WhatsApp is the most popular messenger in the world thanks to 1 billion users in 180 countries.
With the purchase of WhatsApp by Facebook in 2014, privacy experts and safety-conscious users have sounded the alarm. After all, Facebook's products and third-party applications that it uses have been hacked more than once, leading to the loss of sensitive data from thousands of users. At the same time, the company WhatsApp has always insisted that their application functions separately that they are committed to building and maintaining a reliable and secure messenger.
This will change soon. Facebook representatives recently announced that they want to merge three of their messengers. Company going to unite Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp and the messenger functions of the Instagram platform so that users can exchange messages between these platforms.
Our source confirms that these plans also include the rollout of end-to-end encryption on all three platforms. In theory, this would make Facebook Messenger and Instagram as reliable platforms as WhatsApp. On the other hand, it could make the WhatsApp messenger less reliable if it has to meet the standards of the other two platforms.
Security gaps in WhatsApp
WhatsApp promises users end-to-end encryption - excellent protection. Of course, there are a few issues here that developers should work with.
The service's disclaimer states: “As part of the Facebook group of companies, WhatsApp receives information from them and shares data with them... We may use the information we receive from these companies, and they, in turn, may use the information we share with them to help manage, provide, improve, recognize, customize, maintain and sell our Services and their offerings. ”
“Facebook and other companies of the Facebook group of companies may also use our information to improve the services provided to users, for example, to offer some kind of company products ”.
“We do not store messages from our users when we carry out routine activities to provide our Services. In doing so, we store information about our users' accounts, including user profile images, usernames and profile status if the user chooses to provide it as basic information about their profile. ”
In other words, this means that your messages are protected, but at the same time WhatsApp stores user data on private servers... The company reserves the right to use this data for marketing purposes.
Moreover, the data that is stored on their servers can be transferred to government agencies in case of “emergency”. Hackers can also break into WhatsApp's server defenses and gain access to phone numbers and user profile data.
5 Best Alternatives to WhatsApp - These Apps Will Protect You and Your Privacy
1. Signal
The Signal messenger is free, uses strong data encryption and works on all mobile platforms. Like most other messengers, the application Signal is very easy to use... You can also make voice and video calls, so you won't miss WhatsApp.
Signal also has a desktop application, so you can use it on your computer too, not just on a smartphone.
Each message is encrypted, only the recipient and the sender can read it. Messages cannot be hacked by hackers. Signal uses open-source encryption source code so that experts can always test it on their own and find bugs. This makes the application even more reliable.
Users can erase your messages by setting a time interval after which they are automatically deleted. This guarantees your privacy even if someone else gains access to your smartphone.
In Signal no animated emoji... But you can import emoji from your device into the app.
pros
- End-to-end encryption
- Open source encryption
- Available for all major platforms
- "Disappearing" messages
Minuses
- No animated emoji
2. Threema
Threema promises users absolute privacy. Your contact lists and group chat data are stored exclusively on your device and not in the app. Messages are deleted immediately after reading. Plus, you can chat with people using your 8-digit Threema ID without using your phone number, further protecting your data. You can check contacts using unique QR codes.
Threema uses end-to-end encryption for all types of messages, including text, voice calls, files, and group chats. The app even encrypts your status so that no one can track what you post. Messages can only be read by targeted recipients.
Feel free to use the Threema web browser extension. Like WhatsApp, the application has editing functions, you can specify the location and send files. Unlike WhatsApp, users can create polls and like individual messages. You can even hide certain chats and password protect access to them.
The Threema service is registered in Switzerland, which is famous for its laws to protect user privacy.
pros
- No need to use a phone number
- Contacts can be verified using QR codes
- Text editing functions
- Can protect chats with a password
Minuses
3. Telegram
Telegram has over 200 million active users, making it a popular alternative to WhatsApp. The cloud application works on all platforms. Like WhatsApp, it uses a two-tick system to show that the message has been read by the recipient.
The default application uses end-to-end encryption for voice calls so that no one can eavesdrop on your conversations. At the same time, the encryption of messages must be turned on manually so that they do not accumulate.
As in the Signal app, in Telegram, you can automatically delete messages after a certain amount of time. You can also share multimedia files here.
pros
- Simple and user-friendly platform
- Cloud storage so you don't lose important data
Minuses
- Encryption is not done by default, you need to enable it manually
- Developers have created their own encryption standards, which have been criticized more than once
4. Wire
The Wire app is protected by European user data storage laws, so it is a secure messenger that uses end-to-end encryption. There are free individual accounts and paid ones tariff plans for business from additional features and support. Wire prides itself on providing seamless video and audio communication for users.
Wire supports 1: 1 screen sharing and group chats. It also supports distribution of multimedia files and filtering of audio files... You can go to your account from eight synchronized devices, the application is also compatible with all major platforms.
You can make text bold and italicized, and create chat lists. You can also optimize file sizes to make them easier to share and set timers to clear messages for added protection.
pros
- Protected chats
- Self-deleting messages
- Ability to use 8 devices at the same time
- Graphically rich dialogues
Minuses
- Paid application
5. Riot.IM
The application supports Internet telephony and video calls, and encrypts messages through the end-to-end method. Each user receives a unique identification number; this number is used instead of a telephone number to protect the anonymity of users.
Riot is powered by open source... It has its own bots, but any developer can create their own. This allows users to interact with the application, making it more flexible and secure. Thanks to open source, Riot is more suitable for development teams than corporate clients.
Different chats function on the basis of the Riot application, and users can enter any public chats... There are also private chats, which can be accessed via the invitation link.
In addition to all, the desktop application has a simple and user-friendly interface and the app itself is available in seven languages. You will also be able to interact with other applications.
pros
- User ID instead of phone number
- Open source software
- Simple and convenient desktop client
- The app is available in seven languages
Minuses
- Encryption is not enabled by default, you need to enable it manually
If you want to make sure your private messages remain private, forget about WhatsApp and look for safer alternatives. The applications suggested in our review are known for their security.
Looking for other security tools? Read our articles on how
Now almost every student and adult knows about such programs for communication on the Internet as WhatsApp or Viber. But why use both if you can make a choice by comparing them? How to choose between Vatsap, Viber and, for example, Telegram?
Comparison by individual criteria
Price
Direct comparison can be well started with the price. For the Vatsap application, payment is required starting from the second year of use. It is almost one dollar (99 cents). At the same time, the second program - Viber - remains completely free.
Moreover, according to the assurances of the officials of this program, as well as numerous publications on the worldwide web, the application will continue to support such a policy. The only thing the creators of Viber are going to earn on is additional new pleasures attached to the program.
They do not constitute any mandatory or integral part of the mentioned software, therefore, will not affect the interests of users.
Traffic quantity and functions
For those who have not unlimited or very cheap Internet on their device, the comparison point for available traffic will arouse interest. Now Vatsap is gaining the upper hand: it has much better traffic provision. Whatsapp is a cost-effective way to send messages, while Viber costs a lot for video calls.
Among the global opportunities:
- Whatsapp has the ability to send text, video, sound messages, including pictures, emoticons, hold the so-called forward dialogues and conferences.
- Viber is attracted by the function that allows you to make a video or audio call.
Security of the data being opened
As for the security, privacy of all Whatsapp or Viber clients, the situation is like this:
- The first of the programs is necessarily created (in the context of personal use) based on phone number person. All his contacts, respectively, are loaded into the databases, and they are also tied to the number. All the participants of these systems taken together and who bought mobile number on the passport must know the information given.
- What about Viber and his privacy and personal data protection capabilities? Here, it turns out, you can put a person on the black list, and the tracking system based on Google Ananlitics can be turned off.
Ability to work in symbiosis with platforms
In order for the distribution to be carried out through WhatsApp, you can use devices such as a phone (no older than Nokia S40_Simbian), a smartphone based on Android or Apple (operating IOS system 3.4 and older), a gadget based on Windows Phone version 7.5. But an even more practical option would be an older version, for example, the eighth. By the way, the "eight" on this moment is considered the minimum requirement for successful use of Viber.
Whatsapp on personal computers you can also successfully use (send out). Windows or Mac will perfectly accept this messenger. At the same time, if you have a mobile client and do not want to download another version of the program, you can install it on your computer. It also fits perfectly with the Blackberry platform.
Viber also supports the Android and Apple platforms, also Barbury, Symbiosis, Bada, Windows Phone.
Another difference between Vatsap: you cannot send voice and video messages, send SMS, make calls to numbers not registered in the phone book. Viber has this opportunity, but it is paid.
Appearance and interface
- Whatsapp is quite attractive, judging by the reviews about appearance programs, and the creators regularly come up with ways to simplify the use of the already extremely simple software.
- In the next point - the simplicity of making video calls in the interface of the phone, Viber would have won, but the money you spend on this when accounting for traffic makes this application a loser in this battle.
- But in Vibera (right during the chat) there is an opportunity to send large sticker pictures! You can draw them directly on the screen with your finger using different colors and tools.
- Groups - this concept is familiar to both programs, but only Viber can search for open (public) group chats. He is able to call even on landline phone(it is also called city), although not free.
- But in Watsap, you just have to want to - and you can delete all unnecessary messages with one touch of your finger, although this cannot be done in the second client under consideration - you will have to clean the folder, deleting one message at a time.
- In Viber, the number of calls in one conference call is limited.
- In Vatsap, you can send one message at once to a large and unlimited number of system participants.
So, everyone should decide which is better, Vatsap, Viber or Telegram, based on their communication needs.
Let's try to figure out which messenger is better, WhatsApp or Viber. Often we have to use the same means of communication as friends, in order to be able to write or call them at all. In this review, we will not take into account the popularity of this or that application among your friends, although this factor turns out to be decisive when choosing a messenger.
Application functions
Chat room
Both apps have quite decent Chat, which is pleasant to chat and has many functions. We will not dwell on the same functions in detail, we will only list them:- You can send photos and videos
- Location
- A voice message
- Contact
- Emoticons
Original features in WhatsApp Chat
Original Viber Chat features
Group chat
You can create your own group and communicate with several interlocutors at the same time in both applications, but here Public group chats, with the ability to search for them, is available only in Viber.
Contacts
Both applications are integrated into the phone book, there are no significant differences.Free internet calls
Both messengers have an audio call over the Internet (between owners of an application with an Internet connection), they are of the same quality in terms of quality and spend approximately the same amount of traffic.Calls to landline and mobile phone numbers
Only Viber can make a call to a landline or mobile number without Internet access!
This function is not free, but the rates are not high and if you want to call to another country, we recommend using the service Viber Out
Video calls
Interface and usability
It is difficult to objectively assess the convenience of the application, which is convenient and simple for some, unusual and difficult for others, but still we will try to demonstrate by examples the disadvantages and advantages of the interface of both programs.
Supported Devices
As for cross-platform, Viber is in the lead here, it has full-fledged versions for various operating systems, which cannot be said about WhatsApp, in order to install it you will have to sweat, but if you use the instructions - WhatsApp for a computer, then it will not be so difficult.
Conclusion
Viber has an indisputable advantage in terms of functions related to calls and video communication, and if you use them, then the choice is obvious for you. But if you call only for free via the Internet and appreciate the simplicity and convenience during correspondence, then it is better to install WhatsApp.Write in the comments what you use and your opinion about these programs.
On the Internet, controversy continues about which messenger is the best, which is the most reliable and unbreakable. The most important arguments are usually the words of a neighbor who is being repaired in the same garage with the personal driver of the KGB / KNB / FSB / NKVD general, who heard his boss say that only Viber installed on an iPhone cannot be hacked.
In general, information on reliability, like the very concept of "reliability" of messengers, runs at the level of rumors and speculation. Although there is a completely independent body (The Electronic Frontier Foundation www.eff.org), which regularly analyzes the reliability of instant messengers on several parameters at once:
- Encryption in transit - the entire process of communication between users must be encrypted. No data (other than metadata such as names or addresses) should be transmitted in cleartext.
- Communications must be encrypted with a key, which under no circumstances should the telecom operator have. Encryption keys must be generated and stored on the user's device and never leave it (except for service operations, such as backup, etc.).
- The messenger must ensure that you are really communicating with the correspondent with whom you want. The system must reliably identify the correspondent, even if the telecom operator's channel is compromised.
- If your current key is intercepted in any way, old messages should not be decrypted with it.
- The messenger program code must be publicly published so that experts can make sure that there are no bookmarks, errors, etc.
- Documented procedures - this criterion requires a clear and detailed description of the cryptographic procedures used in the messenger. This document should be available for professional cryptographers to analyze the algorithms and parameters used at each step, how user keys are generated and stored, their life cycle, etc.
- Independent audit - has the messenger been audited by an independent large specialized organization in the last 12 months?
The results of the Telegram vs WhatsApp vs Viber test are shown in the table below (better viewed on a computer):
As you can see, Viber is not the best messenger in terms of reliability.
Despite all these factors, it should be remembered that the main source of information is not intellectual hacking of IT systems, but a simple human factor. We have already discussed this in the article.
No matter how reliable the messenger is, the employees of law enforcement and similar structures, I think, will confirm that the “game of elephants” or a finger pinched by the door works wonders of “hacking” and without any IT knowledge.
More recently, there was a sensational story about how one of the police investigators lost his phone, which preserved the correspondence in instant messengers, where the investigator discussed the last case with his management. Both the investigator and her supervisor knew that the accused were innocent, agreed on their position on how to falsify evidence, and even sometimes lamented a little that “they would have to sit down, not let them out”. You can search for details yourself:
If you are conducting correspondence that for some reason would like to be kept confidential, then it is best not to conduct it at all. But if you do lead, the most the best option, these are secret Telegram chats that automatically clear messages older than a certain age. For example every 30 seconds.
In any case, it is recommended to clean the message archives from time to time. But you need to understand that simply clearing the message history will only help in the case of the most unprepared researcher. If, for example, your husband is an it-schnik, and you cleaned WhatsApp so that he does not know what you plan to give him for his birthday, then he can pick up the archive file stored on his smartphone and access the deleted correspondence.
It's even better if from time to time you completely demolish the application along with all the files and reinstall it. It's a good idea to train your key interlocutors to do the same.
The downside is that messengers such as Viber and Telegram send messages via address book to all users that you (again) installed the client on their mobile phone.
This is useful not only from the point of view of fears of being caught by the other half / parents / companions / anti-terrorists. Constant cleaning of messengers teaches us not to store valuable information in messages. I think many have come across the fact that they received, for example, a phone number via WhatsApp, but did not save it, and every time you drop by to call. And then, for some reason, once - and the messenger was unavailable. By accustoming yourself to cleaning messages, you will at the same time learn to transfer all valuable information to places that are more intended for this. Phones to contacts, photos to galleries, etc.
Well, if you are completely obsessed with privacy, then just a phone will not be enough for you. For these purposes, complex phones are needed. Or complicated messengers, such as this one - read it, in this messenger, in my opinion, they have implemented everything that can be imagined for the paranoid protection of your correspondence.
Viber and Whatsapp messengers are the most popular among modern users. With their help, you can not only send text messages but also communicate through voice calls.
All this allows you to significantly save on services. mobile communications... However, before installing the messenger, the question arises "What is the difference between Viber and Whatsapp?" This article will help you deal with this.
Major differences
Viber and Whatapp have many similar features and a few differences that make them attractive to different users. Of course, everyone can cancel the advantages and disadvantages of each of the messengers. That is why they each have their own fans. There are several functional and external differences between Viber and Watsap:
- External design, the color scheme in which the control panel is designed.
- You can send doodles in Viber.
- Plus, Viber has good quality videos and sounds.
- Viber, unfortunately, provides a limited number of conferencing connections.
- More graphic options are provided in Watsap.
- The programs provide different levels of communication security.
What is the difference?
WhatsApp was originally designed to provide seamless communication through text messages. Therefore, it did not require a large amount of mobile traffic. Compresses the photos you send.
Viber was originally intended to be multifunctional, with its help you can not only send messages, but also communicate through voice and video calls. Therefore, a large amount of Internet traffic will be required, so you need to connect high speed internet... This messenger allows you to send a photo without changes.
Programs different ways determining the location. Both applications have certain restrictions on file transfer. You cannot send a whole document to them.
How applications work and their functionality
Of course, each of the applications has its own advantages and disadvantages, which is why they are still gaining popularity. These messengers greatly simplify communication, allow you to use a large number of free functions. A good Internet connection is required to use the programs.
- Can send messages in text mode.
- All properties of the application can be used for free for one year, then these services will be available for $ 1.
- Allows you to send videos and photos from the gallery mobile device directly from the gallery or from the camera.
- Provides free communication between program users.
- It is possible to send audio.
- You can send a mailing to several recipients at once.
- You can connect with a certain group of people.
- Has no ads.
- There may be an offline notification.
- In the dialogue, you can choose the wallpaper.
- Full integration with phonebook contacts is made.
Viber
- Provided absolutely free.
- Allows you to create doodles.
- There is no advertising of any kind in the program.
- Notifications can be received even offline.
- Can transfer media files: photos from a camera, images, video files from a mobile device.
- You can create a group in which up to 40 people can correspond.
- You can convey emotions in a message, which is possible thanks to stickers.
- Calls are provided free of charge.
- The main purpose of the program is to transmit messages.