What service allows people to send text messages with pictures and sounds from their device to other devices?

The correct answer is Instant Messaging. This service is specifically designed for real-time communication between users, enabling them to send not just text messages, but also multimedia content such as pictures, sounds, and videos. Instant messaging applications, like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and others, facilitate this kind of exchange, making it easy for users to enhance their conversations with multimedia elements.

In contrast, electronic mail primarily focuses on sending and receiving text-based messages and file attachments, but it does not provide the same immediacy or interactive capabilities as instant messaging platforms. SMS services, while they refer to sending text messages, are limited to text-only communications and traditionally do not support sending images or sounds unless integrated with picture messaging services (MMS). Social media encompasses a broad range of platforms that allow users to share multimedia content, but it is not primarily focused on direct messaging in real-time as instant messaging applications are.