WhatsApp Alternatives: How Messenger Works Too

Do you want a WhatsApp alternative? We recommend these five messaging solutions. […]

Over a billion people around the world use the most popular messaging app to communicate about business and private matters. While there are some alternatives to WhatsApp, switching isn’t necessarily easy – after all, a messaging alternative only has the desired effect if it’s also used by your contacts.

However, there are some good reasons to turn your back on WhatsApp. For example, because the application is under the control of Facebook, because the updated terms of use are angry, or simply to expand the horizons of the messenger application. Particular caution is advised when using WhatsApp on professional devices: without additional precautions, contacts from your address book are sent to the operator of messaging services. If consent is not obtained to share this data, this may constitute a violation of the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). In addition, it should be difficult to completely delete contact data stored in the cloud at the request of the customer (the “right to be forgotten”). We are going to show you the top five alternatives to WhatsApp – most of them are GDPR compatible.

WhatsApp users are more likely to turn to Signal Easiest – many of the functions of the two messaging apps overlap. Signal also offers end-to-end encryption, group chats, video chats, and voice calls as well as the option to share content such as photos, videos or GIFs. The company attaches great importance to its existence Data Protection Promise.

One feature that Signal lacks compared to WhatsApp is the WhatsApp Web equivalent, which also makes your conversations visible in the web browser. Signal has a desktop application, but for data protection reasons, it does not display any historical messages. Signal also supports messages that appear for a limited time only. Unlike WhatsApp, however, you can specify the period of time after which messages fade into the digital air.

at wire It is a messaging application developed by the developers of Skype. Wire also relies on end-to-end encryption, and similar to Signal and WhatsApp, you can sign in with your phone number or email address. Once you do that, Wire will assign you a username prefixed with “@”, similar to Twitter.

Running Wire may seem a bit strange to diehard WhatsApp users at first, but in the end the app does what it should and allows video and voice calls, as well as individual and group chats, without any issues. Wire also offers a web application, for which a separate login must be created. Also in this case, you have to dispense with the historical chat logs.

cable It is one of the most popular messaging apps along with WhatsApp and also supports end-to-end encryption. However, this function must first be activated for each individual conversation. Telegram uses a proprietary encryption method – unlike other apps like Signal, which take an open source approach in this regard. How good or bad Telegram protects the privacy of its users cannot be definitively determined from an independent source.

The WhatsApp alternative, which originally came from Russia and is now based in Dubai, offers all the basic functions one would expect from a messenger: individual and group chats, video and audio calls or messages with a “self-destruct function”. There is also a desktop app from Telegram. Similar to WhatsApp, you can log in with your phone number – all contacts who already use Telegram are automatically logged in.

WhatsApp alternative fiber It has been around for nearly ten years. This app also supports video and audio calling as well as texting on an individual and group basis. In addition, Viber offers a “Communities” function, which is basically a group chat for more members and with more comprehensive control functions for admins. In addition, Viber also allows you to send notes to yourself – a great function that you can also use with WhatsApp by starting a conversation with yourself.

Like Telegram, Viber also uses a special encryption method. In addition to the mobile application, a desktop application is also available for download.

If you want more geek flair (and can engage your contacts), it’s worth taking a look at Keybase As an alternative to WhatsApp. The app was originally just for authenticating yourself online. In the meantime, Keybase offers many other functions, for example messaging or document encryption. Keybase was originally intended for power users – access was not possible without your PGP key, and there was no way to do it without a command line. In the meantime, the application has become more intuitive, and registration is quick and uncomplicated, as is the case with other WhatsApp alternatives.

When it comes to messaging, Keybase offers only limited functionality compared to Signal or Telegram. Video and audio calls are not yet supported. That may change in the future after Zoom Keybase is acquired by a video conferencing specialist. Messages that can be viewed for a limited amount of time are entirely possible with Keybase as group chats. Keybase is available as an app for Android and iOS; There are also desktop apps for Windows, Mac, and Linux.

This article is based on an article from our American sister company PC World.