Encrypted messaging software

Despite being important, sadly, encrypted communication has caught attention only recently. Thus, many popular communication platforms of today either lack it or offer it as an optional feature.

Some of the apps lagging include Facebook optional encryption , Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Skype optional encryption , Google Hangouts , etc. Related : Most Secure Email Providers. A messaging app is more than just an array of emojis and cool widgets.

It should have features to make your conversations safe and private. Here are some of the most important things you should consider when choosing a secure messaging app for you. Perhaps the first thing you should look out for in a secure messaging app is end-to-end encryption.

This is a way of scrambling the messages such that only you and the receiver can read them. It protects unwarranted or unnecessary data exposure to others, ensuring that only the relevant parties can decipher the information.

Initially, encryption was used by big businesses and government agencies to protect sensitive data. It was also used by people with a high need for secrecy, like activists and politicians. However, putting the code out in the open is regarded as a show of integrity and transparency.

An open-source code has a positive impact on the development and quality of the messaging app. This is because it is easy to identify and fix errors, weaknesses, and vulnerabilities. An app can offer end-to-end encryption but not as the default feature. It means you will have to go to the settings and activate the encryption feature manually. Other apps encrypt only some messages and not all. Since encryption is a comparatively new concept, many people assume the messaging app is safe to use right after download.

Therefore, ensure the app has set the encryption as default. Most texting apps have started adopting end-to-end encryption. That is like your electronic fingerprint with all of your information, including who you talk to, how long, what time, IP address, phone number, and more.

Using a VPN on your device is an excellent way to prevent the collection of your personal data. WhatsApp is a free Facebook-owned instant messaging app. It only requires you to have an internet connection to send encrypted text messages, voice calls, and videos worldwide. While it was established in as a standalone app, its popularity exploded when Facebook acquired it in Currently, it is the most popular messaging app, with over 2 billion users.

The app also enjoyed the top position among the best free secure messaging apps until recently. However, the latest updates to its privacy policy and terms of service have caused a buzz worldwide. The messaging app notified its users about changes in its privacy policy on January 8, Failure to do so would potentially lead to an account cancelation. The announcement of the controversial changes has reignited the privacy and free speech debate. WhatsApp has tried to explain that the changes intend to help it integrate better with its sister company Facebook.

However, privacy advocates and technology experts have raised concerns about the changes. There are even reports of a mass exodus from WhatsApp to its rivals such as Telegram and Signal. Recently, WhatsApp sent a notification to all users for a change in the privacy policy and terms of service. The changes give the company the rights to share your information with Facebook and other apps.

Initially, data sharing was optional , but these new terms make it mandatory. Experts indicate that the company is trying to monetize the messaging app. Many people have raised concerns with the changes as Facebook has a reputation for mismanaging user data.

Although it is free on Android and iOS devices, there are some privacy and security concerns with Google hangouts. It does not have end-to-end encryption but instead uses encryption in transit. This means the encryption only works between your device and Google servers. The company has complete access to your data once it is on its servers. It can tap into your private conversations and even submit it to government agencies if ordered to do so.

This is a real concern as Google has admitted that it receives and fulfills customer data requests in its Transparency report.

Furthermore, the images you send on the platform are shared through public URLs. This means anyone with access to the URL can see your private messages. So you now know what to look at in an app if you wish to protect your messages from imposters and other malicious actors.

Also, you are aware of the apps to avoid if you value your texting privacy. But the question is, which messaging apps should you use to protect your personal, business, and other sensitive conversations? Check out the 15 most secure messaging apps finalized after thorough research and tests available today right below. Previously, it was the preferred communication medium for activists, hackers, and other people concerned with their privacy.

But, since its inception in , it has recently gone mainstream and is becoming a method of choice for most people. Basically, Signal is a free privacy-friendly messaging app that you can use on your Android and iOS devices and through your desktop. You only need to provide your phone number to start using it.

The app allows you to text and voice or video call one-on-one or in groups. Just like other messaging apps, you can use stickers and emoji reactions. If you send a message through the Signal app, only you and the receiver will view it. No one else can intercept your conversations, not even the app. The app allows you to make both received and sent messages automatically disappear after a set amount of time.

This is just an extra security feature to keep you safe. Signal also allows you to create a password lock. This will help your messages to remain safe even if your device falls into the wrong hands. The most impressive thing about Signal is that there are no security risks involved. As long as it remains open-source and the developers continue fixing emerging vulnerabilities, Signal will remain a secure messaging app.

Telegram has been growing steadily since its establishment in to become a popular messaging app. It has now surpassed million monthly active users, according to recent reports. The app is generally banned in Russia after it refused to submit encryption keys. There are also concerns as the app is viewed as the preferred communication method for ISIS.

This has sparked the conversation about messaging apps, maintaining user privacy, and complying with law-enforcement agencies.

You can view your messages on different platforms as the app supports simultaneous data sync over multiple devices. In addition, it does not impose any data limitation so that you can send any media or file, regardless of the size. Your device will not require any disk space because Telegram will store your entire chat history in the clouds.

Dust is a popular encrypted texting app available on both Android and iOS devices. The app sends secure messages or videos and photos to your recipient, which disappears after reading. It uses high-end encryption even though the code is not open source. Unfortunately, the app does not encrypt video or voice messages but only text and photo messages.

Instead, the app uses RAM that is incapable of storing any data for a long time. The auto-dust feature ensures that messages are automatically erased after 24 hours. This makes Dust one of the most secure messaging apps if you need to stay anonymous. Wickr messaging app appeared online in by privacy and security advocates. It offers end-to-end encryption by default to protect your conversations. It has an open-source code, and the company undergoes regular security audits.

The free version Wickr Me is intended for personal use and allows up to 10 users. On the other hand, the paid version of Wickr Pro is for businesses.

It supports unlimited users and comes with days money-back guarantee. One of its impressive features is screenshot detection. You will get a notification if someone tries to take a screenshot of your conversation. The app has recently introduced the screen overlay protection feature on Android devices. This helps to safeguard the app against threats like TapJacking.

This is a prompt messaging service available only on iOS version 5. It allows you to send and receive text, videos, photos, documents, and contact information.

It is important to note that end-to-end encryption only works for messages sent between iPhone devices. For example, your message will remain unsecured if you send it to an Android recipient.

Also, you can select the number of times the recipient can view a message. Unfortunately, this feature is only available on iOS 10 and above. Viber is a free messaging app that is secure, simple, and fast. This granular-level control and contact management better focuses your team, mitigating instances where employees might wander in their communication and improving team collaboration. Getting set up with an encrypted chat app is easy.

Just like other messenger apps, choose your platform, download the app to your device, and complete the verification process, usually by confirming your phone number or email address.

Many apps automatically sync your contacts who are also using the app. Still, not all encrypted chat apps are equal or equally secure.

Some private chat apps are geared toward individuals and feature basic texting capabilities, but not much in the way of advanced features. At the other end of the spectrum, more robust communication platforms for business aim to streamline and safeguard enterprise communications.

These 10 encrypted chat apps have you covered. Brosix is an all-in-one instant messaging software featuring a Private Team Network that affords businesses complete control over the communication process. Each Brosix Network is fully encrypted and packed with robust administrative features , making it one of the most secure and customizable options to protect team communication. Brosix takes a multi-tiered approach to security. The AES bit encryption algorithm encrypts communications end-to-end on established peer-to-peer channels, ensuring data and information flow directly between the sender and recipient.

For added peace of mind, you can even integrate your anti-virus and malware software. Manage on a user-level everything from access to the platform and features to contact lists, shared chat spaces, API integrations, and data security levels. You can even delegate admin duties for greater efficiency.

Text chat directly or in team chat rooms, broadcast messages to handpicked audiences, and make crystal clear audio and video calls. Share your screen and grant remote desktop access, safely transfer unlimited size files, and carry our dynamic virtual whiteboard presentations.

It all makes Brosix not only one of the best chat apps for business, but one of the most secure encrypted chat apps around. Signal Messenger is a combination of two separate apps originally dedicated to encrypted voice communication and encrypted texting.

Created by Whisper Systems and ultimately acquired by Twitter to enhance its own encryption and security protocols, Signal features ironically both Edward Snowden and members of the U.

Senate among its ranks. Signal not only encrypts chats end-to-end by default, but also makes its encryption and source code available to all for examination.

The open-source encrypted chat app also hides virtually all metadata including the message sender. Signal has been criticized for requiring you to register with a phone number. For more, check out our recent in-depth Signal review. Keeping pace with the demand for encrypted chat apps, Viber recently joined the one billion user club, of whom million are active monthly.

Developed by a former Israeli intelligence officer, with Viber you get a similar feature stack to WhatsApp — encrypted texting, group chats, voice and video calls, and the ability to send stickers, emojis, photos, files, and short voice and video messages.

For the security conscious, Viber offers a few nifty features. The free encrypted chat app color-codes chats to denote their level of protection — grey for encrypted communication with a trusted contact and red to signify an issue with the encryption key.

For hiding messages on a shared device, Viber provides hidden chats with PIN access and self-destructing capabilities. Telegram offers plenty for those in search of a secure private chat app. You can share unlimited photos, videos, and files.

Cloud-based infrastructure lets you sync messages between multiple devices and means Telegram features are available wherever you log in. You have to turn it on manually, and that could lull you into a false sense of security. The popular messenger added end-to-end encryption in WhatsApp offers encrypted chats, group messaging, free voice and video calls, and the ability to leave short voice and video messages.

Wire is another one of the very few apps that sets end-to-end encryption as the default to protect your messages, images, and files. Additionally, a new encryption key is used for every message, reducing the impact of a single compromised key. Wire does not sell analytics or usage data to third parties. Threema is a private chat messaging app that prides itself on its guiding principle: the restraint on metadata. By design, there is no fallback to decrypted connections, so nobody else except for the intended recipient can read a Threema message.

Threema is open source, so users can independently verify the correctness of the encryption. Telegram is a popular platform for heavily encrypted conversations. Voice calls and group chats involve end-to-end encryption if both parties have Telegram. There is an option to self-destruct messages, files, photos, and videos in a certain amount of time after they have been sent and received. It even has self-destructing messages. These kinds of chats are device-specific, so you can only access them from their device of origin.

If your device is secure, your secret chats will be, too. Update: As of January 7, , Facebook updated its privacy policy , changing data-sharing practices for WhatsApp. We may use the information we receive from them, and they may use the information we share with them, to help operate. As a result, tech expert Elon Musk recommended users choose Signal , which is listed first in this post. If you are interested in building your own clone of WhatsApp after this news, follow this tutorial to get a chat messaging application up and running in 20 minutes, allowing you to define its security measures!

Start a free chat trial now to build a WhatsApp clone. WhatsApp is the only app where users are explicitly warned when end-to-end encryption is not applied to a particular chat. WhatsApp was one of the first chat apps that enabled and implemented end-to-end encryption for more secure communication. Additionally, WhatsApp does not have the key to see encrypted messages. By default, WhatsApp stores its messages in a way that allows them to be backed up to the cloud by iOS or Android.

However, WhatsApp allows users to remove chats from these cloud backups. The drawback of WhatsApp is that it is not independent of a big tech company in this case, Facebook , which is another feature to look for when analyzing the security of an app.

Wickr is one of the only secure messaging apps that can truly be used anonymously. This application allows users to communicate with others either one-to-one or in groups with fully encrypted text messages, voice messages and memos.

Wickr can be a collaboration tool instead of just a messaging app as there is the ability to share screens, locations, and online statuses. Wickr does not require an email address or phone number upon registration, ensuring that user data is not collected and therefore, the app does not have access to it.