Have you ever wanted to send out a single text message to many people on your contact list at one time? You could do a copy-and-paste for each of the contacts, but that's quite time-consuming.
Even if you select multiple recipients in your SMS app, most cap you to a maximum of 100 people at a time. This means you need extra flexibility if you want to text more people at once.
Let's take a look at some of the best apps that let you send SMS to a bigger audience with your Android device.
Multi SMS Sender (MSS) is a compact app that lets you send SMS to more than 6,000 contacts at a time. MSS gives you total control over how you send your messages, with the flexibility to delete or update created contact groups.
It's an instant SMS app that organizes your messages by the date and time they were sent---while showing you the exact time that each recipient received your SMS. It also comes with personalization and signature features that let you customize your text.
When you open up the app, you have the option of creating contact groups with unique names. You can send a single message to all the groups you've created, or select the particular group you would like to text.
If you decide not to create contact groups, you have the option of selecting contacts manually. This option doesn't create a group, but sends the message to only people you selected for that instance.
Unsurprisingly, you must grant the app permission to access your contacts.
Download: Multi SMS Sender (Free)
Bulk SMS Plans is another SMS solution that gives you a variety of interactive features. It lets you send your custom text to a maximum of 5,000 contacts with a single tap.
One of the strong points of this app is that you get to create reusable SMS templates for different contact groups. Message sending is dependent on your internet connection.
That's a feature that lets you send texts in a single tap, rather than in batches---offering speed and instant deliverability. And if a contact has multiple phone numbers, the app sorts them out to avoid duplicates.
In this app, you get to manage your sender ID, SMS templates, and SMS view history reports. It also includes the ability for the sender to add customized URLs and voice notes to their text. That's a rare feature for most SMS apps.
The customized URL and voice note features are accessible when you open the URL Shortner and Manage Media options respectively.
In addition to having the option of sending a bulk SMS, there's a dashboard that gives you the chance to send a quick SMS. You also get to monitor the cost of sending out your texts and track your balance on the dashboard.
While the app is free to download, you'll need to purchase credits to send messages. Visit the Bulk SMS Plans website for more info.
Download: Bulk SMS Plans (Free, credits required)
Although its interface looks a bit ugly, if you've been looking to send thousands of messages at a time, Group Messaging does a great job of that.
When you create a contact group in the Group Messaging app, it sends your message via the default SMS app. It's a lightweight choice that comes with a simple interface.
With this app, you get to name and select your target contact groups. This makes it easy to confirm that you're sending the right message to the proper set of contacts. You can also delete a group, remove a recipient from the group, or add more numbers to a group.
Download: Group Messaging (Free)
This app is a good one if you send texts consistently to contacts on an Excel spreadsheet. Bulk SMS Sender lets you create your target group and export it as an Excel file, as well as reading contacts from Excel or text files.
If you like, you can also export your contact list to Dropbox for later use. If you don't intend to send the SMS from your phone, you can always create a link that lets you text directly from your computer.
BSS has an SMS tracker that lets you monitor your SMS in real-time. You can also view failed and successful messages in the SMS history log.
The app gives you the option to send your text instantly. But if you like, you can schedule an SMS for later by placing it on scheduled auto-send. That feature helps you remember to send periodic messages, which is a clever way to use SMS if you send texts consistently.
Download: Bulk SMS Sender (Free trial, subscription required)
This app has some issues, but we include it due to its ability to append a contact list to a file and read contacts from uploaded files. It's a pretty handy app that uses the network provider's credits to send your SMS. It can send a text to a maximum of 314 contacts at a time.
One of its major drawbacks is the configuration of its send button. It's easy to get into a mess if you tap the large Send button more than once---there isn't any double-check before it sends your message.
Another minor issue, which may or may not bother you, is the persistent request to make it your default SMS app.
Otherwise, it's another good bulk SMS app that's easy to use. It's one to consider if you need a light app and target a smaller audience. While sending your SMS, you also get to remove duplicate contacts from your recipients list.
Multi SMS & Group SMS has an interface that shows you the delivery status of each message, even when sent in bulk. This way, you can always monitor the performance of what you send.
Download: Multi SMS & Group SMS (Free, in-app purchases available) | Multi SMS & Group SMS PRO (Free, in-app purchases available)
Depending on your target audience and intentions, one of these apps should work well for you. In addition, you might find other bulk messaging apps on your regional Play Store. And don't forget about texting from web apps, too.
