WhatsApp (owned by Facebook) is one of the popular apps found on Android and iOS mobile devices. Used mostly as a messenger platform, the application has been facing privacy issues for a while now, despite its recently updated privacy policy. The policy offers proper clarification as to how it gathers information from the Facebook app, its products, and from your devices. With numerous security breaches making the news, especially post-acquisition by Facebook in 2014, people started looking for various WhatsApp alternatives, one that offers a comfortable and user-friendly messaging platform and adheres to privacy guidelines and other strict policies. In this article, you will know about the secure alternatives to Whatsapp to your protect privacy.
WhatsApp New Privacy Policy Explained: Why Use Its Alternatives?
- You can’t use WhatsApp without accepting their new privacy policy in many countries.
- As per the new privacy policy, your chat with any business accounts on WhatsApp will be shared with Facebook and their advertising partners.
- Almost every popular company is using WhatsApp business account to provide customer support. Many people are concerned about the sensitive data (credit cards, transaction id, address, phone, name, date of birth, owned product details, etc.,) that they share while interacting with such business accounts to get customer support
- If you interact with Facebook Shop via WhatsApp, your shopping activity can be used to show ads on Facebook. These are the main reasons people are switching to secure WhatsApp replacements.
However, WhatsApp officials say that they won’t share your private messages or calls data with any advertising partners because they are still using end-to-end encryption. Now, it is your choice.
10 Secure WhatsApp Alternatives (Private, Protect Privacy):
1. Signal Private Messenger
Signal is one of the most secure WhatsApp alternatives known for its state-of-the-art end-to-end encryption powered by its open-source Signal protocol. When it comes to features, it is similar to Messenger, Skype, iMessage, and WhatsApp. It allows messaging one-on-one or in groups, sharing audio, documents, stickers, pictures, and video media through encrypted paths.
Signal Private Messanger is available on Android, iPhone, and iPad. The app has a 4.4 rating on Google Play. One of the best things about Signal is that it is open-source. Another facet stressing its stringent security measures is its self-destructing messages that tend to disappear after a while. Unlike Facebook and WhatsApp, the encryption restricts even the company’s owners to access users’ confidential data.
You can feel safe and free with its ad-free feature. No creepy tracking either. Also, the app is free. It does not mandate registration and hence, no personal information. You will only need your phone number to sign up.
Try Signal right now and enjoy the freedom like never before.
Download Signal
2. Telegram
One of the truest WhatsApp alternatives regarding comfort, ease, and simplicity, Telegram, has won many hearts ever since its emergence in 2013. Telegram too has an open API and source code free for everyone. The app is also famous for its limitless media and chats size. Telegram groups can hold up to an impressive 200,000 members. It also lets you access your account from multiple devices. Its Secret Mode feature is known for its secure mechanism keeping the hackers away from personal information. Once you enable the Secret Mode and delete messages, it gets deleted from all devices, i.e., both from the Telegram server and your phone device.
Telegram Bots are one of the app’s unique features, which allows you to integrate different services and automation into the app using chatbots. It is rated 4.5 on Google Play. The app is all free, fast, secure, and requires only your phone number to login. You can install the phone on Android, Mac, Windows, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Apple watch, and web.
Download Telegram:
3. Kik
Kik is one of the WhatsApp alternatives without phone number requirement. It only requires your email id, which is ideal for those who are unwilling to share their number, unlike on WhatsApp. Once you sign up using your email id, a unique user ID is created. You can use the platform for instant messaging. It is also similar to Skype and FaceTime for its real-time video calling quality. You can switch the video call toggle to join or leave the video chat anytime you wish.
Its limitless instant messaging feature includes sharing emojis, stickers, GIFs, photos, and videos. Another unique characteristic is its Bots support, which is absent in WhatsApp. These bots let you play quizzes, get access to the latest news, fashion tips, and many more.
The app is entirely free and is compatible with both the Android and iOS platforms. Try it right now!
Download Kik:
4. Discord
Beginning its journey as a game chat application, Discord has made its way to being one of the best alternatives to WhatsApp and other messaging apps such as Slack. The app is ideal for school clubs, gamer community, art community, or friends who wish to stay in touch.
One of its exciting features is the ‘Friends’ tab, clicking to add friends, either from their username or gamer’s tags. Its uniqueness comes from the fact that it is both server-based and lets you message privately, like WhatsApp. Like the latter, you can create groups of friends up to ten members. If you need more, you can even create your Discord server.
You can install it on iPhone, iPad, Android, web, Windows, Mac, and Linux. It has an integrated interface with Spotify, Twitch, YouTube, Steam, Reddit, Facebook, Xbox Live, GitHub, Battle.net.
The app is free, private, and secure. Also, it is a WhatsApp alternative without a phone number. It has a 4.5 rating on Google Play. Now you know why you can right away replace WhatsApp with Discord without regretting it.
Download Discord:
5. Snapchat
With a rating of 3.8 ratings on the App Store, Snapchat is primarily a social media app more than a simple messaging app. It offers basic messaging functionality such as group chatting, voice calling, group voice calling, sharing gifs, and more. It is a unique and innovative chat service that readily serves as a WhatsApp Messenger alternative. Many of the features that you could find on Messenger and WhatsApp are derived from Snapchat.
One of its well-known aspects is its disappearing messages, which serve as a protection care measure. Find the app freely available and compatible with both Android and iOS devices.
Download Snapchat:
6. Threema
Threema is a free, open-source, and secure WhatsApp alternative known for its instant messaging application. It offers end-to-end encryption and privacy-compliant messaging solution for variedly-sized organizations.
Other than its encrypted communication, its distinctiveness lies in the fact that it is a WhatsApp alternative without a phone number. Another secure facet is its anonymous chatting feature. Threema is either interested in your phone number or your email ID, using which it creates a unique and random Threema ID.
The app uses no kinds of advertising and restricts any access to user data. The services are GDPR-compliant, which is why every task, starting from the software development to the company’s customer support, is done in-house, thus offering excellent security. Other unique touches involve fingerprinting protected chats, creating a poll in groups, setting passwords to protect conversations, etc. This is a paid app, but given the quantum of security, it is worthwhile. Also, it has a 4.6 rating on Google Play. It is available on Android as well as iOS platforms.
Download Threema:
7. Keybase
Keybase is a unique WhatsApp alternative and is more than a messaging platform. It offers encryption to chats and cloud systems, known as the Keybase Chat and Keybase File System. It is an alternative to WhatsApp to protect privacy, given its open-source nature and end-to-end encryption of data.
There are more than a single eccentric feature of Keybase, one of which is it does not let you take a screenshot of the chats. It does not ask for your phone number or email ID. So it is ideal to remain in touch with people with whom you do not wish to share any of your information.
The app is free and is one of the few WhatsApp alternatives compatible with Linux OS. The app is installable on Android (4.0 rating on Google Play), iOS, macOS, Linux, and Windows. Download it now if you are looking for a secure WhatsApp alternative for free.
Download Keybase:
8. Skype
Skype is a telecom application that specializes in offering video and voice calling services. The app does not require any downloading or signing up. You simply need to browse for the app on a search engine and get on with it. With its ease, simplicity, Skype is easily the best WhatsApp Messenger alternative for business applications. It is ideal for voice and video chatting. However, it is not as impressive and comfortable as WhatsApp if used exclusively for personal chats. The app offers phone calls at low rates. However, the app is not an ideal option when it comes to emergency phone calls.
The Skype app also enables call recording, live subtitle feature, screen sharing, and smart messaging to use fun reactions and mention usernames using @mentions to grab their attention. It can be referred to as a private alternative to WhatsApp owing to its industry-standard end-to-end encryption.
Skype works on the phone, desktop, web, tablet, Alexa, and Xbox. Download it on Google Play (4.3 ratings) now and enjoy HD video calling with your peers.
Download Skype:
9. Wire
One of the WhatsApp alternatives to protect privacy, Wire, is known as a collaborative platform for communication. Mostly used for business chats, one-click conference calls, and file-sharing and sharing business documents, the application is also used for personal conversations. It offers end-to-end encryption of data, thus, known for its strict security for organizations.
The Wire app is 100% open-source and has strict and transparent governance. It complies with rigid governance frameworks and is frequently audited. Wire is GDPR-compliant and SOX-ready. You can log in to your account through eight synced devices.
Apart from the encryption, Wire is also famous for offering Messaging Layer Security (MLS), a protocol that extends encryption even to group messages. The app is available on subscription. The Wire Enterprise starts from $9.50/user/month, which offers high-level security for regulated industries and government organizations.
With the level of compliances and regulated guidelines, the application is worth every penny.
Download Wire:
10. Session Private Messenger
Session Private Messanger is a private messaging WhatsApp alternative known to protect privacy. It routes all the messages through an onion routing channel, removing any chance of collecting metadata. So you can chat, send voice messages, and share media attachments through a secure network without compromising security standards.
Session app is another WhatsApp alternative that works without your phone number. It works on a decentralized network and Modified Signal protocol that lets sending of metadata instead of messages. The private messaging app is a perfect option if you need privacy and freedom from surveillance.
Since the app does not ask for your number, it also protects you from data breaches and tracking. It is entirely open-source and censorship-resistant.
You can download it on Android, iPhone, APK, and on desktop. Do it now if you want a private messenger.
Download Session:
See Also:
- Facebook Alternatives
- Discord Alternatives
- ChatStep Alternatives
- TeamViewer Alternatives
- Calendly Alternatives
Conclusion
With this, we have come to the end of the article. The above top ten WhatsApp alternatives are mostly focused on the ease of text messaging and sharing multimedia. As a business enterprise, you can always rely on Wire, and if you are looking for the best quality HD video calling, Skype will be the ideal choice for you. As WhatsApp alternatives without phone numbers, Kik, Discord, and Threema are the best. Most of them are free alternatives. However, when it comes to 100% industry-standard protection, Threema is worth every penny. I hope the article will help you download the best-fit WhatsApp alternative soon.
