FREE Alternative to Ping!

As we reported yesterday, Ping! was updated with a bit of a sting in it’s tail. This came in the form of an in-app purchase to get the extra functionality of being able to send images, on top of paying for the app.

I personally was a little put out about this, and I’m sure I am not alone, so I decided to trawl through the App Store looking for a nice, if possible free, alternative.

I came across a really cool, albeit poorly named, FREE app called Yak.

It boasts free iPhone-to-iPhone messaging, including sending and receiving images. Amongst the other features is group chat, meaning you can address the same message to multiple recipients, and read notifications to alert you as soon as your buddy reads your message, both of which Ping! still does not do, but heh, maybe they will be part of the next “free update” you find yourself being charged for.

The UI in Yak is the best I have found and has impressed me no end. Yes you have to sign in with a username and email rather than just an ID, but it is well worth it.

Of course Yak makes good use of Apple’s push notifications service too, notifying you not only when you receive a message but also for the read report function too, which is customizable inside the apps preferences page.

All in all I give Yak 4/5 stars for overall functionality and aesthetics. Go grab it for yourself for FREE on the App Store now.