Privacy is a myth, they say, but there are still some messaging apps that offer excellent privacy protection, while others are decent. We live in an age of internet surveillance and data logging, where companies try to squeeze out every bit of our personal information as they can. However, if you want to keep things private, some messaging apps offer end-to-end encryption and other ways. Here are some of the best secure messaging apps you can use.
Best Secure Messaging Apps to Keep Your Conversation Private
If you wish to keep your commnication private and safe from prying eyes, you should use any of the following secure messaging apps for conversation.
1. Signal Private Messenger – Best Overall Secure App
In our comparison between Signal vs Telegram vs WhatsApp, we found that Signal is the most secure messaging app out there. Signal uses the gold standard, open-source Signal Protocol to implement end-to-end encryption. And it implements E2E encryption on all forms of communication on Signal– be it voice/video calls, chat messages, media, or audio clips.
While other messaging apps also encrypt messages and calls, Signal goes one step further and encrypts the metadata too. To protect user privacy from all corners, Signal offers a new way to communicate using a feature called Sealed Sender. Basically, with Sealed Sender, no one will be able to know — not even Signal — who is messaging whom, which is great.
In addition, you have some incredible privacy features on Signal that is going to make your messaging experience even more private and secure. For instance, you can lock Signal with a passcode or biometrics. Then there is 2FA and an option to block screenshots within the app and the recent screen. And recently Signal added a new feature to blur faces automatically before sending images. That’s cool, right?
Not to mention, Signal by default encrypts all the local files with a 4-digit passphrase. And if you want to create an encrypted local backup then you can do that as well. All in all, in terms of security and privacy protection, Signal stands head and shoulder above the competition. You can learn more about the encryption features in our best Signal tips and tricks guide.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Exceptional End-to-end encryption | Needs Phone number |
| Two-factor authentication | Low userbase |
| Encrypted metadata | |
| Encrypted local backup options |
Price: Free
2. Session – Secure Messaging App with Best Encryption
Do you like the anonymity that Tor browser offers on the internet? Well, Session is the Tor browser of messaging apps. This open-source messaging app uses peer operated servers for routing messages and you can start messaging without registering your email or phone number. Messages are sent and received via decentralised onion routing network similar to Tor.
The messaging app uses Session Protocol, the company’s proprietary end-to-end encryption protocol based on Libsodium. You can initiate audio calls and video calls and everything is end-to-end encrypted. Moreover, Session removes EXIF data from the attachments you send to ensure that anonymity is maintained for senders and receivers.
While Session is fully focused on offering a secure messaging experience, it also ensures that it doesn’t miss out on the features that other messaging apps have. You get emoji reactions similar to WhatsApp and you can also modify themes. The user interface is super slick and you won’t feel that you are using a not-so-popular messaging app.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Decentralised servers for privacy | Session remoced PFS and deniability |
| No email address, phone number required | Maximum attachment size of 10 MB is not enough |
| Messages can be locked | |
| End-to-end encryption | |
| Voice and video calls available |
Price: Free
3. SimpleX Chat – Best Minimal Secure Messaging App
One of the recent secure messaging apps that has entered the scene is SimpleX Chat. It claims to be the first messaging app that has no user IDs. This private messaging app uses its proprietary platform called SimpleX. It consists of different components including SimpleX Messaging Protocol, TLS protocol, and more.
Leaving the technical jargon behind, SimpleX Chat offers privacy features such as an incognito mode which generates a random username to chat with a contact. It’s so secure, it wouldn’t let us take a screenshot on the mobile app, so here’s how it looks on PC.
Another great feature that’s included in this secure messaging app is Live message. Interestingly, this feature allows the person you are communicating with to read messages that you’ve not sent! Without making this too confusing, this feature works by allowing the other person to read the messages that you are typing. You don’t need to send the message at all. The live message feature is unique and can be quite useful.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| End-to-end encrypted | None |
| No email address, phone number required | |
| Per-contact read receipts | |
| Contact verification | |
| Voice and video calls available |
Price: Free
4. Wire
Wire is a great privacy focused messaging app available on iPhone, Android, and other desktop platforms. It has E2E encryption which is turned on by default so that is great and the encryption applies to all forms of communication on Wire. It also supports group collaboration with enhanced security so if you are running an organization or a business and need a private messaging app then Wire is just perfect.
Next, the company is based out of Switzerland so you have ironclad privacy laws of the EU to protect your data. In terms of data collection, Wire has been found to gather minimal data only for the purpose of transmitting messages in a secure manner. What I like about Wire is that it also encrypts the metadata which should enhance user security by many folds.
Not to mention, Wire encrypts all the backup files — both on Android and Android —so that no one can read your data. To sum up, Wire is a highly secret messaging app for iPhone, Android smartphones and you should give it a try.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| End-to-end encrypted | Collects data still |
| Abides by EU’s strict privacy rules | Mostly made for enterprises and lacks features |
| Fully open source and free | Needs email address or number |
| Local, encrypted backups | |
| Voice and video calls available |
Price: Free, Pro plan starts at $5.83 per month
5. Element.io – Best Secure Messaging App for Businesses
Element.io is a secure chat app that is built around protecting user privacy. We mentioned it in our best Telegram alternatives list as it offers end-to-end encryption out of the box, something Telegram doesn’t. This5 means that your conversations are fully encrypted and only the sender and receiver can read the messages. The app transitioned from the name Riot to Element, and is now more geared toward enterprises than regular users. However, it still has enough features to be used as a daily messaging app.
You can now use it for team collaborations like a Slack alternative and as such, it includes a bunch of tools to help you streamline your team’s workflow. The messaging app is developed using the low-latency Matrix open communications protocol which means the performance will be top-notch despite hardened encryption.
Apart from that, Element can be used to share messages, images, videos, and files of any type within groups of any size. Not to mention, now there is support for group video and voice calls too. Simply put, if you run a legal, or any kind of business where confidentiality is a top requirement then Element.io is your best secure chat app.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Excellent End-to-end encrypted | Learning curve |
| Open source and self-hosting capabilities | Smaller user base |
| Cross-platform | Needs email address or number |
| Matrix network gives the ability to connect with other clients | |
| Pretty use friendly |
Price: Free, Business plan starts at $5 per user per month
6. Telegram – Secure Messaging App with Best Feature Set
Everybody is pretty well acquainted with Telegram, a very popular WhatsApp competitor. Telegram’s ticks all the boxes when it comes to being a secure messaging app, thanks to a ton of amazing features. The app is filled with customization features and lots of other privacy and security features.
Telegram is a secure messaging app but its Secure Chats bring end-to-end encryption (E2E) along with the ability to send self-destructing content like texts, media, and files. Even without the Secret Chats feature, Telegram brings standard encryption to all your data, but that is not end-to-end encrypted.
Apart from that, Telegram is fast, reliable, and packs features like large group chats, broadcasts, file and media sharing with incomparable size limitations and more. It also features cloud syncing so that you don’t lose your chats even when you are changing your devices. You can go through our article on Telegram tips and tricks to learn more about its features.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Highly customizable | No true End-to-end encryption |
| Extensive community | Saves data on the cloud; no local storage |
| Cross-platform | Needs email address or number |
| Extremely user friendly |
Price: Free, Business plan starts at $5 per month
7. WhatsApp – Best Secure Messaging App for Everyone
WhatsApp is another highly popular messaging app that has brought end-to-end encryption to the masses. And the best part is that the encryption is enabled by default and extends to all forms of communication on WhatsApp, be it messages, audio or video calls, and WhatsApp Web. It uses the encryption protocol developed by Open Whisper Systems — the company behind Signal messenger.
The cryptographic protocol has been named as the Signal protocol and it’s entirely open-source. Further, the protocol has been peer-reviewed by many security researchers. Apart from that, on the user’s side, WhatsApp now offers a native app locker which is great. Next, you also have the option to enable 2FA on WhatsApp and that’s again commendable.
That being said, keep in mind, WhatsApp does not encrypt cloud backups on Android. Also, it does not encrypt the metadata which is used to carry communication between two endpoints. This is one of the major criticisms of WhatsApp’s security model. While metadata does not allow anyone to read your messages, it lets authorities know whom and when you messaged someone and for how long.
Next, WhatsApp is owned by Meta which is a major point of concern. In addition, the company is implicated in giving customers’ data to intelligence agencies. All in all, while on paper, WhatsApp remains quite secure, Meta’s controversial stand on privacy makes it a less appealing choice among privacy-minded users.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| End-to-end encryption | Owned by Meta, a firm involved in privacy scandals |
| Two-factor authentication | Saves data on the cloud; no local storage |
| Cross-platform | Needs email address or number |
| Extremely user friendly |
Price: Free
8. iMessage – Best Secure Messaging App for Apple Users
If you use an iPhone, iMessage is the best secure way to communicate with your friends and family. The platform uses PQ3, Apple’s stae of the art secure messaging protocol, which Apple claims gives Level 3 security. Besides, the app comes with tons of great features to make communication much fun and easier.
As mentioned earlier, iMessage gets End-to-end encryption, automatic deletion of messages, contact key verification, among other pricacy focused features. However, the service is Apple devices-exclusive, and doesn’t support other platforms.
Although Apple has added RCS to iMessage, it’s unfortunately not fully end-to-end encrypted. Still, Apple’s iMessage is a great secure messaging platform you can use.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| End-to-end encryption | Works only on Apple Devices |
| Tons of features | |
| Completely free | |
| Extremely user friendly |
Price: Free
9. Google Messages
Need the iMessage equivalent on Android devices, Google Messages is the solution. The service has grown rapidly over the past few years. It uses RCS but also Google’s End-to-end encryption on top of that to make messaging more secure. It comes with built-in spam detection and you can control who sees your profile picture and name.
Besides, it comes with all the features you’d expect in a messaging platform, including a few customization options, the ability to star, archive, and delete messages. Sure, like Meta, there’s no doubt that you cannot fully trust Google for user privacy, but if you’re looking for an iMessage alternative, it’s your best shot.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| End-to-end encryption | Not as privacy focused. |
| Lots of features | Enables spam in certain regions |
| Completely free | |
| Extremely user friendly |
Price: Free
10. Dust
Dust, formerly known as Cyber Dust, is a cool secure messaging app, which along with security & privacy brings features that are pretty sleek. It likes to call its messages Dust and broadcast messages Blast. All the Dusts and Blasts are heavily encrypted and are never stored in permanent storage.
The app prevents screenshots just like SimpleX Chat, which shows its committment to privacy. The messages disappear within 100 seconds or in 24 hours if it remains unopened by the recipient. Every Dust message is encrypted with its own unique 128-bit AES encryption along with added security through the RSA 2048-bit key. The app also notifies you when the recipient takes screenshot of the chat.
Dust is a social media platform as well as being a secure messaging app, as it lets you follow people. You can send your followers a blast or create a group of people with similar interests. It also brings you exclusive content from celebrities along with news that might interest you. To sum things up, Cyber Dust is a secure messaging as well as a secure social media community platform.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| End-to-end encryption | No Metadata encryption |
| Self destructing messages | No video calls |
| Private key stored on device | |
| Extremely user friendly |
Price: Free
And there you have it. These are some of the best secure messaging platforms you can use to protect your privacy. Bear in mind while most of them offer complete privacy protection, a few of them might value your privacy less. Some of the best secure messaging apps that we recommend for general users are Telegram, Signal, iMessage, and Google Messages. For advanced users, Wire and Element are great secure messaging platforms.
What are your thoughts on privacy-focused messaging platforms? Let us know in the comments.
