![]() Group chats (text or voice) are not E2EE.Polls, stickers, sharing live location, identity management. ![]() Sync across multiple devices (not E2EE).Signal is a non-profit organization that relies on donations to operate. In addition to messages, Signal supports disappearing messages, E2EE group voice chats, and now group video chats between up to eight users. It should be noted, though, that contacts are stored locally only and cannot be accessed by the Signal Foundation. One of the main criticisms of Signal is that users must register with a valid phone number to match contacts. Signal will warn you when messages are sent unencrypted.īut Signal announced in October 2022 that it plans to remove SMS support on Android (new window) with a transition period of “several months”. Texts exchanged to other Signal users are end-to-end encrypted, but texts to non-Signal users are not. Unlike WhatsApp, Signal was designed to replace your phone’s regular SMS messenger app on Android (not on iPhone or iPad). This is a particular concern because Signal uses Amazon Web Services (AWS) to host its infrastructure, which is subject to legal demand from the US government. In theory, this could result in users’ metadata and data (but not messages) being compromised at the server level. However, the app itself has not been audited, and some security concerns (new window) exist around Signal’s reliance on Intel Software Guard Extensions (SGX). This is a claim that has been proven in court (new window). Only “the date and time a user registered with Signal and the last date of a user’s connectivity to the Signal service”. But unlike WhatsApp and other third-party apps that use the protocol, the Signal app (new window) is 100% open source.Ĭrucially, Signal keeps almost no metadata related to the app’s usage. These include WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and Skype. The Signal Protocol is open source, has been professionally audited for security vulnerabilities (new window), and is widely admired (new window) for its cryptographic strength.īecause the protocol is so good, it’s used by various third-party messaging apps to provide secure end-to-end encryption for messages. Signal (new window) uses an end-to-end messaging protocol developed by the Signal Foundation (new window), a non-profit organization founded by cryptographer and privacy activist Moxie Marlinspike. Requires a valid phone number to register.We’ve limited our choice to open-source messaging apps that use end-to-end encryption (E2EE). Here’s our pick of the best WhatsApp alternatives in no particular order. We believe open source is one of the best indicators that an app can be trusted. If an app makes its code public, anyone can examine it to ensure the app is secure. Choose an app that records minimal metadata and check what it shares with third parties. ![]() Minimal metadata loggedĪll messaging apps need to collect some metadata to operate. With end-to-end encryption, only you and the person you send a message can read it. Look for the following three characteristics when choosing a private messaging app: End-to-end encryptionĮnd-to-end encryption is a core requirement for any messenger app that claims to be secure and private. What to look for in a WhatsApp replacement If you’re still on WhatsApp, it’s time to switch to something more private. Since WhatsApp changed its privacy policy in 2021, it now shares its users’ metadata and transactional data with Meta, a company notorious for disregarding privacy. That’s information about who you communicate with, from where, at what time, how often, and from which device. So the actual messages are secure on the platform.īut this does nothing to protect your metadata. WhatsApp uses end-to-end encryption, which means the messages are encrypted on your device and can only be decrypted on the device of the intended recipient. ![]() What’s wrong with WhatsApp? What to look for in a WhatsApp replacement End-to-end encryption Minimal metadata logged Open-source transparency Best apps like WhatsApp Signal Telegram Threema Wickr Me Wire Element (was Riot.im) Keybase Choose a chat app for privacy WhatsApp alternatives: FAQs What’s wrong with WhatsApp? Here we look at apps similar to WhatsApp that genuinely respect your privacy. Tens of millions of WhatsApp users have flocked to more private messaging apps ever since the app revealed it shares personal data with Meta (Facebook) (new window), its owner. ![]() Learn about the best apps like WhatsApp that ensure your online chat remains private. This post was updated on December 9, 2022 Last update on DecemPublished on February 15, 2021 ![]()
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