

However, that’s not the case with most apps. Since encryption is a comparatively new concept, many people assume the messaging app is safe to use right after download. Other apps encrypt only some messages and not all. It means you will have to go to the settings and activate the encryption feature manually. This is because it is easy to identify and fix errors, weaknesses, and vulnerabilities.Īn app can offer end-to-end encryption but not as the default feature.
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However, putting the code out in the open is regarded as a show of integrity and transparency.Īn open-source code has a positive impact on the development and quality of the messaging app. Revealing an app’s source code may seem illogical due to issues such as code backdoors and reverse-engineering. However, after Edward Snowden leaked information on NSA’s surveillance program, encryption became widespread. It was also used by people with a high need for secrecy, like activists and politicians. Initially, encryption was used by big businesses and government agencies to protect sensitive data. It protects unwarranted or unnecessary data exposure to others, ensuring that only the relevant parties can decipher the information. This is a way of scrambling the messages such that only you and the receiver can read them. Perhaps the first thing you should look out for in a secure messaging app is end-to-end encryption. Here are some of the most important things you should consider when choosing a secure messaging app for you. It should have features to make your conversations safe and private. Related: Most Secure Email Providers What makes a messaging app secure?Ī messaging app is more than just an array of emojis and cool widgets. Some of the apps lagging include Facebook (optional encryption), Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Skype (optional encryption), Google Hangouts, etc. Thus, many popular communication platforms of today either lack it or offer it as an optional feature. In this way, they not only respect your privacy but also save you from indirect impact in case the servers suffer a breach.ĭespite being important, sadly, encrypted communication has caught attention only recently. Instead, their servers merely facilitate the smooth transition of data between you and the recipient without storing anything on their part. It allows only the sender and the receiver to decipher and read the message.Įncrypted texting apps do not collect or store any messages on their servers to keep you completely private. In simple words, it is a messaging method that involves end-to-end encryption (shortened as E2EE).
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CoverMe – feature-rich, free secure messaging app offering e2ee by default, hides phone numbers, disguises app icon.Voxer – free app supporting walkie-talkie like communication with almost-instant delivery of voice and video messages, also supports text chats., works over both cellular and WiFi network.Snapchat – privacy-savvy app for sharing images and videos securely, offers self-destruct feature.Line – free, feature-rich instant messaging apps supporting desktops and mobile devices, offers end-to-end encryption by default for all users.Mattermost – open-source messaging app particularly aimed at business users, compatible with all major platforms.Wire – open-source platform, independently audited, requires email for account registration, paid app.Silence – open-source SMS/MMS app compatible with multiple devices, doesn’t require internet connection.Threema – open-source app offering E2EE, doesn’t require a phone number for account registration.Viber – a user-friendly app with catchy interface, offers limited end-to-end encryption, supports self-destructing messages.Apple iMessage – offers end-to-end encryption for communication between iMessage users, support self-destructing messages.
