At present, when you think of sending a text message or voice note to someone, you WhatsApp. We use the app so often that the name ‘WhatsApp’ is no more a noun; we use it as a verb.
Recently, Facebook-owned WhatsApp updated its privacy policy. This update has not gone down well with several of its users and has begun a massive hunt for a new alternative. Their diligent search efforts buttressed by Elon Musk’s tweet has led many towards – Signal; a California based instant messaging app, founded and run by a non-profit organization. So, what exactly is Signal Messenger, and should you switch to it? Read on.
Signal Messenger App
Signal and WhatsApp share a history as the former is the brainchild of the co-founder of WhatsApp – Brian Acton. After Facebook acquired WhatsApp, Acton decided to call it quits sighting the risk of user privacy as a reason. So how is Signal distinct from his earlier invention?
Let’s Explore Some of the Salient Features for Signal Messenger –
1. It’s Free
A Signal is an open-source, free, and secure instant messaging app that supports text, images, documents, voice, and video calls. It also supports group messaging.
2. Encrypted for Privacy
Most importantly, it supports end-to-end encryption for text and voice messages; this means no one can peep into your messages. Unlike WhatsApp, Signal pledges to keep it that way!
3. Safety PIN
Signal also allows you to set a lock PIN during registration. This pin helps protect the private profile information and to retrieve profile settings when the user loses the device or switches to a new one.
4. Disappearing Messages
Signal allows for sending disappearing messages. So, if you want the message shouldn’t stay in your recipient’s inbox for long, you can make it happen. Just like Ethan Hunt’s task messages from the Mission Impossible movies, you can cause your messages to self-destruct within minutes.
5. Screen Security
Another salient feature of the app includes something called Screen Security. With this feature, you can block other apps from your phone and yourself from taking screenshots of your private chat.
6. Sender Anonymity
The app also hides another critical piece of metadata with a ‘sealed sender’ feature. In this feature, it hides who is messaging whom, i.e., hides details of the sender and the recipient.
7. Ad-Free
Apart from adding new features such as an incognito keyboard and blurring of faces before sending pictures, Signal also promises to keep the app ad-free, at least for now.
So, having gone through the features, one can conclude that Signal is an excellent alternative to WhatsApp as an instant messaging service, especially if you are concerned about privacy and security.
Telegram – Another Alternative
Another alternative that deserves a mention and you can try your hands at is Telegram. Messages on Telegram are also encrypted, but their back-end services are not open-sourced, so no one can tell what happens to our messages once they reach their servers. However, the app boasts of some unique features that make it one of the fiercest competitors in the running against WhatsApp –
Let’s explore some of the salient features for Telegram Messenger –
1. Flash Messaging
The app’s servers are spread across the globe, making it the fastest messaging service than its rivals.
2. Send Large Files
On Telegram, you can share a file whose size can range in GBs, 1.5GB to be precise.
3. Extra Large Group Messaging
The app allows you to form a group of 100000 people in a single group. Quite impressive!
We have done our very best to list down every possible bit of information that will help you make an informed decision on whether to choose Signal or Telegram over WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger. If you think we may have missed out on any technical and critical detail, please free to mention those in the comments section below.
