In 2023, most of us don’t get through a day without messaging someone with our phones, using any of a growing number of apps. WhatsApp, owned by Facebook, is the most popular one (certainly here in South Africa) as it’s one of the most dominant apps in this growing industry. We can remember how in 2009, people took to it in droves and didn’t look back.
However, that success attracted the attention of Facebook, who bought it in 2014. And because Facebook’s MO was to turn privacy violations into money brought with it privacy and security concerns, people started to look for WhatsApp alternatives that offer comparable features while prioritising the security of their personal information and the privacy of their conversations. Completely unreasonably, people didn’t like the idea of Zuckerberg and his cohorts looking over their shoulders so they could be served ads.
Now there are more choices available than ever when it comes to choosing a messaging app. So in this article, we’ll explore some popular WhatsApp alternatives so that you don’t have to use anything that The Zuck has been involved with.
Even though there are many more messaging apps to choose from these days than just these, the WhatsApp alternatives below are among the most popular.
Signal
Mobile Platforms: iOS, Android
Desktop: Windows, MacOS, Linux
Shortly after launching in 2015, Signal grabbed attention with its much stronger focus on privacy compared to WhatsApp. Co-founded by Moxie Marlinspike (sure that’s a real name) and Brian Acton, Signal offers secure messaging, voice calls, and video calls. Its open-source nature allows security experts within the community to constantly audit its code for vulnerabilities, making it a favoured choice among privacy-conscious users.
Key Features:
- End-to-end encryption for all communications
- Self-destructing (“Disappearing Messages”) messages for added privacy
- Minimal data collection and storage
- End-to-end encryption for messages, images, files, and other content
- Group chats and media sharing
Telegram
Mobile Platforms: iOS, Android
Desktop: Windows, MacOS, Linux, Web
Telegram is known for offering both private and group chats and its ability to broadcast to a large audience using “channels”. While end-to-end encryption is only enabled in “Secret Chats”, all regular chats use client-server encryption, with a further layer of security thanks to Telegram’s distributed infrastructure (servers in different jurisdictions) that would require many governments to collaborate on demanding specific chat data from Telegram, which will never happen.
Other privacy- and security-focused features include self-destructing messages and two-factor authentication, but like Secret Chats, they must be enabled in Settings first.
This boils down to the fact that with a bit of tweaking, Telegram can be made secure enough for even the most security-conscious users. Plus, it offers fun features like Find People Nearby, the ability to send silent messages that don’t create noisy notifications when they arrive, and the option to set your account to self-destruct. The ability to translate messages not in your default language is pretty cool, too.
Key Features:
- Client-server and client-client encryption options
- Delete messages you’ve sent a long time after the initial send
- Translate messages with the built-in translator
- “Secret Chats” for encrypted conversations
- Distributed infrastructure across jurisdictions
Threema
Mobile Platforms: iOS, Android
Desktop: Web
Threema is a Switzerland-based messaging app that emphasises privacy and security. It uses end-to-end encryption for both messages and voice and video calls and generates anonymous user IDs, ensuring your personal information remains private. WhatsApp stores some metadata about its users, while Threema only uses the barest amount of metadata to function, and does not store it at all. Threema also offers group chats and file-sharing features.
Key Features:
- Anonymous usage, no need for a phone number or email address
- No data is stored on Threema’s servers, plus Threema owns all of their own servers
- Optional polls and surveys for group decision-making
- QR code scanning for verifying contact identities
- Uses open-source NaCl encryption algorithms
Wire
Mobile Platforms: iOS, Android
Desktop: Windows, MacOS, Linux, Web
Wire is designed for both personal and professional communication (leaning somewhat more towards professional enterprise-level communication). Its primary offering is messaging, voice calls, and video calls that are secured with end-to-end encryption. What makes Wire different to other messaging apps is that it is also a collaboration platform, allowing secure guest rooms for external collaborators. This makes it a good option for businesses looking for safe communication and collaboration tools in one app.
Key Features:
- All messages stored and encrypted locally
- Uses the Proteus protocol for encryption
- Does not need a phone number to work
- More secure than other business collaboration/communication tools like Skype and Slack
- Any information collected about your device is anonymised
Viber
Mobile Platforms: iOS, Android
Desktop: Windows, MacOS, Linux
Viber offers text chats as well as voice and video calling from your mobile phone. It makes use of end-to-end encryption to secure all messages so that only you and whoever you’re talking to can read them. It won’t listen to your chats or calls, and the company doesn’t sell data to third parties. If you like a bit of fun with your secure chat app, Viber offers access to “public accounts” if you like to do things like follow celebrities.
There’s a neat “hidden chats” feature that lets you hide specific chats from the main menu using a PIN, although this sounds like it might aid and abet cheating spouses so it seems more like an app for dodgy people. Still, it’s pretty secure and your data isn’t at risk, and that’s what’s important.
Key Features:
- User-friendly interface
- Public chat communities for various interests
- “Hidden chats” with additional privacy settings
- Integration with other apps and services
- Open source encryption with bespoke security additions
More WhatsApp alternatives
As privacy concerns continue to shape our digital choices, people are increasingly looking for WhatsApp alternatives that promise to look after their data security and personal privacy. The platforms mentioned above – Signal, Telegram, Threema, Wire, and Viber – offer a range of features catering to different preferences and needs.
While none of these are perfect, they all share the commitment to providing secure and private communication options that are better for the end-user than the traditional WhatsApp model. And these are also the tip of the iceberg – there are plenty of other apps to investigate if secure messaging is important to you.
One thing is for sure, however: people don’t trust The Zuck, and are on the lookout for messaging alternatives that have their interests at heart and not the government’s or a giant corporation’s.
