

To access end-to-end encryption on Telegram, you’ll need to make sure you use the app’s “secret chat” feature, which is only available in one-on-one messaging. While both Telegram and Signal have this feature, only Signal has it enabled by default. If you don’t want anyone sneaking a peak at your messages or listening in on your voice calls, you’ll want to make sure your next messaging app has end-to-end encryption, too. “As a non-profit and privacy focused app, Signal claims to have no financial motivations to share its users’ private information, making it a secure option for people wanting to use a messaging app with enhanced privacy and security”, explained Chief Scientist and McAfee Fellow, Raj Samani.

If you’re main concern when it comes to finding a new messaging app is privacy, Signal may be the better choice. Signal may be your best bet if you’re looking for privacy

“After a few weeks of limited functionality, you won’t be able to receive incoming calls or notifications and WhatsApp will stop sending messages and calls to your phone,” warned WhatsApp on its support page this week. Instead of losing access the app immediately, users who put off hitting accept can now look forward to “persistent” reminders over the coming weeks before they begin to lose functionality.

Now, with its latest revised (and recently passed) deadline of the May 15, the app has gone back on its decision to restrict accounts that refuse to agree to the controversial privacy policy – sort of. The news sent many users scrambling toward alternative messaging platforms – including Signal and Telegram. Earlier this year, WhatsApp announced an update to its terms that would require users to consent to sharing their data with Facebook.
