Table of Contents
The best WhatsApp Alternatives are great choices for anyone who wants to get rid of the messaging app for good, and possibly cut the last tie with Meta/Facebook for good. It’s easier to leave a social network, but it’s harder to quit WhatsApp if everyone you know uses it and is happy with it. WhatsApp is very popular all over the world because it works on multiple platforms, has secure encryption, and has a lot of ways to communicate.
The most popular messaging app in the world is WhatsApp Messenger, which is owned by Facebook. The company regularly adds new features to make sure it stays on top. But it seems that not everyone is happy with WhatsApp. WhatsApp recently changed its privacy policy to make it clearer how it handles your information within the family of apps and services made by Facebook. Here are the seven best apps that you can use instead of WhatsApp.
Best WhatsApp Alternatives
Telegram
Telegram is a popular messaging app that lets you talk by voice, video, or text and gives you a number of ways to keep your conversations safe. Voice calls are automatically encrypted end-to-end, and the app has a “secret chat” mode where your texts are also encrypted end-to-end and have a timer that makes them disappear after a certain amount of time.
But routine texts are not as safe. Telegram is also one of the few apps that lets you lock the app itself. This means that even if someone gets their hands on your phone, they can’t read your Telegram messages. It’s free for iPhone, Android, and browsers, too.
Features
Pros
- Can self-destruct messages
- Open source
- Syncs all messages over all devices
Cons
- Created own standard encryption, which has been criticized
Signal
Signal is probably the best alternative to WhatsApp if you want the most secure way to talk to people. When you chat with other Signal users, your voice, video, and text conversations are all completely encrypted from end to end. You can download this app from google play store.
And the company behind Signal is a US-based non-profit that has no reason to sell your information in order to make money. You can also make a message disappear on its own. On the other hand, the app isn’t as fun as you might want it to be.
Features
Pros
- Available on all major platforms
- Disappearing messages
- End-to-end encryption
- Open source encryption
Cons
- No animated emojis
- Does not provide backup option
iMessage
If you use an iPhone or Mac, sometimes the easiest choice is the best, and iMessage is the best way to replace WhatsApp. As long as you are talking to other iPhone users, that is. iMessage lets you send messages to any phone number, whether or not they use iMessage.
However, because Apple doesn’t support RCS, you have to use SMS to text Android devices. So your Apple-based messages are safe, but everything else isn’t. Still, Apple has a history of not giving in when governments ask it to make backdoors in its encryption.
Features
Pros
- Privacy
- Compatibile con tutti i prodotti Apple con uno schermo
- Inviare ogni tipo di file
- Non necessaria una sim
Cons
- Receipt of messages can be delayed
- No su Android
Google Messages
Google Messages is Google’s answer to iMessage, and most new Android phones come with it already installed. You can get Google Messages from Google Play if you can’t find it. Google Messages is iMessage for Android. It is designed to replace your current SMS app and works with all of Google’s services (and Windows, but not Macs or iOS).
When you send a message to someone else with Google Messages, the message is automatically encrypted from end to end, and you can send images and files just like you can with WhatsApp. The obvious downside is that it only works with phones that support RCS. Phones that don’t support RCS, like iPhones, have to use the old, less secure methods.
Features
Pros
- Blocking features
- Can share your location
- End-to-end encrypted
Cons
- Minimal customization options
- Internet features are not fully stable
Discord
Discord is no longer just a place where gamers can talk to each other. Many people don’t use Discord’s DM feature, even though there are many servers you can join to do things that interest you. You can send messages, emojis, emotes, GIFs, images, and even documents through the personal messages feature of Discord.
Also, when you share your screen, you can make voice calls, video calls, or even browse the web together. With cool integrations from Spotify, Twitch, YouTube, Battle.net, Steam, Reddit, Facebook, Twitter, Xbox Live, and GitHub, Discord has you covered for all your messaging needs and is arguably better than WhatsApp.
Features
Pros
- Much more upgraded than WhatsApp
- Allows you to stream videos to your friends
- Basic version is available for free
Cons
- No backup option
- Difficult to use
Bridgefy
One of the biggest problems with apps like WhatsApp is that they can’t work without an internet connection. Even the normal texting apps won’t work if you are camping in the woods. Offline messaging apps can help with this. These apps don’t need to be connected to a mobile network or the internet to work.
Instead, they create a peer-to-peer Bluetooth mesh network or Wifi Direct-based network on your phone that lets you send messages to your nearby friends. Bridgefy is a good choice if you want an app like this. Bridgefy’s messaging service has three main types: person-to-person, broadcast, and mesh.
Features
Pros
- Super-useful part of messaging with close friends.
- Great for the outdoors and places with flaky network.
- Solves the problem of not being able to communicate in places of low reception.
Cons
- Need to get peers to download it.
- Doesn’t work in some cases.
Threema
Threema says that your privacy will be safe. Your groups and contact lists are only stored on your phone, not in the app. Once a message has been sent, it is deleted. You can also connect with people by using an 8-digit Threema ID instead of a phone number, which gives you even more privacy. Unique QR codes can be used to check if a contact is real.
All types of messages, like texts, voice calls, shared files, and group chats, can be encrypted end-to-end with Threema. It even encrypts your status updates so that no one can read them. Messages can only be read by the sender and the person to whom they are sent. You can use Threema safely in your web browser.
Features
Pros
- It comes with a PIN lock
- It does not store metadata
- Can keep phone calls encrypted
Cons
- Paid app
- Limited user base
Wire
Wire is a secure messaging app that uses end-to-end encryption. It is protected by European laws that say how long data can be kept. It has free accounts for individuals and paid business plans with more features and support. Voice and video calls through Wire are clear. Wire has both one-on-one and group screen sharing.
It also lets you share multimedia files and filter audio. You can sign in to your account from up to eight devices that are all on the same platform. Chats let you format text with bold and italics and make lists. You can also reduce the size of files to make them easier to share and set timers to delete messages for more privacy.
Features
Pros
- Calls are tap proof
- Self-destructing messages
- GDPR Compliant
Cons
- Paid app
- Stores metadata
FAQs
What is the safest alternative to WhatsApp?
- Signal
- Telegram
- Dust
- Threema
- Viber
- iMessage
What do Chinese use instead of WhatsApp?
One could say that WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps in the world. But it is still not available to people in China who use the internet. Tencent owns QQ, which they use instead.
Which is the safest chatting app?
- Wire
- Threema
- Wickr Me
- Viber
- Silence
- Line
What app do Koreans use instead of WhatsApp?
The South Korean company Kakao Corporation runs the mobile messaging app KakaoTalk, which is also known as KaTalk.