If you’re a big believer in privacy, that means you want to use secure and encrypted messaging apps that protect your data as much as possible. Here, we are going to talk about the best messaging apps which are secured and used encryption while messaging, video chatting, and sharing files, folders and photos.
This is the internet era. More than 80% of the world’s population now owns a mobile phone. This increase in the use of mobile devices is the main reason behind the emergence of new communication tools such as messenger apps, and social media platforms, among the most popular communication tools of the new millennium.
The messaging app landscape is changing rapidly. Here’s a look at the top messaging apps in 2022.
1. Telegram
Telegram is also the best messaging app. It has 4.3 stars rating on Play store Out of 5. The app was released on 6 September 2013. As of July 2022, the app has been downloaded over 1 Billion times on Play Store.
Unique features of Telegram
- No Data shared: The developer of telegram says that this app doesn’t share user data with other companies or organizations.
- Request for deleting your Data: According to the developers of telegram you can request for deleting your collected data such as location, personal info, messages, photos and videos, audio, files and documents, contacts, etc. The developer provides a way for you to request that your data be deleted.
- Fast: Telegram is the fastest messaging app on the market. It used a unique distributed network of data center around the globe.
- Synced: This is the best feature of Telegram. You can access your messages from all your devices at once. Start typing on one device and finish the message with another device. It means that if you type a half message on laptop, it will automatically be synced on phone and you can complete your message with phone.
- Powerful: You can create group chats with up to 200000 members. You can share large files, videos, and documents up to 2GB each.
- Private Storage or Hosting: You can save photos, videos, files, and documents separately on ‘Saved Messages’ section of Telegram.
- Share Photo with or without compression: You can share photos with or without compression. If you share from ‘Gallery’ option then it will compress your file. It will reduce little bit quality of photos. But if you share images after clicking on ‘File’ option then there is an option available ‘To send Images without compression’. It will not reduce the quality of photos.
2. Viber
Viber is also a top messaging app with 4.2 stars out of 5 in Play Store. As of July 2022, the app has been downloaded over 1 Billion times on the Play Store. The app was released on 19 July 2011.
Unique features of Viber
- Create Custom Sticker: You can create custom stickers on Viber according to your interest. You can also edit existing stickers on Viber. For this click on ‘More’ option. Then click on Sticker market. Now you can see a create pack button in the right top corner. Then you can add custom photos, an can create your custom sticker.
- End-to-end encryption: on by default for all 1-1 calls, chats, and group chats end-to-end encryption allows to you to communicate with confidence. No one, not even Viber can read your messages.
- Self-destructing messages: You can choose timer option for recipient to read messages according to your interest. You can choose, 10 seconds, 1 minute, or up to 1 day. After timer finishes, messages will be deleted automatically.
- Existing stickers: There are more than 55,000 stickers on Viber. Most stickers are free and some stickers are premium on Viber. Every pack of premium stickers costs $1.81.
3. WhatsApp
WhatsApp is also a best messaging app with 4.2-star rating out of 5 stars on Play Store. It was released on 18 Oct 2010. As of July 2022, the app has been downloaded over 5 Billion times on the Play Store.
According to WhatsApp, it is simple, reliable, and private to keep in touch with friends and family. WhatsApp is used by more than 2 Billion people in more than 180 countries.
Unique features of WhatsApp
- End-to-end encryption: The latest version of WhatsApp use end-to-end encryption to secure your most personal moments. End-to-end encryption help to secure your messages and calls. So, only you and the person you are communicating can read and listen your message and call. When end-to-end is encrypted then even WhatsApp cannot access your call and message.
- Single message to multiple people: With the help of ‘New Broadcast’ option you can send same message to multiple people at once. By Clicking on the menu you can find new broadcast option and select contacts from your list and send to multiple people at once.
- Send Message to Yourself: Sometimes you need to test a message or you want to decrease photo size. Then you don’t want to send messages or photos to anyone but you want to upload them on WhatsApp. For this, create a group and add a friend to this group then remove friend from this group. Now you are a single, and you can message to yourself.
- Format your text: You can use bold, italic, and strikethrough format of words on WhatsApp. Use asterisk like this for bold (*check*), underscore for italics (_check_) and tilde for
strikethrough(~check~).
4. Messenger
Messenger app is the top messaging app with a 4.0 rating on Google Play Store. The Messenger app was released on 30 Jan 2014. As of July 2022, the app has been downloaded over 5 Billion times on the Play Store.
The current version of Messenger requires Android version 9 and up. If you have a phone with less than Android version 9 then you can use an older version of messenger. It was released for free video chat, video call, voice call, and text messaging.
Unique features of Messenger
- Watch Together: In messenger, you can enjoy movies, videos, and music over video chat. To use this feature, while video chatting swipe up and click on the ‘Watch together’ option. You can find suggested videos, music videos, watched videos, and uploaded videos to watch together. You can also search videos according to your interest from the search box.
- Animated Effect: You can use animated effects while video chatting on messenger. There are multiple effects for you. There are also effects for everyone. You can put an effect on your partner while video chatting on messenger. For everyone effect will apply to you and your video chatting partner. There are also effects available to change the background. You can also use a custom background. It means you can put any custom photos and videos in the background.
- App Lock option: There is an app lock option on messenger for iOS users. You can put face lock and fingerprint ID to unlock messenger. So, it helps to protect your privacy and unauthorized person can not access your chats. But this option is not available for Android users.
- Payment: You can send and receive money by adding card detail, or other account details such as PayPal, reloadable prepaid cards, etc. This option is only available in United State of America. So, if you are from out of the USA you can not use this feature of messenger.
5. Skype
Skype is another best messaging app. It has 4.2 Stars rating on Play Store out of 5. The app was released on 4 October 2010. As of July 2022, the app has been downloaded over 1 Billion times on Play Store.
Unique features of Skype
- PowerPoint Presentations: you can share PowerPoint files, presentations, slides, etc. on Skype. For this, In the Skype for Business meeting window, click Share Content> Share PowerPoint Files. Find your presentation and click on it. It will automatically begin presenting slides.
- Polling: You can create a poll on skype. When there is conflict between two aspects, thought, decisions, view, etc. Then you can create poll on skype to vote. For this, in the meeting window, click the Present Content >More>Poll>create a poll. Then enter Poll name, question, and choices and click on create.
- Recording Feature: You can record Video calls, and meeting on skype. Skype will notify when someone starts recording the video call or meeting. You can record up to 24 hours of your call. For this, during video calling or meeting, simply click on the More options button then click on start recording.
- Guest account: You can join Skype as a guest and can chat, voice, and video call with anyone without Sign in to your account. This feature is only available on the web version of Skype. You can not use this feature if you are using an application. It means that, if you are using skype on your browser then you can use this feature.
- Switch to phone Calls: This is another best feature of skype. If you want to contact a person who is not online right now. You can call from skype on his/her phone number as a normal phone call. Or if you want to join meeting but there is no internet connection. Then you can join the meeting as phone call.
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Final Words:
All messaging apps are great and all these apps use different/different encryption methods. All these apps have various unique features. Other features like chatting, video calling, voice calling, sharing files and folders, etc. are common to all applications. In my opinion, Telegram is the best messaging app you can use. But you can use any of these application as per your interest, availability, compatibility, and need.
