5 Secure Messaging Apps To Chat Privately!

Summary

This video introduces five secure messaging apps to ensure private conversations: Element, a Matrix-based app with self-hosting options; Session, an open-source app with onion routing for anonymity; 3ma, which emphasizes metadata restraint and local data management; Wickr, designed for military and enterprises with a 'shredder' feature for auto-deletion; and Signal, endorsed by Edward Snowden, offering advanced encryption and disappearing messages. All are available on multiple platforms, with most being free.

Takeaways

• 🔒 **Element**: A secure and private messaging app built on Matrix, an open-source network. It offers end-to-end encryption, self-hosting capabilities, and no phone number requirement for account creation.
• 🌐 **Session**: An open-source, end-to-end encrypted messaging app that routes messages through the onion routing network, ensuring anonymity and no data collection.
• 🗣️ **Threema**: Known for its commitment to metadata restraint, Threema permanently deletes messages after delivery and manages all data locally, enhancing privacy.
• 🛡️ **Wickr**: Initially designed for military and government use, Wickr is an open-source messaging service with a 'shredder' feature for automatic deletion of messages and files.
• 📱 **Signal**: Highly regarded for its advanced encryption, supported by privacy advocate Edward Snowden. It offers a range of features including message sending, file sharing, and voice/video calls.
• 🆓 **Free Services**: Most of the apps mentioned are free to use, with some offering basic plans at no cost, making secure messaging accessible to everyone.
• 🌟 **Cross-Platform Availability**: All the recommended apps are available on multiple platforms, including iOS, Android, Windows, Mac, and Linux, ensuring broad accessibility.
• 🚫 **No Phone Number Required**: Except for Signal, the other apps do not require a phone number for registration, providing an additional layer of privacy.
• 🔄 **Data Deletion**: Features like self-destructing messages and automatic deletion of data after a set time or upon delivery are common among these apps, enhancing security.
• 👥 **Group Communication**: Many of the apps support group chats, allowing for secure communication with multiple people at once, with the same level of encryption as individual chats.

Q & A

What is the main issue with most messaging apps mentioned in the video?

Most messaging apps fail to keep private conversations secret.

How does Element differentiate from traditional messaging apps?

Element operates on Matrix, an open-source network for secure and decentralized communication, and allows self-hosting for maximum control over user data.

What is the significance of end-to-end encryption in secure messaging apps?

End-to-end encryption ensures that only the intended recipients can read the messages, protecting them from being intercepted or read by third parties.

Why is Session's messaging app considered private and secure?

Session uses onion routing for messages and does not collect any user data, ensuring privacy and security.

What is the guiding principle of 3ma that sets it apart from other messaging apps?

3ma's guiding principle is to restrain metadata and ensure no data is misused or leaked, with messages being permanently deleted after being sent.

How does Wickr differ from traditional messaging services in terms of privacy?

Wickr is designed to protect all electronic communication, has a shredder feature to delete conversations, and does not require a phone number to register.

Which famous privacy advocate endorses Signal as a secure messaging app?

Edward Snowden, the famous whistleblower, endorses Signal as a secure messaging app.

What is the unique feature of Signal that allows messages to disappear after a certain time?

Signal allows users to set a timer for messages to disappear, ensuring privacy and preventing long-term storage of conversations.

What is the advantage of open-source messaging apps like those mentioned in the video?

Open-source messaging apps allow anyone to view, audit, and contribute to the code, ensuring transparency and trust in the app's security.

How do these secure messaging apps help users avoid unwanted ads and data mining?

These apps protect user data through end-to-end encryption and do not collect or store user data, thus preventing unwanted ads and data mining.