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The Best (And Worst) Apps For Sexting

So you want to send a sext. Maybe it's your first time. Or maybe you're just saying it's your first time. No matter. Either way, sexting takes some forethought. You can't just take a quick snap of yourself and hit "send." I mean, you can. But before you do so, it's best to give this some thought. There are ways to send sexy photos without broadcasting your breasts to your boyfriend's board room. And there are ways to be sloppy about the operation.

Obviously, in the realm of sexting, anything can go wrong. The combination of sex and technology is a ticking time bomb, and it's smart to know your options. Late at night, with both parties home in bed? A simple iMessage to iMessage (or flip phone to flip phone?) will do just fine. During the day, when you're both at work? Much safer to use something like Snapchat. But what about email? Facebook? And to include a caption, or not to include a caption? Texting is tricky enough, and when you add a little sex to the mix, it's almost guaranteed to go haywire at some point. Keep these possibilities in mind before you hit send, regardless of the medium, for the safest sext practices.

1. Snapchat

There is still one way this can go wrong. If you usually Snapchat your partner videos of your lunch or snaps of your plant (but why would you do that?), don't throw a curveball and send a sexier shot without warning. They might open it in plain view of their friend, thinking it'll be the tenth animal pic of the day, only to find . . . something completely different. I tend to favor quick, pithy captions, but I leave it up to you as to the tenor of your text. This is definitely the safest option of them all.

2. iMessage

As long as your partner isn't visiting his family or on a business retreat or something, this should be OK. But remember that previews of incoming photos usually show up on smartphone screens, as well as the first couple of lines of text. Proceed with caution here, unless you're sure the person on the other side of the screen is alone.

3. What's App

International sexting: Go. Even if you don't speak the same language, you can still sext. Win-win?

4. Frankly

This is a lot like Snapchat, only much newer, so most people don't have it. One major plus, though: You can un-send a message. When it comes to sexting, this could prove incredibly handy.

5. Gmail/Gchat

I feel as though this is not the place for pictorial sexts, but gchat could be a fun way to hint at what's on your mind for later. Careful, though: Email is usually reserved for more professional endeavors, and it's way too easy to send to the wrong person.

6. Facebook

This is not the best platform for sexting. But if you must, keep your message short and sweet and to the point. Like this. Just be sure to not post your sext as your status update. Stranger things have happened.

7. Instagram

I'm going to nip this one right in the bud. Don't DM sexts. It's just not the place for this kind of thing. I know there are people out there who would disagree with me, and to each his own, but just . . . don't do it.

8. Dropbox

This is also a no-go. Dropbox is a great place for uploading high-res images and sharing photos with your business partners, but when it comes to sexy photos, this is a no-fly zone. Too sterile. Not immediate enough. And sexts really don't need to be high-res.

9. Photo Vault

This is not so much a sext method as much as a place to lock any incoming photos you receive. To keep your most private photos extra private, download this app and save all of your racy racy photos here.

Images: Pexels; Wifflegif (9)