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5 best walkie talkie apps and PTT apps for Android
Today’s technology gives us plenty of ways to communicate. However, sometimes, old school is the best method. There is still a pretty large use for walkie-talkies. They include emergencies, construction sites, and other places where quick but short vocal communications are necessary. Hardware solutions still work best in this area, but you can recreate them with your smartphone without too much trouble. Here are the best walkie-talkie apps for Android!
It should be said that all of these devices use some VoIP technology for their walkie-talkie functionality. Most mobile devices don’t have the hardware to broadcast over radio frequencies like walkie-talkies. If you need something like that, you probably need a hardware solution with dedicated radios for that communication.
The best walkie talkie apps for Android
HeyTell
Price: Free / $2.99
HeyTell is an old-school app that does the walkie-talkie stuff pretty well. It’s a cross-platform voice messaging service with push-to-talk functionality, just like a walkie-talkie. The app also features a voice changer, notifications when you receive messages, shallow data usage, and a social system with a friends list, a block list, and other tools. However, like other walkie talkie apps it does not support group chats or voice messaging. Overall, the app has its ups and downs with each update, but it generally worked well in our testing.
Two Way
Price: Free
Two Way is another decent walkie-talkie app. It boasts above-average privacy with no sign-ups and no data collection. It works more like a traditional walkie-talkie. You and a friend (or friends) select a channel number and press the button to send communications. It had a low data usage and low battery impact in our testing. The app has its issues such as it does not les you lock a channel and does not reboot on its own after rebooting the phone, but it’s better than most.
Voxer Walkie Talkie Messenger
Price: Free / $3.99 per month / $29.99 per year
Voxer Walkie Talkie Messenger is a decent mix of a messenger app and a walkie-talkie app. It supports individual and group messages and the ability to listen to them later if you don’t have the time. The app also boasts encryption, groups with up to 500 people, cross-platform support, and more. You can also pay the subscription costs to get unlimited message storage versus the 30-day storage history of the free version, along with some other controls and functions. Some people have a lot of trouble with this one, and others find it works perfectly. We recommend trying the free version first.
Zello PTT Walkie Talkie
Price: Free
Zello PTT Walkie Talkie is the most popular walkie-talkie app on this list. It has many features and a powerful free version for individuals. The app includes real-time voice streaming, text and voice messages, and group channels with up to 6,000 participants, and it can even map your PTT button to a hardware button on your device. This app was used in a few disaster areas in the United States over the last few years, and it’s a rock-solid experience overall. However, recently some users have reported some glitches in the app. There is a premium subscription version, but we’re sure you don’t have to worry about it unless you’re a business. You can learn more about it on Zello’s official site here.
Carrier push to talk solutions
Price: Free (usually)
Many carriers have a not-so-secret push-to-talk service available to plan subscribers. We found apps for Verizon and AT&T. We’re sure they’re also available on some other carriers. These apps use the carrier network to send short voice communications like a walkie-talkie. It’s not available on every phone, though, so you may need to get a hold of a customer service rep for your carrier to find out more details. Be warned that these apps all seem to have their fair share of problems. The Verizon app is linked to the button below. You can find the AT&T PTT app by clicking the link.
Bonus: Get your radio operator license
Price: Free / Varies
A really fun idea is getting a legitimate radio operator license. You can then use and connect to exclusive radio networks across the world. It would help if you usually had hardware for this, but a few Android apps require an operator’s license to use, such as EchoLink. We linked an app below that lets you take practice versions of the radio operator’s licensing test, and you can hit the EchoLink link to see what kinds of stuff you get access to with such a license. We included it as a bonus because you can get this functionality without a permit.
If we missed any great walkie talkie apps, tell us about them in the comments! You can also click here to check out our latest Android app and game lists!
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