7 secure messaging apps you should be using

Choosing a messaging app often boils down to what your contacts use, overlooking a crucial factor: security. We share incredibly sensitive information daily, making app security paramount. This guide explores secure messaging options to protect your privacy.

Not all messaging apps prioritize security equally. Fortunately, many platforms offer secure texting without compromising your personal data. Convincing everyone to switch might be a challenge, but it's worth considering.

Signal: The Gold Standard

Signal, developed by the non-profit Signal Foundation, sets the benchmark for secure messaging. Its open-source protocol is even integrated into competitors like WhatsApp and Skype. Funded partly by a substantial donation from a WhatsApp co-founder, Signal enjoys high user trust due to its independence from major tech companies.

Signal offers free texting, voice and video calls, and file sharing. Messages can be set to self-destruct, and end-to-end (E2E) encryption protects all communications. The foundation claims not to store sensitive data; a 2016 government subpoena only yielded account creation dates, last connection times, and phone numbers.

While your phone number is required for account creation (and shared with contacts), Signal is working on solutions for enhanced anonymity.

Signal is free for iOS, iPadOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and Linux.

WhatsApp: A Double-Edged Sword

WhatsApp's 2021 privacy policy update, allowing data sharing with Facebook and Instagram, sparked controversy. While the update's rollout was paused, concerns remain.

Despite this, WhatsApp offers versatile features including E2E encryption (by default), disappearing messages, and message deletion. It supports text and voice messaging, calls, and various file types. Group chat limits were reduced to combat misinformation.

Meta's future plans for WhatsApp integration are uncertain, but its massive user base (over 2 billion) remains a significant advantage.

WhatsApp is free for iOS, Android, macOS, and web.

Telegram: Balancing Security and Accessibility

Telegram's user base surged after WhatsApp's privacy policy debacle. While offering texting, calls, public channels, and file sharing with a WhatsApp-like interface, its security model differs.

E2E encryption is only enabled for "Secret Chats," which are self-destructing and leave no server trace. Other communications are cloud-based, meaning Telegram has access, albeit claiming keys and data are never stored together.

Telegram justifies this by prioritizing backup accessibility and arguing that highly secure apps might attract unwanted government surveillance. However, critics point to its less-than-stellar record in protecting high-risk users and its large, unmoderated public channels which have become breeding grounds for misinformation and illegal content.

Telegram is free for iOS, iPadOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux, and web.

Dust: Maximum Privacy, Limited Features

Dust prioritizes privacy with E2E encryption and features to mask online activity and alert users to compromised passwords. Messages disappear from servers immediately, and chat history is automatically deleted every 24 hours. However, it currently lacks video calls and voice messaging.

Dust is free for iOS and Android.

Threema: Paid for Privacy

Threema is an open-source, E2E encrypted app that deletes messages immediately. It uses a Threema ID for anonymous signup, avoiding phone numbers or emails. While offering texting, voice and video calls, its paid model ($5) might limit its appeal.

Threema costs $5 for iOS, iPadOS, and Android.

Viber: Conditional Encryption

Viber uses E2E encryption for most chats, but only for version 6.0 and later. Compatibility issues with older versions can compromise security. Public channels ("Communities") only use SSL encryption.

Viber offers features like self-destructing messages, message editing/deletion, and screenshot protection.

Viber is free for iOS, iPadOS, Android, Huawei's App Gallery, macOS, Windows, and Linux.

iMessage: Apple-Only Encryption

iMessage offers E2E encryption, but only for Apple-to-Apple communication. Chats with Android users revert to insecure SMS, easily traceable and accessible to service providers. Even Apple-to-Apple chats can fall back to SMS in low-connectivity situations, without notification. This fallback can be disabled in settings.

iMessage is built into Apple devices.

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