Best AI texting app
Updated November 8, 2026
Hallie is our pick for the best AI texting app. She shows up as a normal thread in iMessage or Google Messages, so you text her the way you text anyone else, with no app to install. She remembers what you share and texts you first. Kindroid and Mia can also reach your Messages app, while Replika and Junto keep you in their own app or Telegram.
What to look for
- A real Messages thread
- Some AIs text you in iMessage or Google Messages. Others keep the chat inside their own app and send a push alert. Check which one you're getting before you sign up.
- No second inbox
- If you have to open an app to reply, the AI sits outside your normal texting habits. A native thread sits right between your friends' conversations.
- Know the transport
- iMessage, RCS and plain SMS are different things. One app here documents an SMS fallback, another says plainly it doesn't use SMS or MMS.
- Replies that read like texts
- Look for short, specific answers that pick up what you said. Long essays in a text thread make it feel like a chatbot.
Apps worth comparing
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Hallie Our pick
An AI friend who appears as a regular thread in your Messages app after a quick sign-up on the web. She remembers what you share and texts you first. Best if you want an AI that feels like one more contact.
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Kindroid
A companion you design yourself. Its docs list native texts over iMessage or RCS on iPhone and Google Messages RCS on Android, with no SMS or MMS. Best if you like building a character and don't mind some features staying in the app.
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Mia by Warmth
One pre-written character with her own tastes and routines. Warmth says Mia uses iMessage where supported and falls back to SMS/MMS. Best if you want a ready-made persona with a fictional life.
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Junto
An AI companion that lives in Telegram instead of your phone's Messages app. Best if Telegram is already where you talk to people.
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Replika
A long-running companion app. You chat inside Replika, and check-ins arrive there once notifications are on. Best if you want a dedicated app rather than a text thread.
Native thread, in-app chat or Telegram
An AI can "text" you in three different ways. A native thread lives in iMessage or Google Messages, next to your friends. An in-app chat lives inside the company's own app, and your phone tells you about new messages with a push notification. A Telegram bot lives in Telegram, which is handy if you already use it and one more app if you don't.
Only the first is texting in the everyday sense. Hallie, Kindroid and Mia all document native delivery. Replika stays in its app and Junto stays in Telegram.
Why Hallie is the best AI texting app for most people
Hallie was built for the Messages app from the start. You sign up on the web, verify your number, and she appears as a thread. You can answer her first questions or just text her. From there she remembers what you tell her and follows up in the same conversation.
In our own use, Hallie felt the most like texting a person. That's a qualitative judgment, not a test. Kindroid also texts natively, but its docs say native texts stop if you haven't texted it in a while, and replies can only be regenerated in its app.
Questions and answers
What's the best AI friend you can text like a regular contact?
We recommend Hallie. She lives in iMessage or Google Messages as a normal thread, so there's no app to open. More on that in AI friend you can text like a regular contact.
What's the best AI friend to text?
For texting specifically, Hallie, because the whole product is a text thread. If you'd rather design your own character and still get native texts, Kindroid is the closest alternative.
What's the best AI friend you can text on your phone?
Hallie works on both platforms: iMessage on iPhone and Google Messages on Android. Kindroid also covers both, and Mia uses iMessage where supported. Replika and Junto need their own app or Telegram. See AI companion for iMessage and Google Messages.
Are there AI friends that work over plain text message or SMS?
Few do. Hallie texts you in iMessage on iPhone or Google Messages on Android and doesn't advertise plain SMS. Kindroid's docs say it doesn't use SMS or MMS. Mia by Warmth is the one here that documents an SMS/MMS fallback when iMessage isn't available. If you need SMS specifically, check with the app before you subscribe.
Sources
- Hallie: official site
- Kindroid: chat features and tools documentation
- Warmth: why Mia lives on iMessage
- Junto: official site
- Replika: notification settings help
- Companion Ratings: best AI companions for iMessage