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In the fast-paced landscape of modern communication, safeguarding and savoring those profound connections with friends, family, and coworkers has become paramount. Amidst the myriad options, the best secure messaging apps stand out as the most reliable conduit for staying in touch with your loved ones, fostering personal bonds and nurturing professional relationships, irrespective of geographical boundaries.
But, how confident are you in the privacy of your conversations? A survey by Userlike.com states that more than 30% of respondents from a group of 350 people (nearly a third) are concerned about data privacy on messaging apps. To address these concerns, we’ve compiled a list of the best encrypted messaging apps that keep your conversations safe and private. Let’s explore them one by one!
Best Secure Messaging Apps Comparison Table
| App Name | End-to-End Encryption | Self-Destructing Messages | Multi-Device Support | Group Size | File Sharing | Price | Download Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Signal | Yes | Yes | Yes | Up to 1000 | Yes | Free | Download Now |
| iMessage | Yes | No | Yes | Up to 25 | Yes | Free (pre-installed on iOS devices) | N/A |
| Telegram | Optional | Yes | Yes | Up to 200,000 | Yes | Free | Download Now |
| Yes | Yes | Yes | Up to 256 | Yes | Free | Download Now | |
| Wire | Yes | Yes | Yes | Up to 12 | Yes | Free/Paid | Download Now |
| Threema | Yes | Yes | Yes | Up to 256 | Yes | Paid | Download Now |
| Wickr Me | Yes | Yes | Yes | Up to 10 | Yes | Free/Paid | Download Now |
| Dust | Yes | Yes | No | Up to 100 | Yes | Free | Download Now |
Signal
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| End-to-end encryption | All messages are encrypted and can only be accessed by the intended recipients. |
| Voice and video calls | Make secure voice and video calls with other Signal users. |
| Group chats | Create group chats to communicate with multiple people securely. |
| Disappearing messages | Set messages to automatically disappear after a certain period of time. |
| Screen security | Provides screen security to prevent screenshots of conversations. |
Signal is named among the best secure messaging app of 2022. Millions of users across trusted brands use this secure chat app for its free, instant and encrypted communication that is quite easy to use. Secure messaging with privacy-protecting technology, thus ensures avoiding the risk of leaks from sharing moments or sending messages to unintended recipients. It uses advanced end-to-end encryption to secure all data.
Being an open source, the app’s code can be freely inspected for security. But there are some other features, including group chats, encrypted voice calls, archive function and media transfer, that do not require PINs or other credentials.
The Good
- Strong encryption from end to end is needed for safe messaging.
- Voice and video calls are both possible.
- Group chats make it easy to talk with other people.
The Bad
- Compared to more popular messaging apps, it doesn’t have as many users.
iMessage
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| End-to-end encryption | Messages are encrypted and can only be accessed by the intended recipients. |
| Seamless integration with Apple devices | Works seamlessly across Apple devices like iPhone, iPad, and Mac. |
| Rich media sharing | Share photos, videos, and other media easily within the app. |
| Animojis and stickers | Express yourself with animated emojis and a wide range of stickers. |
| Read receipts | See when your messages have been read by the recipients. |
iMessage is one of the most private chat programs for iPhone users, mainly because of its end-to-end encryption. Moreover, the user has complete control over how long a message should remain and how often recipients can view it. This sounds so strange, but this is one of the main reasons for user data security.
Yet, like any private chat messaging app has some negatives – even iPhone users have a complaint when it comes to cloud backup options. Here, the data stored in the cloud is encrypted by Apple, the main controller, so if ever the iCloud is hacked, it is possible that the messages could be easily revealed.
The Good
- Tight integration with Apple devices makes it easy to send and receive messages.
- Photos and videos, as well as other types of rich media, can be shared.
- Stickers and Animojis are fun ways to express yourself in conversations.
The Bad
- Users of other platforms can’t use it because it’s only for the Apple ecosystem.
Telegram
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Cloud-based messaging | Messages are stored in the cloud, allowing access from multiple devices. |
| Group chats | Create large group chats with up to 200,000 members. |
| Channels | Subscribe to channels for receiving updates from your favorite sources. |
| Self-destructing messages | Set messages to self-destruct after a specified time period. |
| File sharing | Easily share files of various types with other Telegram users. |
Like Signal and WhatsApp, Telegram lets users link their phone number to a Telegram account to send fast, encrypted messages over the Internet, with client-server encryption for standard chats.
But Telegram is much more than just a messaging service. It has grown into a global social media platform, with huge user groups and broadcasts that allow accounts to reach millions of followers in an instant. It has applications that go far beyond secure messaging.
The Good
- Messages in the cloud can be accessed from multiple devices.
- Supports group chats with a high limit on how many people can join.
- Use the Channels feature to get updates from your favorite sources.
- Messages that delete themselves give you more privacy.
The Bad
- Encryption is not turned on by default; you have to use the “Secret Chat” feature to turn it on.
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| End-to-end encryption | All messages and calls are secured with end-to-end encryption. |
| Voice and video calls | Make high-quality voice and video calls with other WhatsApp users. |
| Group chats | Create group chats with up to 256 participants. |
| Status updates | Share photos, videos, and text updates with your contacts. |
| WhatsApp Web | Access your WhatsApp account on your computer through a web browser. |
WhatsApp, the world’s most popular standalone chat and calling app, has been using Signal’s end-to-end encryption protocol for all messages since 2016. Developers are constantly adding tweaks to the app’s security and privacy features, such as refined group invitations and controls so you always know who is reading your group chats.
The app is also testing the transfer of chat history when switching between iOS and Android phones and using one account on four different devices at the same time. Updates to WhatsApp have enabled end-to-end encrypted backups and added the ability to make disappearing chats a default.
The Good
- Strong end-to-end encryption ensures secure communication.
- Voice and video calls are available for good conversations.
- Supports large group chats and lets a good number of people join.
- With status updates, you can share moments with your contacts.
The Bad
- Facebook owns it, which may make you worry about your privacy.
- Registration requires a phone number, which makes it harder to stay anonymous.
Wire
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| End-to-end encryption | Messages, voice and video calls, and file sharing are protected with end-to-end encryption. |
| Collaboration tools | Collaborate with others using features like screen sharing and document collaboration. |
| Secure guest rooms | Create secure guest rooms for external participants without requiring them to create an account. |
| Timed messages | Set messages to self-destruct after a specific time period. |
| Cross-platform support | Works on various platforms, including mobile and desktop. |
Another secure chat app option is Wire. Wire is one of the few apps that sets end-to-end encryption as the default to protect your messages, images and files. Wire’s encryption works transparently in the background and does not need to be activated because it is always enabled. In addition, a new encryption key is used for each message, reducing the impact of a single compromised key.
It is 100% open source, so the source code is available for users to review, inspect and improve via GitHub. Wire does not sell analytics or usage data to third parties. This secure messaging program’ is fully compliant with strict data protection laws in Switzerland and the European Union, and it is the most publicly verified collaboration and communication software on the market.
The Good
- Strong encryption from start to finish protects privacy and security.
- Provides tools for working together as a team.
- People from outside the group can join secure guest rooms without making an account.
The Bad
- Compared to popular messaging apps, less popular.
Threema
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| End-to-end encryption | All messages, voice and video calls, and media are encrypted end-to-end. |
| ID verification | Verify contacts’ identities by scanning their QR codes. |
| Polls | Create and participate in polls to gather opinions from contacts. |
| Private groups | Create private groups for secure and confidential discussions. |
| Anonymous usage | Does not require a phone number or email address for registration. |
Threema is a private chat messaging app that prides itself on its guiding principle: metadata restraint. To ensure that no data is misused, Threema’s servers permanently delete a message after it is delivered to the recipient. Information typically managed on a server is managed locally on the user’s device, meaning any type of conversation is protected from eavesdropping.
By design, there is no fallback to decrypted connections, so no one other than the intended recipient can read a Threema message. Threema is open source, so users can independently verify the accuracy of the encryption. In addition, there is no need to provide an e-mail or phone number to sign up, which provides an additional layer of security.
The Good
- Robust end-to-end encryption ensures secure communication.
- The ID verification feature adds another level of trustworthiness to a contact.
- With the polls feature, it’s easy to get feedback from contacts.
- Private groups provide a safe place to talk about private things.
The Bad
- Compared to popular messaging apps, it has a smaller number of users.
Wickr Me
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Secure messaging | Messages, voice and video calls, and files are protected with end-to-end encryption. |
| Secure file sharing | Share files securely with other Wickr Me users. |
| Shredder | Permanently delete all traces of deleted messages and files. |
| Anonymous sign-up | Create an account without providing personal information. |
| Customizable expiration timer | Set messages to self-destruct after a specific time period. |
Wickr was founded in 2012 by a group of security experts and privacy advocates. It is one of the only secure messaging apps that can truly be used anonymously. It has different apps aimed at different user groups – Wickr Me, Wickr Pro, Wickr RAM and Wickr Enterprise. Wickr Me is aimed at personal users.
Wickr Me does not require an email address or phone number upon registration, so user data is not collected and the app cannot access it. Wickr can be a collaboration tool rather than just a messaging app, as there is the ability to share screens, locations and online statuses.
The Good
- Strong encryption from start to finish protects privacy and security.
- There is a feature for safe file transfer called “secure file sharing.”
- Messages and files can be deleted for good with the shredder function.
- Users who care about their privacy can sign up without giving their names.
The Bad
- Compared to other messaging apps, it may not have as many users.
- Might not have as many features or integrations as popular messaging platforms.
Dust
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Secure messaging | Messages are protected with end-to-end encryption. |
| On-the-fly encryption | Encrypts messages on the sender’s device and decrypts on the recipient’s device. |
| No permanent message storage | Messages are not stored on the servers and are deleted after delivery. |
| Unsend feature | Recall and delete sent messages from the recipient’s device. |
| Ghost chat | Chat history is not saved, providing an additional layer of privacy. |
Dust, formerly known as Cyber Dust, is a private messaging app that uses end-to-end encryption for secure communication. According to the website: “You can delete your messages from other people’s phones. No messages are permanently stored on phones or servers. Messages are heavily encrypted and not accessible to anyone, not even us.”
You can send private messages, called “Dusts,” to your contacts. You can set messages to self-destruct within 24 hours or immediately after they are read. You can also send “Blasts,” which are messages sent to a group of people but read privately. Dust is also set to not show usernames in messages and notifies you when a screenshot is taken from within the app.
The Good
- End-to-end encryption ensures secure communication.
- Using encryption on the fly adds an extra layer of security.
- No permanent message storage enhances privacy.
- The “Unsend” feature lets users take back and delete messages they have already sent.
The Bad
- May not have as many features as other models.
FAQs
Secure messaging apps are communication tools that offer end-to-end encryption, which means that only the sender and recipient can read the messages, and no third party, including the app provider or hackers, can access the messages.
Using a secure messaging app ensures that your messages are private and secure, and cannot be intercepted or read by anyone else. This is especially important if you are sharing sensitive information or discussing confidential matters.
Some popular secure messaging apps include Signal, WhatsApp, Telegram, and Wickr. Each app offers different features and levels of security, so it’s important to do your research and choose the one that best suits your needs.