Zello, Voxer, and HeyTell are all names of popular walkie talkie apps for iPhone, Android, and Blackberry.  These apps mimic the two way radio to expand the channels of communication on smartphones, and are often times referred to as voice texting, voice messaging, push to talk or PTT apps.  As these walkie talkie apps rise in popularity, it is clear that the appeal of the 2 way radio is not dead.

So why are walkie talkie apps like Zello, Voxer and HeyTell so popular when you can just make a phone call or text message?  Well, push to talk (PTT) apps don’t use up cellular minutes, and they let you communicate for free while traveling abroad when Wi-Fi is available.  Voice messages are also more accurate than texting, allowing you to relay a message quickly while avoiding any chances of miscommunication.

Zello, Voxer and HeyTell walkie are all available for free download in the App Store, so there really is no reason not to try out these push to talk apps!  The question is, which walkie-talkie app should you download on your iPhone, Android, Blackberry or other smartphone?

Zello Walkie Talkie

This app is available on iPhone, Android, Blackberry and PC.  You can send voice messages with Zello Walkie Talkie one-on-one, or you can create Zello groups to include up to hundreds of people in a chat.  Zello’s design is simple and easy to use, with no annoying banner or pop-up ads.  But Zello’s most interesting feature is that it comes with a library of “channels” from all over the world that you can listen into people talking and participate yourself.  The concept of these Zello Channels resembles a chat room meets radio station meets walkie talkie.  It is really quite entertaining.  The Zello app can also be useful for companies that provide customer service through their Zello Channel.  The only downfall to Zello’s channel feature is that you can only view and listen to the history of people speaking in the Zello Channel for as long as you are connected to the channel.  Zello’s Channels feature but a fresh spin on the traditional push to talk app genre.

Voxer Walkie-Talkie PPT

This app is available on iPhone and Android phones.  Voxer Walkie-Talkie PPT may be the most comprehensive push to talk app because not only does it include a talk button, but Voxer also includes photo and text buttons.  In single or group chats, you can send and receive voice messages, photos, text messages, and share locations all in one single instant-message style screen.  You can replay your Voxer conversations from start to finish. Voxer also integrates with Facebook so you can find friends on Voxer easily.  This “Cross Platform Messenger” is free of advertisements, and basically takes the cake for the best walkie talkie app.

HeyTell

This app is available on iPhone, Android, and Windows phones.  HeyTell feels the most profit-oriented out of all the walkie talkie apps.  HeyTell includes small banner ads and in-app purchases or extras, such as auto-tune features and voice changers.  Group chats are also an extra in-app purchase with the HeyTell app.  The paid version of HeyTell will remove the banner ads.  With HeyTell you can send voice and location messages.  Although we group HeyTell in the PTT app genre, HeyTell is not a true push to talk app as it only send messages after the talk button is released.  Both Zello and Voxer send voice messages as they are being recorded.  So if you are looking for more of a “Live Messaging” experience, HeyTell might not be the right download for you.

 
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By Samantha Zerma