Nowadays it can be challenging to thrive without online interaction. We need constant connection for business, social life, and in some cases, emergencies. Messages are more secure than social media profiles when it comes to privacy, but even those are vulnerable to thieves and snoops. Fortunately, there are a handful of great applications that keep your private messages what they should be, private.
Signal Private Messages App
200k downloads
Most popular in the U.S.
Signal is one of the top applications that offer security over mobile messaging. Previously known as TextSecure Private messenger, Signal is also one of the first applications in its genre. It has all of the functions of a basic phone; you can call, text, video call, and attach photos and files to messages. There are also extra features for the phone it’s installed into, such as app password and a blocker which prevents the copying of on-screen data and translating it to another application (known as screen scraping). Signal supports both Androids and Apple phones. And did I mention that Edward Snowden–known for releasing classified information on U.S. government and surveillance programs–recommends this app?
Telegram Private Messaging App
1 million downloads
Mostly popular in Russia
Claiming to be the fastest messenger app, Telegram fits the role as one of the best mobile messengers. It’s mostly known for its security, with its heavy encryption and its ability to self-destruct messages with a set timer. It’s a free app, and comes with no costs, not even advertisements. Its server locations spread throughout the globe allows it to maintain its high speed. It’s also very versatile; since it utilizes cloud, it lets you access your messages from various devices. As expected, you can send any kind of documents ranging from PDFs to DOCs, and there is no size limit. You can also moderate group chats of up to 5000 members, which might prove to be useful in businesses and organizations.
Silent Phone App
Less than 5k downloads
Most popular in the U.S.
Although the app is free for download, the service requires a monthly subscription of $9.99 to be activated. It’s designed by Silent Circle, a company dedicated to business privacy, supporting many organizations varying in fields from pharmaceutical to manufacturing. Silent Circle also makes their own smartphone built for security, called the Blackphone 2. The app Silent Phone is compatible with IOS and Android, has a customizable self-destruct feature, and allows unlimited talk, text, and video calls for up to 6 people at one time. Silent Circle ensures its users that encryption keys are only held by subscribers and not the developers, which guarantees that nobody (not even the company) except its users can access their data.
ChatSecure App
6k downloads
Most popular in Russia
ChatSecure is another great application to check out if looking for private messaging. One of the downsides to this application is that it is no longer being actively developed since September, 2016. However, the brains behind the software are still committed to fixing any reported bugs. What sets it apart from the others is that it requires its users to be more tech-savvy than the other apps. It’s not the most user-friendly messaging app on the market, but it gets its job done. You can make your own servers on the app, and it’s compatible with any platform that supports OTR and XMPP servers. Despite what may seem “messy” to those unfamiliar with open source apps, ChatSecure deserves an honorable mention on our top 5 for its efficiency and capability.
Wickr Private Messages App
90k downloads
Most popular in the U.S.
Wickr is last on the list but certainly not the least. It provides some of the same features as most top private messaging apps such as self-destruct and multimedia support, and its quick and simple setup makes it an easy choice for most. Wickr might also look familiar as it was featured in the music video for Iggy Azalea’s Black Widow. The app flaunting its military grade encryption also drew in Australian politicians, which you might have heard about 2 years ago in 2015. It certainly holds some level of popularity, so it’s hard not to give it a shot.