The new WhatsApp privacy policy has created a security concern amongst users. People are absolutely shocked as the company has officially confirmed to share WhatsApp data with the parent company Facebook. Users are worried about WhatsApp getting access to their personal chats. This is why people have started looking for WhatsApp alternative apps for Android and iPhones.
As per the new terms and conditions, the company will share your data with Facebook. There is no way to deny this policy. You can either accept it and allow them to take your data, or stop using WhatsApp permanently. This is totally not fair as everyone uses WhatsApp for their personal use as well as for business purposes. It seems that Facebook has finally started showing its true colors.
There is no doubt that WhatsApp is the most popular messaging app in the world. The app started its journey back in 2009 with an aim to take over SMS and MMS text messaging platforms. Soon, it evolved into a plethora of user-friendly features that people absolutely loved. Due to its increasing popularity, Facebook acquired it in 2014 for a whopping price of $19 billion.
According to a recent report, more than 180 countries with over 2 billion active users use WhatsApp. Besides, the company also witnessed a milestone of over 1.4 billion voice and video calls on New Year’s Eve 2020-21. It was surprisingly a great start for Facebook. However, the latest updated terms of service and privacy policy have created tremendous hatred towards the app.
This popular messaging app has received global backlash. People have started to uninstall and delete their WhatsApp accounts permanently. Although WhatsApp head, Will Cathcart tweeted that this privacy policy will not disclose private messages, still users are switching to alternative apps. According to the company, all the messages are end-to-end encrypted.
But, everyone knows about Facebook and its past. Therefore, nobody wants to take any risks. The main reason why users want to leave WhatsApp is to protect their data and avoid their information being used for targeting advertisements. Although the company has clarified that the policy will not affect your privacy, still everyone wants to switch to other WhatsApp alternative apps.
10 Best WhatsApp Alternative Apps for Android
Here is the list of best WhatsApp alternative apps that you can convince your family and friends to use. In this guide, we’ll look at the best messenger apps and chat apps for Android and iOS. Without further ado, let’s check out the list of WhatsApp Alternative Indian apps given below.
1. Signal
Signal Messenger is a user-friendly messaging app. It is the biggest rival of WhatsApp and Telegram. Besides, it is available for Android, iOS, and Windows operating systems. The signal app is well known for giving the best security and end-to-end encryption technology.
Moreover, it comes with some amazing features such as self-destructing messages, screenshot protection, etc. It does not share your data with any third-party apps. Recently, the Signal app gained instant popularity after Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted to use the service.
2. Telegram
If you ask someone which is the best WhatsApp competitor app? Then the only answer you’ll hear is Telegram. We have mentioned this app in the second position as it comes with some better features than WhatsApp.
Using Telegram, you can easily send up to 2GB of free data to anyone. Yes, you heard it right. Currently, this is the only app in the world that offers this feature. Moreover, you can even create groups with up to 200,000 members.
Telegram provides the best privacy and security features as compared to Signal or WhatsApp. Most importantly, it features a secret chat mode that can save your messages only on your device. If one person deletes the chat, it is deleted from both phones.
3. Discord
Gamers mostly use Discord for online chatting. Eventually, the app evolved into something much more. Discord is a server-based messaging application. Every server of Discord includes its own members, topics, rules, and channels.
Discord is also known as Skype for gamers and is available for Android, iPhone, Windows, and Mac OS. Moreover, it is starting to get more popular as the best competitor of WhatsApp, Skype, Slack, and TeamSpeak.
4. Kik
If you do not want to use your mobile phone number in any chatting app, then Kik is the app you need. Every messaging app in the world requires a phone number to operate. But Kik messenger is the best platform that uses an email ID instead of a phone number.
After you sign up on Kik using your email ID, a unique user name will generate for you. Furthermore, you can share this Kik username with your friends and family for connection. Additionally, Kik features plenty of trending emojis, stickers, and GIFs.
5. Line
Line is another WhatsApp alternative app that ranks at the number one position in almost 52 countries. Similar to WhatsApp, Line provides end-to-end encryption for voice and video calls.
You can use the Line messaging app to share messages, emojis, photos, videos, stickers, GIFs, voice messages, locations, etc. Besides, it even offers a Line Pay service for payments.
6. Bridgefy
Are you looking for the best offline messaging app that runs without the internet? If yes, then use Bridgefy. This app uses your mobile phone’s Bluetooth antenna for easy offline communication. The app automatically detects nearby users that have Bluetooth-enabled devices.
The Bridgefy app is mostly used in places with loud noises. For example, sports stadiums, music concerts, festivals, rural areas, etc. Besides, it offers three main types of messaging services viz. Person-to-Person mode, Broadcast mode, and Mesh mode.
7. Wickr Me
Wickr Me is another messaging app that works great especially for security-conscious people. It offers complete encryption right from voice calling to file sharing. Wickr Me encrypts your messages with a new key using advanced vetted end-to-end encryption. Because of such encryption, even Wickr Me is not able to access your chats or your contacts.
8. Viber
Viber is another big rival of WhatsApp. It offers almost similar features as compared to WhatsApp. You can send text messages, videos, photos, emojis, GIFs, etc. Moreover, Viber also supports end-to-end encryption.
Most importantly, it also encrypts the saved messages on any Android smartphone. If you want to make international calls for free, then Viber is the app you need. It’s one of the most secure messaging and calling applications.
9. Threema
If you are concerned about message privacy and security, then try out the Threema app. There is no doubt that Threema is absolutely the most secure instant messaging app that you can use.
This app encrypts all the phone data including messages, status updates, media files, documents, etc. Apart from that, to back up your messages, Threema provides various encrypted backup options.
10. Keybase
Keybase is a messaging app that is quite similar to Slack. Due to its encryption facility, Keybase is specially developed for privacy-concerned users. Keybase is the only app that works on all platforms.
It is compatible with Android, iOS, Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems. Similar to Kik, Keybase does not require a mobile phone number. You can easily connect with anyone without using a phone number or email address.
11. Voxer
Also known as the Walkie-Talkie messaging app allows you to send end-to-end encrypted messages. That means that nobody can read or modify your chats on Voxer. Similar to a push-to-talk or walkie-talkie device, you can instantly communicate using Voxer.
If we’ve missed any other WhatsApp alternative apps for Android and iOS, then do let us know in the comment section below.
1 thought on “10 Best WhatsApp Alternative Apps for Android”
I didn’t see the instant messenger app “wire”