With the sudden increase in the popularity of social media, platforms of messaging and texting have also seen tremendous growth in the past couple of years. Search platforms are used primarily by teenagers and youngsters but also by elder people. Usage of messaging applications such as WhatsApp, Facebook has become a part of our day-to-day routine. Most of the time, we don’t even think about what we are sending and the consequences we may have to face regarding it, and therefore it is very important to choose an application that is highly secure and trustable.
We share important information such as an address, account details, important locations, birth dates, personal or sensitive images and many more across this platform. It is very important for this data to be secure and not get into the hands of unwanted people. Every year, in fact, every month, we come across a piece of news wherein an individual is blackmailed or harassed over the content which they have sent across messaging platforms that are not secured. Cyber security cells appoint a special department to look after such crimes and events. Still, it is an individual’s duty to make sure that they use an application that is secure and safe and keeps their data out of the hands of exploiters.
List of Privacy-focused Messaging Apps
- Signal
- Wire
- Threema
- Telegram
- Element
- Wickr me
- Tox
- Viber
- Cover me
- Silence
- Confide
- iMessage
- SureSpot
- Line
- KakaoTalk
- Dust
- Tor Chat
- Pryvate Now
- Voxer
List of Privacy-focused Messaging Apps
A secure message is one that is end-to-end encrypted, which means that the message is only visible and accessible to sender and receiver, and no third party can be involved. Therefore, an application that runs on end-to-end encryption is considered to be secure.
Privacy is in short supply these days. Hence, the majority of the messaging apps have shifted their primary focuses towards providing users with an enhanced level of privacy protection. So, if you are looking for added privacy every time you interact with someone through your home, here are the top 20 privacy-focused messaging apps to use in 2021.
Signal
Signal is considered to be one of the most secure and safe messaging applications in the market as it runs on and to end encryption. It has its privacy-preserving technology always enabled. There is no secret tracking, affiliate marketing or advertisement in signal as it is an open-source project supported by donations and grants. The company doesn’t keep the key to decryption, and therefore no one can decrypt the message which has been sent from sender to receiver.
Features of Signal messaging application:
- Uses phone’s data connection to void SMS and MSS fees
- Group chat
- View-once media
- Self-destructing messages after a given time frame
- Open-Source Protocol
Wire
Wire is one of the most secure and safe applications that one can use as it also has always enabled and to end encryption inorder to protect your images, files, documents and messages. Wire does not allow third-parties to interfere with its codes or messages, although users can verify, inspect and improve the source code through GitHub as the wire is a 100% open-source platform. This messaging platform is compliant with most data protection laws across the world.
Features of Wire messaging application:
- File sharing
- Group Chats
- Timed conversations
- Conferencing
- 100% open source
Threema
Threema is a private messaging application, and its servers permanently delete a message after it has been received in order to ensure no data is being misused. Nobody except the intended person on this messaging platform can eavesdrop on the private messages. Users can independently verify the encryption as Threema Is a 100% open-source platform. This is one such platform where you do not have to submit your contact details or even email address in order to sign up, which is an extra sigh of relief for the users. Threema is not a free application, and it costs about $2.99.
Features of Threema messaging application:
- Hide confidential chats and use passwords to protect it
- Verify contacts through QR code
- Develop distribution lists
- Create polls
- Chat anonymously
Telegram
Telegram is one of the most popular messaging platforms for highly encrypted conversation. Telegram has end-to-end encryption for chats, images, files and documents and even voice calls and video calls. For extra security, telegram has a self-destruct option for its messages as well as a secret chat option which one can enable from settings. Telegram is a free messaging platform, and it has no advertisements running over it. A key feature that many users find amazing is that there is no limit oversize of media and chats.
Features of Telegram messaging application:
- Messages can be destroyed with a timer
- Send documents of any type
- Distributed servers are spread globally for security and speed
- Open API and protocol
- No limits on the size of media and chats
- Ability to coordinate groups of up to 200,000 members
- Private messages can self-destruct
Mahenoor Mansuri
Whatsapp is one of the most famous and most used applications worldwide. It is highly trusted among most people, and it was one of the first applications to add end-to-end encryption in its software. This is the only application that notifies users when end-to-end encryption is not being used during a conversation. However, even if cybercriminals were to hike into the WhatsApp platform, they would find nothing as Whatsapp does not store any data in its servers, and it does not even keep the key to decryption of the messages.
Whatsapp is one such app that is used by youngsters and elders, and it is considered to be entirely trusted and safe as it is one of the oldest among all the messaging applications. This is a free to use application and has no ads over it.
Features of Whatsapp messaging application:
- Built-in camera
- Document sharing
- Ability to share messages, photos, and videos with up to 256 people at once
- Free video calls using the phone’s Internet.
These were some of the most popular and secure messaging applications available in the market. There are several other applications that a user can look into and give it a try, such as Viber, Wickr me, Silence, iMessage and Line. This messaging application’s platform runs on end-to-end encryption and provides several unique features as well.
Annika Motamarri
Element
Element is both a secure messenger and a team collaboration app ideal for group chats while remote working. The element uses end-to-end encryption for better safety.
Wickr me
Wickr me is one such app that can be used anonymously and is highly secure and safe.
Features of Wickr me messaging application:
- Create Teams and Networks to mirror your company organization
- Secure screen and location sharing and online status
Tox
Tox is an open-source messaging app that includes video calling and has been making waves with promises of never-before-seen security for messages and calls.
Souvik Dey
Viber
Viber is a free to download of the application.
Features of Viber messaging application:
- Instant messaging
- Stickers
- Service Messages
- Instant Voice message
Cover me
You can use this Cover me application to make encrypted voice calls without any records on your phone bill. The app also includes a private vault feature for extra security so you can store your files in and hide videos, photos, passwords, and any files.
Silence
This application is a spin-off from Signal and used to be called “SMS Secure”.
Features of Silence messaging application:
- No servers or internet connection required
- Messages encrypted locally
- Open Source
Confide
Confide is an encrypted instant messaging application for most major operating systems. It was first released in 2013 on iOS and is known for its self-destructing messaging system that deletes messages immediately after reading.
iMessage
This application allows the user to control how long a message stays and how many times it can be viewed.
Features of iMessages messaging application:
- Block phone numbers and contacts
- Backup iMessages through iCloud
- Tailor iMessage Settings
SureSpot
Surespot app doesn’t share any data about you and transfers your conversations securely to other devices. This guide can show how the app works and how you can protect all your mobile messages.
Line
Line application was created by a team of Japanese engineers for safe and secure communication.
Features of Line messaging application:
- Letter Sealing
- Over 10,000 Stickers of characters and celebrities
KakaoTalk
Kakao Talk app makers boast that KakaoTalk is used by over 90% of smartphone users in South Korea, for which privacy and data security are the main concerns.
Dust
Dust is a free application available for iOS and Android devices.
Features of Dust messaging application:
- Packs in a privacy-watchdog feature
- A stealth search tool for maintaining privacy while searching the web
Tor Chat
Tor Messenger is a peer-to-peer instant messenger built on top of the Tor network that not only provides authentication and end-to-end encryption but also allows the communication parties to stay anonymous.
Pryvate Now
Pryvate Now is also a free application that is available for iOS and other devices and is entirely secure.
Features of Pryvate Now messaging application:
- Private voice and video calls
- Secured conference calls, emails
Voxer
Voxer takes a more voice-oriented approach than most of these apps, letting users send voice messages similar to a walkie-talkie or push-to-talk device.
FAQs
What are the secure messaging app?
Some of the secure messaging app best for privacy are:
- Signal
- Wire
- Threema
- Telegram
- Element
- Wickr me
- Tox
- Viber
- Cover me
- Silence
- Confide
- iMessage
- SureSpot
- Line
- KakaoTalk
- Dust
- TorChat
- Pryvate Now
- Voxer
What are the Indian Messaging Apps aletrnatives for Whatsapp?
Some of the best Indian messaging apps as WhatsApp alternatives are:
- Indian Messenger App
- Hike Sticker Chat
- JioChat
- Troop Messenger
- Namaste Bharat
- ShareChat
- Sandes
