When IT giant Facebook acquired the beloved Whatsapp messenger, some were jubilant. The new owner promised that personal data will remain private and protected from any interference from third parties. We were assured that none of the shady data uses that Mark Zuckerberg and the team are known for would not be applied. The promise was gradually forgotten. Today, this has led to the need to change the messenger.
Gradually, the developers simply took away an increasing share of privacy. The standard argument is analytical data analysis. The days when we could trust this app impeccably are behind us. It’s a matter of time before even more private data will be taken from users and simply sold to advertisers for a substantial fee.
A very dark story. Therefore, the issue of replacing Whatsapp has become relevant. Fortunately, today there are many alternatives to this messenger, in which confidentiality is really respected. Here are 11 of the best instant messengers in our opinion.
Riot.im
Support: Android, iOS, Web…
The application focuses on calls, conference calls and a lot of other advanced actions. Behind all of this, it’s easy to forget that Riot is also a privacy-focused messenger. It is an Opensource application that is constantly being upgraded to maximize security.
Confidentiality is evidenced by a number of features of the application:
- There is no need to provide personal phone numbers to start using the program;
- End-to-end encryption is applied when messages are sent and received. The only caveat is that this function is not used by default, it must be turned on manually;
- The ability to control the message history and make adjustments to it;
- Restricting the ability to view messages in chats;
- The application is based on the Matrix protocol and has a very good reputation for communication security. This is evidenced by the fact that the French government uses the Riot messenger to send confidential messages.
The messenger is available on popular mobile platforms and also helps to send and receive any kind of files. It is possible to send both scanty txt files and entire films. Ideal organization and a good choice of communication technologies make the application one of the safest messengers. Those who are accustomed to WhatsApp will also like the green minimalist interface.
Wire
Support: Android, Web…
Has a simple, no-nonsense interface and includes end-to-end encryption. Wire uses only secure radio waves for messaging. The app is led by Skype co-founder Janus Friis.
To start using the application, you need to provide your personal phone number or email address. This, of course, is not encouraging, but the developers do not share such data with other users. When sending a message, only the name is displayed, detailed information is not available to other subscribers. The messenger has an interesting option – sending temporary messages, which are automatically deleted 5 seconds or a day after the date of sending.
Kik Messenger
Support: Android, iOS…
KIK has developed a rather obscene reputation that the service has earned over the years. This is due to the fact that the application is often used to send intimate photos, drug trafficking and all kinds of pampering. Despite the negative connotation of reputation, all this indicates that the application is ideal for personal correspondence.
The application is distributed absolutely free of charge and does not store a phone number. The username is used for identification. All messages are stored only on the phone of the sender and the receiving party, the servers are not recorded. Thus, the developers transfer privacy into your hands. EIC messages are almost impossible to claim in an official way. The messenger is ideal for private communication.
LINE
Support: Android, iOS…
WhatsApp’s largest competitor, which few have even heard of. This is due to the fact that LINE is a Japanese messenger, which is very common in Asia. The app has a ton of useful features, conferencing, thousands of emoticons, stickers, and a clean interface that can be personalized. The main advantage of LINE is that the application uses less data compared to WhatsApp when making calls and communicating. End-to-end encryption is also present here.
To use some of the features, the app requires access to the user’s contact list or location. However, this data is not required. And all transmitted data is encrypted on LINE servers. There is also a function of self-destruction of messages after a certain time.
Wickr me
Support: Android.
This is probably the best messaging app out there that is geared towards maximum privacy. Wickr Me is actively used to send important data by journalists, leaders of countries and other people who have really serious secrets. Do you want to protect your privacy? Use Wickr Me.
Wickr Me, similarly to WhatsApp, uses a phone number for authorization. There are also various fun features like tons of emoticons or stickers. This is where all the similarities end, because the application does not store personal contacts on its own servers. Wickr Me does not store metadata, and completely erases messages at the request of the user (without the possibility of recovery).
The app is free, contains no ads, and supports the most secure encryption technologies. Is a really worthy alternative to WhatsApp.
Telegram
Support: Android, iOS…
Telegram is a good replacement for Whatsapp. It has all the same functions that we love, such as: voice messages, video messages, emoticons, stickers, chat bots, channels, etc. It also supports authorization by phone number itself.
In addition to the similarities just listed, Telegram isn’t just for mobile phones. It can be used on Windows PC, Linux, Mac. The service also has an application for passing messages between users. In contrast to Whatsapp, Telegram has significantly more privacy and end-to-end encryption.
Kontalk
Support: PC, Android.
Have you had a desire to create and host your own messenger like Whatsapp? Kontalk allows you to do just that. This is an open source XMPP application built on top of Whatsapp. The difference is that all personal data will not be hosted on someone else’s server, but on our own. Only you will be able to access the correspondence between all your contacts. Confidentiality is completely up to you.
The Kontalk application is hosted in the Google Play store, the App store has an analogue – F-Droid, and there is also a desktop version of the client. If you want to completely restrict third party access to personal data, this is a great app.
Antox / Antidote
Support: Android, iOS…
Antox is a secure messenger that respects user privacy. It has all the basic functions for correspondence, so there is no shortage of functionality. Antox (or Antidote for iOS) is not tied to a specific application, like most of its counterparts. This is due to the fact that the developers have many official programs for all popular platforms, even for FreeBSD.
In general, Antox can be called a secure messaging protocol that is constantly evolving. Even today Antox is a stable service, however, errors appear from time to time. If you want to opt out of Whatsapp, don’t be afraid of the risks associated with using the beta version of the application, and want variety – choose Antox.
Signal
Support: Android, iOS…
Signal is a multi-platform application that runs on all mobile operating systems, Windows, Linux and even has a Chrome extension. The principle of operation is very similar to Telegram. The messenger uses a phone number, but only as an ID, not a data transfer point. This avoids the disclosure of personal information and protects against payment for SMS or MMS messages.
The similarities between Signal and Telegram are so noticeable that it is better to call it a clone, but open source. Here you have all the same functions: group chat, messages for a wide range of people, etc. If you have already used Telegram, but you want a more open alternative, you should give Signal a chance. Although it is a clone, it is still a worthy replacement for Whatsapp.
Threema
Support: Android, iOS…
Is a chat platform for a mobile phone, in which privacy takes the first place. Like most of the other apps on the list, it supports encryption of messages, pictures and current location. The messenger supports synchronization with the contact book. Due to this, it is easy to find acquaintances who have joined the service.
The developers themselves with the owners claim that they do not have the ability to read users’ private messages. This acts as a guarantee that everything you write is completely confidential. It is blocked from access by commercial companies or government agencies.
KakaoTalk
Support: Android, iOS…
KakaoTalk is interesting in that it supports absolutely all mobile platforms, including less popular ones. In addition to standard Android and iOS, it can work on Blackberry, Windows Phone. The developers have also created a desktop application. Helps to organize both personal communication between two people, and communication with a group of users. The messenger also easily handles sending any multimedia content.
Despite the small popularity of the service, you should not refuse to use it for this reason alone. This is a really thoughtful program with an abundance of functions. If you’ve tried everything from the list and still haven’t found a suitable messenger, you need to try KakaoTalk.
Conclusion
Whatsapp won popularity for a reason, it used to be a really good application that meets all standards. Under the control of Facebook, the service has evolved even more. It has many useful features that make Whatsapp competitive. Recently, however, Facebook has turned the platform into something like an advertising farm. If you do not want to leak your data to companies and constantly watch ads, you should think about changing the messenger.
Each of the Whatsapp substitutes has strengths and weaknesses. What they have in common is that they are not dependent on Facebook and are more sensitive to privacy.