Nowadays, looking for safe alternatives to WhatsApp is common due to the leaks that are taking place on security and also due to the useful functions of other applications, but first we are going to review how it all started:
Instant messaging was at the time a great innovation as it allowed people around the world to communicate without the need to make a call and spend too much money on it. In mobile telephony, the first way to communicate was through SMS or text messages, until the creation of WhatsApp in 2009 .
When the application was created, the original idea was that it served as an agenda to see if the contact with whom you wanted to speak was available . At first it was only available for Blackberry devices, then it expanded to the iPhone and Android terminals. By February 19, 2014 , Mark Zuckerberg announced the purchase of WhatsApp, so the application would become part of the Facebook world. It is in 2015 when they decide to launch the first great innovation and it was calls through VoIP . Starting in 2016, the function called WhatsApp Web is announced which currently offers users the ability to talk to contacts from a computer or laptop through a web service synchronized with the mobile application. End-to-end encryption was introduced in the same year , which would prevent messages from are intercepted on the way and can only be read by the sender and receiver. They are currently developing new functions and modifications in appearance adding a dark mode .
However, a major encryption flaw was discovered last year that made many users mistrust the application. That is why in this article today we bring you some safe alternatives to WhatsApp that offer a better proposal in security and privacy .
TELEGRAM
The open source application is presented as a very good option, since it is also quite popular in the world. It is cloud-based , so you don’t have to worry too much about lost information and messages.
It is very easy to use, it allows you to exchange multimedia files as well as voice messages. To add contacts, it can be done through their phone number or by sharing the Alias . It can be used on a PC via a web browser or desktop application .
In the security section, it offers end-to-end encryption (which must be activated manually) in messages as well as in voice calls by default. In addition, it is possible to delete the messages automatically after an elapsed time if the user wishes.
SIGNAL
In addition to being very safe, this application offers many functionalities that allow it to keep up with WhatsApp. Among all of them we find the possibility of not only making voice calls, but also making video calls .
Like Telegram, it is an open source application that can also be used from the computer. It has the function of deleting messages after a certain time which will be assigned by the user himself.
To keep the application secure, Signal uses end-to-end encryption for both messages and calls . Also, the encryption is open source so users can access it for review.
WIRE
As well as it also offers the exchange of audios and multimedia files, there is the possibility of obtaining a free account , but there is also the possibility of a paid account for companies , which includes more functionalities , including voice calls. It can be used on 8 devices at the same time and is available on a wide variety of operating systems.
For security, it offers end-to-end encryption protected by European data retention laws .
THREEMA
Threema stands out for the great importance they give to security from the development department. All files are saved locally and not in a cloud , so they will only be found on the mobile where the application was installed.
To contact people, it can be done directly from the contact list as through an ID offered by the app . Its headquarters are in Switzerland, so the privacy policy is strict.
It offers end-to-end encryption like the previous ones in all communication options as well as in all the functions of the application.
