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Google Voice, with Google Hangouts dialer hand-in-hand, allowed me to keep my old US phone number. It cost $20 to keep my old number, which I connected even before I cancelled my US phone plan, it is free if you just want them to assign you a new number.

Now I can talk and text from my laptop computer or cell phone (with data or WiFi connection), and if Google Mail is open, can even hear incoming calls ring, to answer in real time. 
Really Valuable Bonus: I can receive those all-important access codes that are occasionally needed for a connection to a service.

Skype and FaceTime are both quite popular apps that I hear people really use a lot. I will let them sing their praises.

Hands down facebook messenger on phone. While there are days it drops calls overall it is a great way to text, talk or video chat.

Best Travel Apps for Belize to Help You Feel Like a Local - I use a couple on this list (Hot Guide Belize and Belize Red Cross First Aid App)

A lot of the locals use WhatsApp, if you have internet it is totally free around the world with talk, text and video chat and it is encripted on both ends.

I worked in IT for over 30+years so have used various APPS
The current way I stay on tip of the new APPs is subscibing to the free Steve Dotto  Wednesday webinar