat history with them will appear here.
8
Tap the "New Message" icon in the top right corner of your screen. This will bring up a list of all the people in your contacts list who use WhatsApp.
9
Tap on a contact's name. This will select that contact for your instant message.
- You can also do this from the "Contacts" tab by tapping a contact's name and then tapping "Send Message". This contact must be on WhatsApp to receive your message.
10
Type your message in the field at the bottom of your screen. You should be able to use any keyboards or emoji you have installed on your phone.
11
Tap "Send" to send your instant message. As long as the contact to whom you wish to talk is currently using WhatsApp, they should be able to receive your message and respond to you in a matter of seconds!

Part 4

Part 4 of 6:

Sending a Message on Skype

1
Tap the "Skype" app to open Skype. Before you can use Skype, you'll need to create a user account. You can do this from within the app--it should only take a minute or so.
2
Allow Skype to access your contacts when prompted. Skype will request access to your contacts when you open it for the first time, so make sure you enable this option by tapping "OK".
3
Tap "Create Account" at the bottom of your screen. This will prompt you to agree to Skype's Terms and Conditions of use.
4
Tap "I agree" to the Terms and Conditions. This will take you to the account information entry page.
5
Enter your preferred account information. This will include the following information:
- Your full name
- Your preferred Skype username
- A password of your choice
- A working email
6
Enter your phone number. Skype will ask you to confirm your phone number by sending you a text message with a PIN.
7
Enter your PIN in the field provided. After you do this, you'll be able to begin using Skype for mobile.^{[1]
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8
Tap the "Contacts" tab at the bottom of your screen. This will open a list of your current contacts on Skype.
9
Tap the person icon in the top right corner of your screen. This will open the "Add contact" field in which you can type a contact's name to add them to a conversation.
10
Type the number or username of a contact. You should have this information from when you updated your phonebook. If your preferred contact has a Skype account, they will show up; tap their name to open a conversation with them.
11
Type your message in the field at the bottom of your screen. You should be able to use any keyboards or emoji you have installed on your phone.
12
Tap the blue arrow to send your instant message. This is on the right side of the message bar. As long as the contact to whom you wish to talk is currently using Skype, they should be able to receive your message and respond to you in a matter of seconds!
- Unlike WhatsApp, Skype requires the recipient of your IM to accept a contact request from you before they can read your message.

Part 5

Part 5 of 6:

Sending a Message on Facebook Messenger

1
Tap the "Facebook Messenger" app to open Facebook Messenger. Facebook Messenger has a comparatively easy set-up process, but you'll still need to log in with your Facebook account information to access your Facebook contacts.
2
Allow Facebook Messenger to access your contacts when prompted. Even though Facebook Messenger uses your friends list, it will still ask for access to your contacts list when you open it for the first time; make sure you enable this option by tapping "OK".
3
Enter your Facebook email address and password. This will activate your Messenger account and allow you access to your Facebook friends, even if you don't have their phone numbers.^{[2]
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- If you use your phone number to log into Facebook, you can also use it to log into Messenger.
4
Tap the "People" tab at the bottom of your screen. This will take you to all of your available contacts.
- You can also access contacts through the "Active Now" list on the Home tab, which is where Messenger opens to by default.
5
Tap a contact's name. This will open a conversation with that contact.
- You can also add people to this conversation by tapping your contact's name at the top of the chat window, then tapping "Create Group" and typing in the name of another contact.
6
Type your message in the field at the bottom of your screen. You can add photos or emoji to this conversation from beneath the text field as well.
7
Tap "Send" to send your instant message. As long as the contact to whom you wish to talk is currently Facebook Messenger, they should be able to receive your message and respond to you in a matter of seconds!

Part 6

Part 6 of 6:

Sending a Message on Snapchat

1
Tap the "Snapchat" app to open Snapchat. Snapchat is less based in text messaging and more photo- and video-oriented.
2
Allow Snapchat to access your contacts when prompted. Snapchat should request access to your contacts as soon as you open it, so make sure you enable this option by tapping "OK".
3
Tap "Sign Up", then enter your account information. You will need to enter a few items to complete your user profile:
- Your name
- Your birthday
- A preferred username
- A preferred password
- A working email address
4
Verify your identity. Snapchat has several different minigames it employs to make sure you aren't a spam program; you'll need to complete one of these to proceed.
5
Swipe down on Snapchat's main page. This is the camera interface; doing so will open Snapchat's settings page.
6
Tap "Add Friends". This should be in the middle of the page.
7
Tap "Add from Address Book". From here, you can tap the "+Add" button next to each contact you wish to add.
8
Tap the backward arrows in the top left corner. Once you return to the settings page, you'll need to tap the circle at the bottom of the page; this will take you back to the main page.
9
Swipe right on your main page. This will take you to the "Chat" page.
- You can also tap or hold the circular button on the main page to take a photo or a video, respectively.
10
Swipe right on a contact's name. This will open a chat window with that contact; you can type an instant message from here.
- If you choose to take a picture/video, you'll need to tap the white arrow in the bottom right corner, tap a contact's name, and tap the white arrow again to send your media to them. You can also add text to photos/videos by tapping the screen after you take them.
11
Type your message into the field at the bottom of the screen. This field should be marked "Send a chat".
12
Tap the "Send" button to send your chat. As long as your recipient is currently using Snapchat, they'll be able to receive and respond to your chat in a matter of seconds!

Community Q&A

Question

What can cause someone to be unable to reply to my messages?

Community Answer

Technically issues can prevent someone from being able to reply to messages, like a loss of connection.
Question

How can I read previous instant messages?

Community Answer

Most IM services retain a history of chats right inside of the app! For example, Skype, Slack, and FB Messenger all archive the messages within the conversation, meaning all you have to do to view the previous IMs is visit that conversation.

Warnings

Charges may apply when receiving sms messages during the verification process in any of the above steps.

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Never give out sensitive personal information--such as social security numbers, credit card numbers, your address, or your phone number--through an Instant Messaging program.

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Be cautious when meeting new people in IM services. You never know if they're being honest about who they are.

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