5 Private and Secure Messengers
Call, text, and video call in private
Your phone calls, text messages, group chats, and video calls are not as private and secure as you think. They can be seen and accessed by others. Any private, sensitive information that you share can be up for grabs. If you want more privacy and security when talking to your friends and family, then you check out these messenger apps.
✨All the following messengers support end-to-end encryption, meaning that only you and the recipient can see the messages and no else, including the provider. That is the gold standard when searching for a private and secure messenger!
1.) Signal
Signal is a free, open source, and centralized U.S. based private messenger and the most popular known one. It can handle phone calls, text messages, group messaging, and video calls. Though Signal rolled out usernames this year, which means no more sharing phone numbers, it still seems you have to share your phone number with Signal to sign up. It is available for iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux.
Note: Signal got themselves in hot water last month when it was revealed that they store encryption keys for desktops in plain text. You can read more about it here.
2.) Threema
Threema is a centralized Swiss based private messenger. While it is open source, unlike the other messengers on this list, it is not free as you will need to pay a one time $5.99 fee to use it. However, you do not need to provide a phone number to use Threema, as they generate a random ThreemaID to identify users. They support text messages, group messages, and video calls. It is available for iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux.
3.) Session
Session is a decentralized Australia based private messenger. It is a free and open source, and they pride themselves on their application not releasing metadata. They do not require a phone number, and they use Account IDs to identify users. Session supports text messages, group messages, and voice messages. They have video calls in beta version. It is available for iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux.
4.) SimpleX Chat
SimpleX Chat is a decentralized U.K. based private messenger. It is free and open source, and they consider themselves the first private messenger to not use user IDs or phone numbers. To connect with others, you can either scan a one-time barcode or share an invitation link. They support phone calls, text messages, video calls, and voice messages. It is available for iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux.
5.) Briar
Briar is a decentralized private messenger. It is free and open source. With Briar, even if the internet is down, or you are not able to connect, you are still able to use it. Briar will sync via Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or a memory card. To add contacts, you can either exchange Briar links or scan a barcode. It seems to just support phone calls and text messages. It’s only available if you have access to the Google Play or F-Droid store.
Make sure you do your research and see which private messenger is best for you. If you know of any other privacy-focused messengers, feel free to leave them in the comments.
Until Next Time,
Monique 📱
Additional Links for further reading:
Decentralized vs. Centralized: A Detailed Comparison
Centralized vs Decentralized Applications