The Best Sexting Apps

It can be a real paradigm shift to realize there’s more to sex than just penetration. But even as you start to come to terms with all the possibilities of oral and manual stimulation, it’s also worth remembering that there’s more to sex than in-person touching.

That’s because sexting — sending sexually charged messages with one or more other people — can also offer meaningful gratification for your erotic desires. You might not be able to reach out and touch the person you’re sexting with, but you can exchange photos or videos so you can see what each other’s bodies look like, and you can exchange text messages so you can come to understand and revel in each other’s deepest fantasies.

But, just like in-person sex, sexting requires a little bit of know-how in order to do it right. While everyone will like something a little bit different, knowing how to keep the conversation flowing, which subjects to touch on and which to avoid, and which angles to touch on to drive your sexting partner crazy with desire.

RELATED: Supercharge Your Sexting by Figuring Out Your Lust Language

Whether you’ve been sexting with others since the days of flip phones, or are just getting interested in all that sexting has to offer, there are plenty of apps out there designed to help you find others for digital hookups quickly and easily, and ensure the information you share is safe and secure. Read on to discover the best hookup apps to get your sexting game on.

Qualities of a Great Sexting App

There are a few main qualities we look for in a sexting app:

1. Discretion/Privacy
2. Community of like-minded kinksters
3. Ease of use

The first should be self-explanatory: you don't want to go about writing about your most intimate fantasies with someone else, only to discover that all your personal information is available for all to see. It's easier to be kinky when you know your real-life identity is secure.

But what about the community? Well, the simple truth is that, while it's possible to meet sexting partners on any old dating app, you'll have a much easier time if your app's community is already pre-selected for kinky, sext-loving users. That's why we prioritized apps with a dedicated following geared towards hookups and casual fun.

Finally, ease of use: you're here to have fun, not spend 20 minutes figuring out a new user interface and enter your credit card and social security info just to speak with other people.

How to Sext

We wrote an entire guide on the art of sexting, but if brevity is your thing, here are a few rules to follow:

• Escalate slowly
• Feel out the other person's interests
• Treat it like improv: agree and escalate
• Don't ask for pictures if you aren't also prepared to send them

The worst thing you can do is go from 0 to 100 too quickly, so be patient and enjoy the journey. If you do end up exchanging nudes, remember that there are better ways of taking a dick pic. And as always, exercise some discretion: you don't want to be sending nudes in which you're identifiable to total strangers.

The Best Apps for Sexting

1. XMatch

Best for: An entire night of steamy virtual adventures

Why we like it: Why chat just one match when you can join forums and group chats full of singles in your area sharing their fantasies? Logging on to XMatch feels like a sexy "choose your own adventure," from the group and forum options in their "Sex Academy" to filters that allow you to search for matches based on what they prefer in the bedroom.

Pros: If things get hot and heavy textually and you want to take things to the next level virtually, XMatch has webcam capability to get the job done.

Cons: A basic profile is free, but if you're looking to get in on XMatch's more premium features, you're looking at $20 a month.

Learn more at XMatch

2. Kasual (formerly Yumi)

Best for: Getting the most for your money

Why we like it: If your end goal is to get some steamy conversation going without risking your privacy, Kasual has got you covered.

Pros: There are no social accounts involved in the sign up process or an email address – all you need to get started is a photo (and it doesn't have to be of your face, as the site suggestively states). Once you've found a match, users have a three-hour response window to get a steamy conversation going, which means no one's shy about making the first move.

Cons: After their free month trial, you'll need to fork over the $19.99 to keep the fun going – but can you really put a price on safe text?

Learn more at Kasual

3. Dust

Best for: In-the-moment sexting pleasure

Why we like it: For the most pleasurable sexting experience, let your guard down instantly when you communicate using Dust, the service that automatically turns everything you send to “dust” after 24 hours.

Pros: You can stick with the standard 24 hour time slot or customize messages to disappear even faster, such as immediately after they are opened. All content is highly encrypted so you can essentially delete messages off other people’s phones ensuring there’s no trace of your conversation. Other perks include the privacy of having your identity hidden on one-to-one messages and instant notifications if any screenshots are taken.

Cons: Because it’s so high on privacy, there’s bound to be instances where you don’t really know “who” you’re chatting with – which might put a damper in your textual escapades.  

Learn more at Dust

4. Wickr

Best for: Sending photos and videos

Why we like it: Sometimes, if you just want to communicate in a private, secure digital environment you can skip the online dating route and go straight to an app that is best known for trusted transmission of information such as Wickr.

Pros: The extremely secure app ensures you have full control over messages, files, photos, and videos you share, either in group settings or in one-on-one communication – something that's obviously a priority when you're sexting with strangers. Every single message is encrypted with a unique key and you can control who sees it as well as how long it is live. Better yet the app doesn’t require any personal information to sign up, so even your email and phone number stay private. The app is used by everyone from human rights activists to celebrities for personal security and offers a unique twist on sexting in a totally protected digital environment.

Cons: You’ll need to know who you’re sexting before you log on, since finding matches isn’t an option.

Learn more at Wickr

5. Confide

Best for: Total privacy

Why we like it: If privacy is a top concern when it comes to sexting, you’ll find relief using Confide, the confidential messenger service that works with iMessage, texts, photos, documents, and voice messages.

Pros: It’s well known for providing end-to-end encryption and disappearing messages, but the most notable aspect is its screenshot protection that uses special technology so screenshots are captured as a grey blur on most platforms. Perfect for those who thrive off of visual stimulation, the app allows you to send even your most suggestive photos with peace of mind knowing that if a screenshot is attempted, it probably won’t come out right — plus, the recipient will be ejected from the message and you, as the sender, get alerted.

Cons: It lacks the community aspect of the previous apps – but it’s a great option for taking things to the next level with someone you’ve already met.  

Learn more at Confide

6. Signal

Best for: Secure messaging

Why we like it: Endorsed by famous whistleblower Edward Snowden, Signal is one of the most secure messaging apps currently available

Pros: Because Signal offers the highest level of end-to-end encryption, it's one of the safest way to exchange messages you wouldn't want going public, including explicit photos. Furthermore, the default settings protect your privacy. You don't have to opt in to privacy settings, or opt out of sharing your data; Signal just lets you converse in private from the get-go.

Cons: It isn't specifically built for meeting new people or flirting with strangers. You'll need to get someone's phone number first.

Learn more at Signal

BONUS: Plenty of Fish

Best for: Connecting quickly

Why we like it: Certainly not a new app, but most definitely a staple, Plenty of Fish offers a casual hookup environment where sparking a conversation is incredibly easy.

Pros: In one of the rare cases where the app version is seemingly years ahead of the desktop experience, the Plenty of Fish app is incredibly easy to navigate and gives you plenty of options for discovering others, including searching by who is nearby, browsing who has already viewed your profile, and playing a Tinder-like hot or not game. The app even has a section that shows you which profiles are most likely to respond to you, greatly reducing the time it takes to get a satisfying sexting conversation rolling.

Cons: You’ll need to fish through the members who are here looking for something more serious.

Learn more at Plenty of Fish

BONUS: Zoosk

Why we like it: Zoosk has arguably one of the best online dating app interfaces on the market with a clean, distraction-free design.

Pros: The online dating platform isn’t really intended for any one specific use, so you’ll find individuals on it who are interested in all ranges of sexual interaction. As a perk, the app features a photo verification feature so you know the person you are communicating with actually lives up to the photos they’re showcasing. The app is used by 40 million members worldwide, has over 8 million verified photos, and facilitates the sending of over 3 million messages per day. If you want a low pressure environment where you can trust the person you’re communicating with actually looks as good as advertised, Zoosk is a no-brainer.

Cons: Since you’re accessing a wide range of intentions, finding someone to sext with can be more time consuming than the other apps.

Learn more at Zoosk

BONUS: Wild

Best for: Connecting with real users

Why we like it: Chatting with a profile you can tell is fake takes the fun out of sexting -- but on Wild, users need to be verified (sending a thumbs up photo to the app to check against the pictures you're claiming are you), so your fantasies won't be ruined by the sudden thought this person might actually be pretty gross looking.

Pros: You can also set your search parameters to filter out anyone who's here for something more serious, which makes the experience even more efficient. Plus, you can set your profile to invisible while you're chatting with a match to minimize distractions.

Cons: You’ll need to verify your photo, so if you’re looking for more anonymity this one might not be for you.

Learn more at Wild

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