If you’re looking for ways to keep your conversations private through text, it’s important to choose a messaging app carefully. N End-to-end encryption (E2EE)Others may have security flaws that threaten your privacy.
Simply put, E2EE means only you (sender) and recipient will see the content of your messages. This – and most importantly – excludes third parties such as B. your wireless service provider, Internet Service Provider (ISP), and phone manufacturer. Some users may request this additional level of protection to prevent outside intrusion by government agencies and other organizations who may try to use your private chats against you.
All apps listed here are free and offer E2EE, so don’t worry about your privacy. Let’s get into this.
Signal is one of the most popular personal messaging apps and I use it personally. It offers a simple and aesthetically pleasing interface that makes it easy to use as an alternative to your device’s default messaging app. Signal describes itself as an “independent, non-profit company” that does not have in-app ads or trackers. Messages, voice calls and video calls are E2EE on the signal
Note: On Android, you can also use the signal for less secure SMS / MMS messages, but the only way to get full protection on the signal is if users on both sides use the app. (Even if you’re an iPhone user, you don’t have to worry about it, because you can’t change your default SMS app.)
Telegram is another great secure messaging app. Offering server and client encryption for group and private conversations, you can also send messages with E2EE Secret chat feature in Telegram. This not only prevents someone from forwarding your message, but also allows you to send self-destructing messages that disappear after a certain period of time. When you delete your message in a secret chat, Telegram deletes it from the recipient’s device.
When Telegram has recently introduced a paid category The free version of the app offers fast downloads and large file uploads and still offers a lot of great features. (Telegram has a bunch of great stickers that you can use to sort your messages.)
Anything owned by Meta (Facebook’s parent company) doesn’t really paint a clear picture of privacy, but WhatsApp is an exception. WhatsApp enables E2EE for its messages and calls by default Like Signals and Telegrams, WhatsApp lets you create group chats and send photos, videos and voice messages securely. The company faced a backlash In the privacy policy we updated last year, Which requires users to interact with app companies to share their data with Facebook; However, it is important to remember that this will not affect the daily face-to-face conversations in the app.
Wickr Me is another app with a parent company that may not seem credible. Amazon Web Service bought Wicker M last yearThe service is still a powerful messaging app that will protect your conversations. While Wickr Me is more geared towards business professionals who use the app to connect with their colleagues, this does not mean that the average user cannot use it. The free version of the app allows encrypted private and group messaging, audio and video calls and file sharing. Also, you can set a timer for messages to disappear.
Wire is a simple messaging app that does exactly what you need to do: send E2EE messages and make E2EE audio and video calls. There are also some payment options, but these plans are best for businesses looking for a secure collaboration app.
With Viber, you can expect a full-featured messaging experience, which you’ll find in a modern messaging app, such as stickers, GIFs and responses to messages. It works a bit like Telegram, where you can explore and join different channels to stay up to date on topics of interest to you. While it supports E2EE for calling and messaging, it’s a little more cluttered here than other channel apps – you can see ads and channel recommendations when you use it.
The interesting thing about Skred is that you don’t need a phone number or email address to sign up. Skred does not use your phone contacts to determine if any of your friends are using the app. You can only invite people to the app to personally scan a QR code from your app or send the code through another messaging service. Skred E2EE supports messaging, voice and video calling.