Privatliv og sikkerhed er et stridspunkt i moderne internetteknologi. Der er altid mulighed for, at regeringen eller en hacker lytter eller endda ser dig via din internetforbindelse eller et offentligt Wi-Fi-hotspot . Denne frygt er måske til stede i sin mest alvorlige form, når det kommer til chat-apps.

Messaging-apps er blevet en afgørende form for kommunikation for milliarder af mennesker verden over. De bruges i afslappede diskussioner om dagligvareindkøb til meget private oplysninger om vores personlige liv. Hvis du leder efter en chat-app, der tilbyder mest privatliv, bør denne liste over de bedste chat-apps til privatliv og sikkerhed hjælpe dig med at finde den rigtige sikre app til dine behov.

Hvad gør en chat-app privat^{(Chat App Private)} og sikker^(Secure) ?

Der er ikke sådan noget som perfekt cybersikkerhed. De fleste låse kan brydes med nok tid, penge og teknologiske fremskridt. Så når vi taler om noget "sikkert", betyder det, at det er for dyrt eller svært at gide at prøve at knække det.

Når det kommer til chat-apps, er der nogle få aspekter af softwaren, der hjælper med at sikre din kommunikation.

Apps kan kryptere dine data på selve enheden. Dette er et supplement til enhver enhedskryptering, der leveres af din telefon eller andre enheder.

Dernæst, hvis du vil holde tingene sikre, bør din app kun opbevare lokale kopier af dine data. Det betyder, at der ikke findes kopier af dine faktiske beskeder eller logfiler af din aktivitet på servere, selvom indholdet er krypteret^(encrypted) ! Du vil måske også have mulighed for selvdestruerende beskeder^{(self-destructing messages)} , der slettes permanent, efter at de er blevet læst.

Ikke alle apps tilbyder disse hardcore sikkerhedsfunktioner, men en funktion, som alle sikre chat-apps bør have, er ende-til-ende-kryptering. Dette er en metode til at kryptere dit beskedindhold, hvor tjenesteudbyderen ikke kan se, hvad der bliver sagt. Krypteringsnøglerne genereres på chatdeltagernes enheder. End-to-end-kryptering betyder også, at alle, der opsnapper dine chats, ikke vil være i stand til at læse dem.

Du vil måske også vælge en chat-app, der er open source. Det betyder, at alle kan inspicere appens kildekode. Det gør det næsten umuligt for "bagdøre" at blive skjult i koden, hvilket ville gøre det muligt for app-udbyderen eller embedsmænd at omgå appens sikkerhed.

Det, der betyder mest, er at vælge den app med det rigtige sikkerhedsniveau til dine behov. 

1. WhatsApp ( Android og iOS )

Fordele^(Pros)

• Næsten alle er på WhatsApp^{(Almost everyone is on WhatsApp)}
• Nem at bruge, godt designet^{(Easy to use, well-designed)}
• Stort udvalg af muligheder for mediedeling^{(Great choice of media sharing options)}
• End-to-end kryptering^{(End-to-end encryption)}

Ulemper^(Cons)

• Deler data med FaceBooks moderselskab^{(Shares data with FaceBook parent company)}
• Dataindsamling er knyttet til din enheds-id og identitet^{(Data collection is linked to your device ID and identity)}

WhatsApp er den mest populære chat-app globalt og er blevet så allestedsnærværende, at virksomheder endda angiver et WhatsApp- nummer på deres officielle sider.

WhatsApp er nem at bruge og utrolig alsidig. Det tilbyder den forventede tekstchatfunktionalitet og en fantastisk gruppechatmulighed for familier, organisationer og vennegrupper. 

Du kan dele talebeskeder og bruge fildelingsfunktioner fra appen. Dit telefonnummer er dit unikke link til din WhatsApp - profil, og du kan foretage VOIP (voice over IP) opkald og videoopkald fra én grænseflade. Disse krypterede taleopkald forbruger data, men ikke sendetid.

WhatsApp har stærk end-to-end-kryptering, hvilket betyder, at hverken WhatsApp eller nogen uden for din chat kan vide, hvad der bliver sagt. Der er dog en fangst. Siden WhatsApp blev opkøbt af Facebook (nu Meta ), er dets privatlivspolitik ændret^{(privacy policy has changed)} for at tillade dataindsamling og deling af WhatsApp - brugere med Facebook . 

Så vi kan beskrive WhatsApp som en sikker beskedapp, men måske ikke den mest private. WhatsApps massive popularitet betyder, at du sandsynligvis bliver nødt til at bruge det, men læs omhyggeligt fortrolighedspolitikken for at sikre, at du er fortrolig med, hvad der bliver delt med deres virksomhedsoverherrer.

2. Facebook Messenger ( Android & iOS )

Fordele^(Pros)

• End-to-end-kryptering (i hemmelige samtaler)^{(End-to-end Encryption (in Secret Conversations))}
• Valgfri biometrisk sikkerhed^{(Optional biometric security)}
• Funky chatmiljø med masser af hippe funktioner^{(Funky chat environment with lots of hip features)}
• Stor brugerbase.^{(Large user base.)}

Ulemper^(Cons)

• Kryptering skal aktiveres for tekstbeskeder manuelt^{(Encryption must be activated for text messages manually)}
• Facebook-datadeling er fortsat et privatlivsproblem.^{(Facebook data sharing remains a privacy concern.)}

Holder man sig til Facebook , for øjeblikket er den næste app, der er værd at overveje, Facebook Messenger . Messenger er den meddelelsesplatform, der bruges af Facebook , Instagram og Portal i skrivende stund. Oculus Quest vil også snart blive bragt i folden.

Ligesom WhatsApp tilbyder Messenger end-to-end-kryptering. I modsætning til WhatsApp skal du aktivere funktionen manuelt ved at bruge muligheden "Hemmelig samtale". Stemme-^(Voice) og videochat er dog altid krypteret.

Messenger scorer lavt på privatliv af samme grund som WhatsApp . Nogle af dine oplysninger bliver høstet af virksomheden, og du bør læse deres politikker for at forstå, hvordan og hvorfor dette gøres. Det scorer heller ikke så højt som WhatsApp på sikkerhed, simpelthen fordi end-to-end-kryptering er opt-in i øjeblikket.

3. Apple iMessage ( indbygget i^(Built-in) iOS og macOS)

Fordele^(Pros)

• Fantastisk integration på tværs af dine Apple-enheder^{(Fantastic integration across your Apple devices)}
• Et meget mere sikkert alternativ til SMS^{(A much more secure alternative to SMS)}

Ulemper^(Cons)

• iCloud-sikkerhedskopi introducerer krypteringssårbarheder^{(iCloud backup introduces encryption vulnerabilities)}
• Du kan kun chatte med andre Apple-brugere^{(You can only chat with other Apple users)}

Hvis du ejer en iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch eller en Mac , har du allerede iMessage installeret på din enhed. Dette er Apples^(Apple) interne beskedsystem, og det har været vildt populært blandt Apple - kunder næsten fra starten.

Den store ulempe ved iMessage er, at den kun kan bruges mellem Apple -enheder, da det er en integreret del af, hvordan dens end-to-end-kryptering fungerer. Et andet muligvis alvorligt problem er, at iCloud-sikkerhedskopifunktionen^{(iCloud backup feature)} til enheder som iPhone gemmer din enheds krypteringsnøgle på dens servere. 

Det gør det teknisk muligt for nogen at dekryptere dine beskeder ved at hente nøglen fra sikkerhedskopien. Heldigvis kan du deaktivere iCloud Backup og vente på, at dataene bliver slettet efter 180 dage, hvorefter den gamle nøgle alligevel vil være ugyldig. Det er kun, hvis du er paranoid, men dine meddelelser under transport er altid beskyttet.

Som en messenger-app har iMessage tonsvis af smarte funktioner, såsom skærmeffekter til specifikke beskeder, klistermærker, Memoji , Animoji , GIF -søgeintegration og mere. Så længe alle, du vil tale med, også er en del af Apple -fanklubben, forbliver iMessage en fantastisk chat-app.

4. Signal Private Messenger ( Android & iOS )

Fordele^(Pros)

• Meget sikker^{(Highly-secure)}
• Ingen virksomhedsinteresser^{(No corporate interest)}
• Åben kildekode^{(Open source code)}

Ulemper^(Cons)

• Ikke så poleret som mainstream mega chat apps^{(Not as polished as mainstream mega chat apps)}
• Netværkets ydeevne er ikke altid fantastisk^{(Network performance isn’t always great)}

Når folk tænker på krypterede meddelelsesapps, er Signal uden tvivl et af de første navne, der dukker op. Det er fordi denne app er fast centreret omkring privatliv og sikkerhed. Det er den app, som Edward Snowden bruger!

Signal kan sende en-til-en beskeder, gruppebeskeder, dele filer, dele stemmebeskeder, billeder, videoer og foretage video- og taleopkald. Det er en chat-app med alle funktioner med hardcore-kryptering og privatlivsstandarder. 

Ulempen ved Signal er, at nogle brugere klager over, at beskeder tager lang tid at sende, og at serverydelsen ikke altid er fremragende. 

5. Telegram ( Android & iOS )

Fordele^(Pros)

• Bedre privatlivspolitik end WhatsApp eller Facebook Messenger^{(Better privacy policy than WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger)}
• Fantastiske funktioner, såsom ukomprimeret billeddeling^{(Great features, such as uncompressed image sharing)}
• Alle meddelelser er krypteret under transit^{(All messages are encrypted in transit)}

Ulemper^(Cons)

• End-to-end-kryptering kræver manuel aktivering^{(End-to-end encryption needs manual activation)}

Hvis Signal er den hardcore privatlivsmeddelelsestjeneste, ville Telegram være medium-core. Det er mere privatlivsfokuseret end WhatsApp , men ikke så kompromisløst som Signal .

Alt i alt er dette den app, som vi kan lide at bruge som en god mellemvej mellem de to ender af den sikre instant messaging-verden. Et område, hvor Telegram kommer til kort sammenlignet med WhatsApp , er i end-to-end-krypteringsafdelingen. Mens alle Telegram -beskeder er krypteret, er kun "Hemmelige Chats" krypteret ende-til-ende. På denne måde er Telegram ligesom Facebook Messenger .

Hvis du husker at markere følsomme chats som hemmelige chats, får du det bedste fra begge verdener. Dit privatliv vil ikke være så åbent for virksomhedernes grådighed sammenlignet med beskedapps på sociale medier. Telegram har også en fantastisk Windows- og macOS-klient , der efter vores mening gør et bedre stykke arbejde end WhatsApp desktop-klienten.^(WhatsApp)

6. Wickr Me ( Android & iOS )

Fordele^(Pros)

• Uafhængigt revideret^{(Independently audited)}
• Stærk krypteringspraksis^{(Strong encryption practices)}
• Giver mulighed for fremadrettet sikkerhed, hvis dine nøgler bliver stjålet^{(Allows for forward-security in case your keys are stolen)}

Ulemper^(Cons)

• Lukket kilde^{(Closed source)}
• CIA er en investor^{(The CIA is an investor)}

Wickr blev grundlagt tilbage i 2012 og er en pioner, når det kommer til sikre beskedapps, længe før det var cool eller aktuelt. En af dens nøglefunktioner ved lanceringen på iOS var muligheden for at indstille en udløbsdato, der overfladisk ligner den (lidt ældre) Snapchat , som sletter beskeder efter en dag.

EFF ( Electronic Frontier Foundation ) scorede Wickr ^(EFF)højt^(Wickr) i 2015 for sin krypteringspraksis, evnen til at sikre tidligere kommunikation, hvis dine nøgler blev stjålet. Wickrs^(Wickr) svage punkter kommer ned til at være lukket kilde og at være lidt vag i sin tekniske dokumentation. 

Wickr har dog^(Wickr) ikke udgivet en hvidbog, der beskriver dens krypteringsprotokol. Det, der måske er lidt bekymrende, er, at CIA er en investor^{(CIA is an investor)} i virksomheden.

7. Threema ( Android og iOS )

Fordele^(Pros)

• Open source
• Bygget fra bunden til at være privat og anonym^{(Built from the ground up to be private and anonymous)}
• Schweiziske servere er juridisk beskyttede^{(Swiss servers are legally protected)}

Ulemper^(Cons)

• Det er ikke gratis^{(It’s not free)}
• Begrænset brugerbase^{(Limited user base)}

Threema skiller sig ud fra mængden ved at være en af ​​de få beskedapps, der koster penge. Det er kun $3,99 at få appen, men det er stejlt i verden af ​​mobilapps.

Selve appen er open source, hvilket er et sikkerhedsmæssigt pluspunkt. De penge, du betaler, er endnu en forsikring om, at dine data ikke bliver solgt, da du finansierer tjenesten direkte.

Threema er baseret på "privacy by design"-principper. Et eksempel er, at du ikke behøver at angive et telefonnummer eller andre identificerbare oplysninger som WhatsApp eller Telegram .

Threemas servere er i Schweiz^{(Switzerland)} , hvilket betyder, at dine data drager fordel af det pågældende lands strenge privatlivslovgivning. Threema^{(Essentially Threema)} vil i det væsentlige aldrig skulle give brugeroplysninger til udenlandske regeringer af nogen grund.

8. Skype ( Android & iOS )

Fordele^(Pros)

• Fantastisk ydeevne og funktioner^{(Great performance and features)}
• Massiv brugerbase^{(Massive user base)}
• Tilgængelig på næsten alle platforme^{(Available on almost every platform)}

Ulemper^(Cons)

• Langsomt udfaset til fordel for Microsoft Teams^{(Slowly being phased out in favor of Microsoft Teams)}
• End-to-end-kryptering kræver manuel aktivering^{(End-to-end encryption requires manual activation)}

Skype er en anden mega-populær chatapplikation, der støttes af et større softwarefirma i form af Microsoft . Softwaren har eksisteret i årevis, og på dette tidspunkt er den temmelig proppet med funktioner, herunder muligheden for at foretage telefonopkald til almindelige telefonnumre. Til en pris, selvfølgelig! Du skal bare^(Just) vælge en person fra din kontaktliste, vælge din kommunikationsmåde og begynde at chatte væk.

Skype har fremragende integration med andre Microsoft - produkter, men på det seneste har Microsoft været mere opmærksomme på sin Teams -platform, som indeholder Skype-DNA . Så som tiden går, kan Skype begynde at sygne hen på bagsiden. Du skal også vide, at selvom alt er krypteret, bliver du nødt til at oprette en privat chat manuelt, hvis du vil have ende-til-ende-kryptering.

9. Ledning ( Android & iOS )

Fordele^(Pros)

• Open source privatlivsapp med fantastisk krypteringsteknologi^{(Open-source privacy app with great encryption technology)}
• Rost for brugervenlighed^{(Lauded for ease of use)}

Ulemper^(Cons)

• Nu baseret i USA^{(Now based in the USA)}
• Beholder mere end gennemsnittet data om brugere^{(Keeps more than the average data on users)}

Wire er en privat besked-app, der markedsføres som en sikker kommunikationsplatform før noget andet. Det er bemærkelsesværdigt for at være tilgængeligt på Linux ud over de store mobile operativsystemer, Windows , macOS og webbrowsere.

Wire lader dig chatte sikkert i grupper såvel som individuelt. Den bruger ende-til-ende-kryptering baseret på signalprotokollen^(Signal) . Wire startede med sin kildekode lukket, men koden har været open source over tid.

Wire har vundet priser for brugervenlighed og sikkerhed, men der har været nogle bekymringer i de seneste år. Virksomheden flyttede fra Luxembourg til USA , hvilket har givet anledning til bekymring over ændringer i privatlivets fred, når det kommer til brugerdata. Det er også blevet tydeligt, at Wire fører optegnelser om brugere, tilsyneladende for at hjælpe med synkronisering af flere enheder.

Indtil videre betragtes Wire stadig som en af ​​de hårdtslående apps til private beskeder, og der er ingen indikation af, at brugere bør undgå det. I betragtning af de forretningsmæssige ændringer, der er i gang, råder vi stadig til at holde øje med eventuelle ændringer i privatlivspolitikken.

10. Viber ( Android & iOS )

Fordele^(Pros)

• Hurtig, god brugervenlighed^{(Fast, great usability)}
• Kompetent sikkerhed^{(Competent security)}

Ulemper^(Cons)

• End-to-end-kryptering kun for enkelte chats^{(End-to-end encryption only for single chats)}

Viber er en anden messenger-app, der tilføjer Linux til sin liste over kompatible operativsystemer. Med hensyn til privatliv og sikkerhed er det i den svagere ende af udvalget her, men appen tilbyder ende-til-ende-kryptering til en-til-en-chat. Dets sikkerhed er blevet revideret eksternt af Ernst & Young . Selvom dens krypteringsprotokol ikke er blevet offentliggjort i detaljer, har virksomheden beskrevet den ved hjælp af de samme koncepter som Signal Protocol .

Mens dette firmas sikkerhed kun er midt i pakken, ser Viber - brugere ud til at elske softwaren. Det er langt den mest populære app af sin art i Ukraine . Med næsten 16 millioner downloads alene i Google Play Butik^{(Google Play Store)} er der noget ved denne funky chat-app.

Lad os tage en privat chat

Det er vores liste over de bedste sikre beskedapps, men den er næppe udtømmende. Efterhånden som privatlivets fred bliver et endnu varmere diskussionsemne, kan du forvente, at App Store og Play Store akkumulerer flere og flere apps, der fokuserer på at holde dine chats private. 

Vores mobile enheder er nu så central en del af vores liv, at du bliver nødt til at træffe en eller anden form for valg, når det kommer til private og sikre beskeder. Vurder din risikovillighed, beslut, hvor meget data du er villig til at dele med virksomheder, og vælg derefter den app, der passer bedst til dine præferencer. Som Gandalf sagde: " Hold^(Keep) det hemmeligt, hold det sikkert!".

The 10 Best Chat Apps for Privacy and Security (2022)

Privacy and security are a bone of contention in modern internet technology. There’s always the posѕibility that thе governmеnt оr a hacker might be listening or even watсhing yоu thrоugh your internet connection or a public Wi-Fi hot spot. This fear is perhaps present in its most serious form when it comes to chat apps.

Messaging apps have become a crucial form of communication for billions of people worldwide. They’re used in casual discussions about grocery shopping to highly-private information about our personal lives. If you’re looking for a chat app that offers the most privacy, this list of the best chat apps for privacy and security should help you find the right secure app for your needs.

What Makes a Chat App Private and Secure?

There’s no such thing as perfect cybersecurity. Most locks can be broken with enough time, money, and technological advancement. So when we talk about something “secure,” it means that it’s too expensive or difficult to bother trying to crack it.

When it comes to chat apps, there are a few aspects of the software that helps to secure your communications.

Apps can encrypt your data on the device itself. This is in addition to any device encryption provided by your phone or other devices.

Next, if you want to keep things secure, your app should only keep local copies of your data. That means no copies of your actual messages or logs of your activity exist on servers, even if the content is encrypted! You may also want the option for self-destructing messages that are permanently deleted after they’ve been read.

Not all apps offer these hardcore security features, but one feature that all secure chat apps should have is end-to-end encryption. This is a method of encrypting your message content where the service provider can’t see what’s being said. The encryption keys are generated on the devices of the chat participants. End-to-end encryption also means that anyone who intercepts your chats won’t be able to read them.

You may also want to opt for a chat app that’s open source. This means that anyone can inspect the app’s source code. That makes it almost impossible for “back doors” to be hidden in the code, which would allow the app provider or government officials to bypass the app’s security.

What matters the most is choosing the app with the right level of security for your needs. 

1. WhatsApp (Android & iOS)

Pros

• Almost everyone is on WhatsApp
• Easy to use, well-designed
• Great choice of media sharing options
• End-to-end encryption

Cons

• Shares data with FaceBook parent company
• Data collection is linked to your device ID and identity

WhatsApp is the most popular chat app globally and has become so ubiquitous that businesses even list a WhatsApp number on their official pages.

WhatsApp is easy to use and incredibly versatile. It offers the expected text chat functionality and a great group chat option for families, organizations, and friend groups. 

You can share voice messages and use file-sharing features from within the app. Your phone number is your unique link to your WhatsApp profile, and you can make VOIP (voice over IP) calls and video calls from one interface. These encrypted voice calls consume data but not airtime.

WhatsApp has strong end-to-end encryption, which means neither WhatsApp nor anyone outside of your chat can know what’s being said. However, there is a catch. Since WhatsApp was acquired by Facebook (now Meta), its privacy policy has changed to allow data harvesting and sharing of WhatsApp users with Facebook. 

So we can describe WhatsApp as a secure messaging app, but perhaps not the most private one. WhatsApps massive popularity means that you’ll probably have to use it but carefully read through the privacy policy to ensure you’re comfortable with what’s being shared with their corporate overlords.

2. Facebook Messenger (Android & iOS)

Pros

• End-to-end Encryption (in Secret Conversations)
• Optional biometric security
• Funky chat environment with lots of hip features
• Large user base.

Cons

• Encryption must be activated for text messages manually
• Facebook data sharing remains a privacy concern.

Sticking with Facebook, for the time being, the next app worth considering is Facebook Messenger. Messenger is the messaging platform used by Facebook, Instagram, and Portal at the time of writing. Oculus Quest will be brought into the fold soon as well.

Like WhatsApp, Messenger offers end-to-end encryption. Unlike WhatsApp, you have to activate the feature manually using the “Secret Conversation” option. Voice and video chat are, however, always encrypted.

Messenger scores low on privacy for the same reason as WhatsApp. Some of your information is being harvested by the company, and you should read their policies to understand how and why this is being done. It doesn’t score as high as WhatsApp on security either, simply because end-to-end encryption is opt-in at the moment.

3. Apple iMessage (Built-in to iOS & macOS)

Pros

• Fantastic integration across your Apple devices
• A much more secure alternative to SMS

Cons

• iCloud backup introduces encryption vulnerabilities
• You can only chat with other Apple users

If you own an iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, or a Mac, you already have iMessage installed on your device. This is Apple’s in-house messaging system, and it’s been wildly popular with Apple customers almost from the start.

The big downside of iMessage is that it can only be used between Apple devices since that’s integral to how its end-to-end encryption works. Another possibly serious issue is that the iCloud backup feature for devices like the iPhone stores your device’s encryption key on its servers. 

That makes it technically possible for someone to decrypt your messages by getting the key from the backup. Luckily you can disable iCloud Backup and wait for the data to be deleted after 180 days, after which the old key will be invalid anyway. That’s only if you’re paranoid, but your in-transit messages are always protected.

As a messenger app, iMessage has tons of neat features, such as screen effects for specific messages, stickers, Memoji, Animoji, GIF search integration, and more. As long as everyone you want to talk to is also a part of the Apple fan club, iMessage remains a fantastic chat app.

4. Signal Private Messenger (Android & iOS)

Pros

• Highly-secure
• No corporate interest
• Open source code

Cons

• Not as polished as mainstream mega chat apps
• Network performance isn’t always great

When people think of encrypted messaging apps, Signal is undoubtedly one of the first names that pop up. That’s because this app is firmly centered around privacy and security. It’s the app that Edward Snowden uses!

Signal can send one-to-one messages, group messages, share files, share voice notes, images, videos, and make video and voice calls. It’s a full-featured chat app with hardcore encryption and privacy standards. 

The downside of Signal is that some users complain that messages take a long time to send and that server performance isn’t always excellent. 

5. Telegram (Android & iOS)

Pros

• Better privacy policy than WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger
• Great features, such as uncompressed image sharing
• All messages are encrypted in transit

Cons

• End-to-end encryption needs manual activation

If Signal is the hardcore privacy messaging service, Telegram would be medium-core. It’s more privacy-focused than WhatsApp but not as uncompromising as Signal.

On balance, this is the app that we like using as a good middle-ground between the two ends of the secure instant messaging world. One area where Telegram does come short compared to WhatsApp is in the end-to-end encryption department. While all Telegram messages are encrypted, only “Secret Chats” are encrypted end-to-end. In this way, Telegram is like Facebook Messenger.

If you remember to mark sensitive chats as secret chats, you’ll get the best of both worlds. Your privacy won’t be as open to corporate greed compared to social media messaging apps. Telegram also has a great Windows and macOS client that does a better job than the WhatsApp desktop client, in our opinion.

6. Wickr Me (Android & iOS)

Pros

• Independently audited
• Strong encryption practices
• Allows for forward-security in case your keys are stolen

Cons

• Closed source
• The CIA is an investor

Wickr was founded back in 2012 and is a pioneer when it comes to secure messaging apps, long before it was cool or topical. One of its key features at launch on iOS was the ability to set an expiration date, superficially similar to the (slightly older) Snapchat, which deletes messages after a day.

The EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation) scored Wickr highly in 2015 for its encryption practices, the ability to secure past communication if your keys were stolen. Wickr’s weak spots come down to being closed source and being a little vague in its technical documentation. 

However, Wickr has not released a white paper detailing its encryption protocol. What might be slightly worrying is that the CIA is an investor in the company.

7. Threema (Android & iOS)

Pros

• Open-source
• Built from the ground up to be private and anonymous
• Swiss servers are legally protected

Cons

• It’s not free
• Limited user base

Threema stands out from the crowd by being one of the few messaging apps that costs money. It’s only $3.99 to get the app, but that’s steep in the world of mobile apps.

The app itself is open-source, which is a security plus point. The money you pay is another assurance that your data isn’t being sold since you are funding the service directly.

Threema is based on “privacy by design” principles. One example is that you don’t need to provide a phone number or some other identifiable information like WhatsApp or Telegram.

Threema’s servers are in Switzerland, which means that your data benefits from that country’s strict privacy laws. Essentially Threema will never have to provide user information to foreign governments for any reason.

8. Skype (Android & iOS)

Pros

• Great performance and features
• Massive user base
• Available on almost every platform

Cons

• Slowly being phased out in favor of Microsoft Teams
• End-to-end encryption requires manual activation

Skype is another mega-popular chat application backed by a major software company in the form of Microsoft. The software has been around for years, and at this point, it’s pretty stuffed with features, including the ability to make phone calls to regular phone numbers. For a price, of course! Just choose someone from your contact list, pick your mode of communication and start chatting away.

Skype has excellent integration with other Microsoft products, but lately, Microsoft has been giving more attention to its Teams platform, which contains Skype DNA. So as time goes by, Skype might start languishing on the back-burner. You should also know that although everything is encrypted, you’ll have to create a private chat manually if you want end-to-end encryption.

9. Wire (Android & iOS)

Pros

• Open-source privacy app with great encryption technology
• Lauded for ease of use

Cons

• Now based in the USA
• Keeps more than the average data on users

Wire is a private messaging app marketed as a secure communication platform before anything else. It’s notable for being available on Linux in addition to the major mobile operating systems, Windows, macOS, and web browsers.

Wire lets you chat securely in groups as well as individually. It uses end-to-end encryption based on the Signal protocol. Wire started with its source code closed off, but the code has been open-sourced over time.

Wire has won awards for ease of use and security, but there have been some concerns in recent years. The company moved from Luxembourg to the USA, which has raised concerns about privacy law changes when it comes to user data. It’s also become apparent that Wire keeps records on users, ostensibly to help with multi-device syncing.

For now, Wire is still considered one of the heavy-hitter private messaging apps, and there’s no indication that users should avoid it. Still, given the business changes that are going on, we advise keeping an eye on any privacy policy changes.

10. Viber (Android & iOS)

Pros

• Fast, great usability
• Competent security

Cons

• End-to-end encryption only for single chats

Viber is another messenger app that adds Linux to its list of compatible operating systems. Regarding privacy and security, it’s at the weaker end of the selection here, but the app does offer end-to-end encryption for one-on-one chats. Its safety has been audited externally by Ernst & Young. Although its encryption protocol hasn’t been published in detail, the company has described it using the same concepts as the Signal Protocol.

While this company’s security is only in the middle of the pack, Viber users seem to love the software. It’s by far the most popular app of its kind in Ukraine. With nearly 16 million downloads in the Google Play Store alone, there’s something to this funky chat app.

Let’s Have a Private Chat

That’s our list of the best secure messaging apps, but it’s hardly exhaustive. As privacy becomes an even hotter topic of discussion, you can expect the App Store and Play Store to accumulate more and more apps focused on keeping your chats private. 

Our mobile devices are now such a central part of our lives that you’ll have to make some sort of choice when it comes to private and secure messaging. Assess your risk appetite, decide how much data you’re willing to share with corporations, and then pick the app with the best match to your preferences. As Gandalf said, “Keep it secret, keep it safe!”.

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