Independent category guide
The best AI assistants to text on Android in 2026
Pally is the best AI assistant to text on Android: you text its number over RCS in Google Messages, and it handles reminders, your inbox, your calendar, calls, and errands. Gemini is the easiest built-in option for drafting and questions, and Poke suits people who want visible automations.
Gemini is free, already in Google Messages, and needs RCS chats turned on. US users can also text 1-800-ChatGPT. Claude has no texting channel, so it does not fit this question.
Pally
Best full assistant to text from Android
Pally works on Android over RCS: you text the same number from Google Messages, with no app to install and no signup. Behind that thread it connects email, calendar, Slack, and your own WhatsApp, sends a daily brief and reminders, and finishes bookings, purchases, and calls to businesses for you.
Pros
- Native RCS texting in Google Messages
- Daily brief, alerts, and reminders from connected apps
- Web bookings, purchases, and calls to businesses
Tradeoffs
- Needs RCS chats on; SMS-only phones get the best reliability on Telegram
Pricing: Pally is free, with almost unlimited usage limits. No waitlist or invitation. Cloud Mac is a paid add-on. See what's included
Google Gemini
Best built-in AI in Google Messages
Gemini lives inside Google Messages, where you chat with it to draft messages, brainstorm, plan events, or ask questions. Google requires an Android phone, a personal Google Account, age 18 or over, and RCS chats turned on, and offers it in more than 165 countries.
Pros
- Already in the default Android texting app
- Free, with no number to save
- Available in more than 165 countries
Tradeoffs
- Chats with Gemini are not end-to-end encrypted, per Google
- Built for drafting and questions, not inbox or errand help
Pricing: Google lists a free Gemini plan at $0 a month with a Google Account. In the US, Google AI Plus is $4.99 a month, Pro is $19.99, and Ultra starts at $99.99; plans raise usage limits and add features. Prices and availability vary by region. Check latest pricing
Poke
Best for visible automations over RCS
Poke takes texts over RCS on Android, as well as on WhatsApp and Telegram. It connects email, calendar, and more than 30 apps, and its named Recipes make scheduled and repeated work visible.
Pros
- RCS, WhatsApp, and Telegram access
- Scheduled Recipes and background automations
- Permanent free plan and a $19 monthly Pro tier
Tradeoffs
- Calls and orders need Poke Human on the $199 Ultra plan
- Doesn't say it manages your own WhatsApp inbox
Pricing: Poke has a permanent free plan with all app connections. Pro is $19 a month and adds frontier models for complex tasks and higher limits for real-time automations. Ultra is $199 a month, with frontier models for every action, the highest automation limits, Poke Human, and optional pay-as-you-go usage beyond its credits. Check latest pricing
ChatGPT
Best for quick answers by SMS in the US
US users can text 1-800-ChatGPT (1-800-242-8478) and get answers by SMS, with no ChatGPT account needed to start; OpenAI calls the line experimental. The full ChatGPT, with scheduled tasks and connectors, lives in its Android app.
Pros
- No account needed to start
- Works by SMS from a US number
- Strong free plan in the Android app
Tradeoffs
- Texting is available to US users only
- Scheduled reminders arrive in the ChatGPT app, not by text
Google Assistant
Best for voice requests across devices
Google Assistant answers questions and acts on requests across supported devices.
Pros
- Hands-free device requests
Tradeoffs
- Less suited to delegated inbox workflows
Carly AI
Best for work delegation from Android
Carly AI takes delegated email, calendar, and workflow tasks.
Pros
- Delegation across email and calendar
Tradeoffs
- Not built into Google Messages
Pricing: Carly has a free plan for MCP access, ten workflows, and calendar and task tools. Its Personal plan is $35 a month; Organization is $35 per seat a month. Paid plans add custom agents, email and SMS delegation, and credits. Check latest pricing
Martin
Best for SMS plus voice
Martin combines an iOS app, voice mode, calendar, inbox, and reminders.
Pros
- Voice and broad personal assistance
Tradeoffs
- Native texting is SMS rather than RCS
Pricing: Martin's Basic plan is $35 a month, or $21 a month billed yearly. Pro is $49 a month, or $30 a month billed yearly, and adds alarm calls, email triage, proactive drafts and cc-to-schedule. Every plan starts with a seven-day free trial, and there's no free tier after it. Check latest pricing
Sidekicks
Best for social texting
Sidekicks offers textable companions and help in group chats.
Pros
- Lightweight group chat participation
Tradeoffs
- Less suited to connected work accounts
Pricing: Sidekicks has a free plan with limited messages, image analysis, voice messages, memory, and reminders. Pro is $19.99 a month for unlimited messages, web search, image generation, and proactive check-ins. Check latest pricing
Arlo
Best for text-based calls and bookings
Arlo handles calls and bookings through text, with metered tasks.
Pros
- Text-based calls and bookings
Tradeoffs
- Tasks are metered
Pricing: Arlo is free with $20 of usage each month, including calls and bookings. Plus is $20 a month for $100 of usage; Max is $100 a month for $500. Calls cost 25 cents per minute of talking and about 1.5 cents per minute on hold. Check latest pricing
Bottom line
How to choose
Pick Pally when the texts should come from an assistant that knows your inbox and calendar, reminds you, and finishes the work. Pick Poke for named Recipes over RCS.
If quick answers are all you need, Gemini is free and already on most Android phones. In the US, 1-800-ChatGPT is a fast way to ask ChatGPT a question by SMS.
Questions
Common questions
Does Pally work on Android?
Yes. Pally works on Android over RCS: you text the same number from Google Messages, and everything works the same way as on iPhone. Pally falls back to SMS only when your phone briefly has poor service. If you can only use SMS, message @PallyAI_bot on Telegram for the best reliability.
Is Gemini in Google Messages end-to-end encrypted?
No. Google's support page states that chats with Gemini are not end-to-end encrypted, unlike your regular RCS conversations.
Can I text ChatGPT from an Android phone?
Yes, if you are in the US. Text 1-800-ChatGPT (1-800-242-8478) from a US number. Outside the US, use the ChatGPT app.
Can I text Claude?
We found no texting channel for Claude. Claude runs in its own apps and on its website.
Facts checked October 12, 2026. Pally pricing comes from its pricing section. Competitor facts and pricing come from the public sources below.