Whatsup is one of the world’s most popular messaging apps, growing to 2 billion users earlier this month. Yet it hasn’t been without its issues.
Last year, hackers were using the app to install spyware on the devices of activists across Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Mexico. As well, hoax messages regularly appear on the platform, from that WhatsApp Gold virus message to a recent coronavirus scam.
The benefit of using an app like WhatsApp comes down to its end-to-end encryption (E2EE). This is when messages are encoded so only the person sending the message and the one receiving it can see what it says. If anyone else tried to look at it, they would see a garbled mess of letters and numbers.
Yet WhatsApp isn’t the only app that offers E2EE. Here are some of the other options available on the App Store to keep your communications safe and secure.
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Secure messaging apps to try
1. Dust
Co-founded by Mark Cuban of Shark Tank fame, Dust is extreme in its mission to keep your messages safe. You can unsend messages at any time on the app, which deletes the message from someone else’s device as well as yours, and you also receive a notification if anyone screenshots a chat’s content.
All history is automatically erased after 24 hours. Handy to keep messages safe from prying eyes, not so useful when you want to double-check the arrangements for those Friday night plans.
Download on the App Store and Google Play Store
2. Silence
Silence is slightly different from the other apps in that it is focused on more old school encrypted texting (SMS and MMS) instead of encrypted instant messaging which the likes of Dust and Signal champion.
Simply download the app to get going and use it instead of the messages app on your device. You don’t need to get anyone else to download it either, unlike the other apps which require moving to a new platform. Given it is focused on texting and not IM, you can use it without an internet connection.
Download on the Google Play Store
3. Signal
Signal’s secure nature was given a stamp of approval by the European Commission this month, which told its staff to start using the app for communications between them and people outside the organisation. According to Politico, a message on the commission’s internal messaging boards said: “Signal has been selected as the recommended application for public instant messaging.”
The app uses E2EE and is open-source so if you have the tech knowledge, you can check under the hood effectively to see how it’s all working. A disappearing message feature comes in handy too if you want to get rid of any communications.
Download on the App Store and Google Play Store
4. Wire
If you spend a lot of time using messaging apps for work, then Wire is one of the best when it comes to secure work platforms. Everything is E2EE on the platform, including conference calls and files sent through the chat.
Last year, the company moved its HQ from Luxembourg to the US after raising £6.3 million ($8.2 million). Like Signal, its encryption is open-source so the source code can be inspected.
Download on the App Store and Google Play Store
5. Yeo
One to look out for, Yeo is founded by father-daughter duo Alan Jones and Sarah Norford-Jones as the ultimate consumer privacy app.
It uses facial recognition to log into the app (something you can now do on WhatsApp), as well as E2EE and no adverts or data-sharing to third parties. A geo-fencing feature also means you can restrict where a recipient views and opens a message down to a specific location.
It’s not available on the app stores just yet, however, though you can test it out on TestFlight if you want.
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