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So when I say that I sent you an SMS or a Whatsapp message, I say that "I texted you", what should I ideally use?

Rand al'Thor
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Amit
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  • Like you I say texted, but I hope we never arrive at a situation where there is a right and a wrong way to describe these things. – WS2 Feb 24 '16 at 20:10
  • yeah totally, its just that I've been using "texted" you for a while now. Just wanted to validate. – Amit Feb 24 '16 at 20:16
  • Can't fight progress ... WhatsApp could be becoming a verb :-) http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=whatsapped – k1eran Feb 24 '16 at 21:07
  • @k1eran: true that, but my question is if I am sending a text message in form of an SMS, a Whatsapp message or even a tinder message, what should be the best way to say it. "texted you" is the one I have been using for years. – Amit Feb 24 '16 at 22:30
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    I would only use “text” when it was an actual SMS text message. I would use “IM” more generally for any messaging system that sends instantly/immediately. I don’t use Watsapp but my daughter uses “Snapchatted” for that particular app. – Jim Feb 24 '16 at 23:56
  • Whatever your peers use. The concepts are so new that there is no established "rule". – Hot Licks Feb 25 '16 at 00:53
  • Related question, How to use “text” as a verb. –  Feb 25 '16 at 04:35
  • @randal'thor Why do you think this question should be reopened? –  Jul 04 '16 at 19:20
  • Any noun can become a verb by popular usage. We now use "google" as a verb, so why not use any company name similarly? I already use "I have whatsapped you the details" to make sure the recipient checks their "WhatsApp" inbox and not any other. People will understand it, unless they live under a rock. – NVZ Jul 04 '16 at 19:49

2 Answers2

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Both terms are "ideally" correct:

To message:

  • to ​send someone a ​short message using a ​mobile ​phone or ​computer: I messaged him ​yesterday but haven't had a ​reply.

To text:

  • To send someone a text message by ​phone: I texted her to ​arrange a ​time to ​meet.

(Cambridge Dictionary)

  • IMHO, thats still a little ambiguous. Did you mean that 'messaged' implies a message in form of text/audio/video and 'texted' means a text message only? – Amit Feb 24 '16 at 22:21
  • @Amit - I think that with current widespread technologies 'message' is now often used to mean 'send a message via mobile phone or computer'. If a friend of yours tells you "I'll send you a message later" what would you understand? –  Feb 25 '16 at 06:54
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Although the dictionaries have not yet caught up with the distinction, to text frequently implies an SMS message transmitted between cellular telephones.

The verb to message, meanwhile, has a larger scope. It may denote a cell phone SMS message, but may also describe a textual communication on a wide variety of other instant messaging platforms.

Rob_Ster
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