Signal has been around since 2013 but increased rapidly in popularity in 20. Features include one-to-one messaging, group messaging, stickers, photos, file transfers, voice, and video calls. The user experience is similar to other popular chat apps such as WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.

There is also a desktop version for Windows, Mac, and Linux. The Signal messaging app is free to use and available on both Android and iOS operating systems. It is generally considered one of the most secure messaging apps on the market.

Signal is a cross-platform encrypted messaging service dedicated to end-to-end encrypted voice calling and encrypted texting. (NOTE: the below list is not in priority or endorsement order) Signal What is Signal? We take a look at some of the most popular options out there to see - which messaging app will keep your data safe and which messaging apps have weak security. However, some have been proven to be more secure than others. There are many messaging apps available to us now. This includes information like who you talk to, for how long, on what device, your IP address, and phone number. While many secure messaging apps use end-to-end encryption, they can still collect data about you, called metadata. Self-destructing or disappearing messages disappear after a set period of time, depending on your chosen settings. Open source codeĭoes it use open source code? Open source code means the app is open to outside accountability and auditing by experts, which can be a useful way to bring attention to any weaknesses or vulnerabilities in the code. End-to-end encryptionĭoes the app have end-to-end encryption (E2E)? End-to-end encryption scrambles your private chat messages, and only the sender and the receiver of the messages have the 'keys' to read them. When evaluating messaging app security, key considerations include: 1. The main messaging app security concern is the extent to which third parties can potentially read private messages, the companies behind the apps, or even governments that collect data on their citizens. However, when using them, it’s essential to be aware of online privacy and security. Messaging apps provide an easy-to-use way of keeping in touch with friends, family, and co-workers.

Best private chat apps