The best WhatsApp alternatives for 2022

(Image credit: Allie Zru)

The best WhatsApp alternatives are the perfect manner for you to ditch Facebook for good. Leaving the social network side of things is easy, but it'due south much harder to leave WhatsApp when they don't have a solid option to switch over to.

Facebook's global outage towards the end of last year also shows how reliant people are the social network — whether they realize it or not. And then it's always a skillful idea to think about leaving WhatsApp backside, and switch to a competitor. A competitor that volition have many of the same features, so you won't miss out.

Just where do y'all actually become if you've been with WhatsApp for so long? That's where the best WhatsApp alternatives come in.

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Granted, WhatsApp may exist more controversial than it used to be, but that doesn't hateful you should bound back to plain onetime SMS. The old-schoolhouse text messaging organisation is hilariously insecure, whereas even WhatsApp has terminate to end encryption and some robust security measures in identify.

There are plenty of other options out in that location. Options that don't involve putting you or your contacts at chance, and ones that would offer y'all something WhatsApp can not.

Signal

Point is 1 of the most obvious choices for the more than privacy and security witting. The messaging service has endorsements from the likes of Elon Musk and Edward Snowden — with the latter crediting its security conscious arroyo for him still being alive.

Non only is Signal completely gratis, it likewise supports text messaging and voice, video and group calling. Messages can be set to self-destruct, and you can use a Chrome browser plugin if you'd rather ship your messages from a desktop car instead. Here's our tutorial on how to use Betoken.

Signal's open-source end-to-terminate encryption protocol is also used by WhatsApp, so you'll be getting WhatsApp's security without Facebook's interest.

The Bespeak app regularly conducts security audits on its software and manages to combine that security with a user-friendly interface that even your technophobic uncle could manage.

Betoken is owned and operated by a not-turn a profit foundation headed past cryptography expert and self-described anarchist Moxie Marlinspike and WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton, who famously left Facebook in 2017 afterward a public dispute over the hereafter of WhatsApp.

Download Signal: Android, iOS

best whatsapp alternatives: telegram — (Prototype credit: Telegram FZ-LLC)

If y'all'd rather have something similar to WhatsApp and linked to your phone number, Telegram is one selection for you. That said, experts have pointed out that Telegram's services aren't that secure, and its finish-to-stop encryption is not fix by default. So that's worth bearing in mind.

That said, Telegram still offers the option to share files, set messages to self-destruct, and chat in groups of upward to 200,000 users. It can too sync letters across all your devices, and costs absolutely nix to utilise.

Download Telegram: Android, iOS

iMessage

If y'all're an iPhone or Mac user, so the simplest option is sometimes the best, and iMessage is the platonic alternative to WhatsApp.

Non only can you transport messaging to all telephone numbers, whether they use iMessage or not, but Apple has a proven track record of not bending to demands by governments that it add backdoors to its encryption. Then your letters stay condom (unless someone can read your iCloud backups).

iMessage is just equally fully-featured as other pop messaging apps, with back up for images, GIFs, video and group calls. In some countries iMessage users tin fifty-fifty send each other money using Apple Pay.

Video and voice calling is not included in iMessage, and you lot'll have to do that in the FaceTime app instead -- and FaceTime works only with Apple devices. Why iMessage and FaceTime haven't been blended into 1 single communications app isn't articulate, but that's the manner it is. At least it's already installed on all iPhones and near Macs.

Google Messages

Google Messages is Google's reply to iMessage, and it's unremarkably available on modern Android phones right out of the box. If you lot can't find it, you can download Google Messages from Google Play.

Designed to supersede your existing SMS app and integrated with all Google's services, Google Messages is substantially iMessage, but for Android (and Windows, but not Macs or iOS).

End-to-end encryption is automated when you're messaging anyone else with Google Messages and you tin send all your usual images and files as you would with something similar WhatsApp.

What Messages doesn't have is video and vocalism calling, since that'due south all handled by Google Duo. That's correct: Simply as iMessage and FaceTime are nevertheless separate for some reason, then are Messages and Duo, although the latter isn't restricted to Android devices.

The practiced news is that Duo is probable already installed on your Android phone, and if information technology's not it's costless to download from Google Play. iPhone users tin can get Duo from the Apple App Shop.

Download Google Letters: Android

Download Google Duo: Android, iOS

Threema

Threema is an app dedicated to consummate privacy, with the option to utilize the app with total anonymity. Y'all tin connect it to your electronic mail or phone number, in instance yous want people to be able to find you, but unlike a lot of apps that'south not mandatory.

Naturally it also lets y'all ship text, voice, picture, and video messages, which are all encrypted. Likewise you can create group chats, send files, and even set up up polls to more than easily collect feedback from all your contacts. What'south more information technology has a congenital-in secure browser, and like WhatsApp everything is stored on your phone rather than some random server anyone tin access.

Threema itself is based in Switzerland, which is known for its strong privacy laws, simply it hasn't really caught on in other countries. The lack of name recognition and the $3 pricetag might make it difficult to convince other people to migrate with you.

Download Threema:Android, iOS

Wire

Some other choice hailing from Switzerland and information technology's stiff privacy laws, Wire is another encrypted messenger with the usual array of messaging options. It lets you conversation via voice, text, and video, while too supporting things like GIFS, file sharing, and all the other stuff you lot like from WhatsApp.

Different WhatsApp it'due south able to sync beyond devices, and supports multiple accounts for those times you need to proceed your communications split.

Wire uses its own open-source encryption protocol chosen Proteous, but information technology'southward based on the Bespeak protocol used by both Signal and WhatsApp and undergoes regular security audits to continue it secure.

Wire is free for mobile and desktop users, though at that place is a paid tier designed for businesses.

Download Wire: Android, iOS

Viber

Owned by Japanese e-retailer Rakuten, Viber is a service that started life equally a VoIP app and gradually grew to include things like text messaging, vox calls, group messaging, fully synced desktop and mobile apps, and more. All tied to your telephone number

Like other services on this list it's also end-to-cease encrypted, but features unique features including AR-powered selfie lenses (in partnership with Snapchat), group video calls, and a 'Communities' features that is basically a social network that lets people across the world discuss specific topics of involvement.

Viber is free to employ, though y'all can subscribe to 'Viber Out', a service that lets you make unlimited international calls to phones that don't have Viber installed. It's $6 a month.

Download Viber: Android | iOS

Other options are bachelor

While the options above are some of the best alternatives to WhatsApp, there are notwithstanding other options available to y'all. Especially of annotation are the best encrypted messaging apps, which offer many of the same features.

Whether yous opt for something a little less loftier profile, like Wickr Me, or something with an bodily price tag attached like the $10 a month Silent Phone. If you want to ditch WhatsApp, but are still hooked into the Facebook ecosystem, you tin can even employ Facebook Messenger. The opportunities for advice are endless, you just need to find the correct option for yous.

Why would you desire to leave WhatsApp?

WhatsApp is about ubiquitous in many regions of the world. It's an of import tool for businesses and personal advice, with its brand recognition and popularity making information technology the get-to option for a lot of people. Especially for cross-platform communication, where you tin't merely rely on iMessage of Google Messages.

Notwithstanding contempo developments have started hammering abode WhatsApp'due south relationship to parent company Facebook. The same Facebook that's well-nigh constantly in the news for some major controversy or another. The controversy over the WhatsApp privacy policy, which many understood to mean WhatsApp would start sharing more information with Facebook — with rumors that the contents of messages may also be accessible.

WhatsApp denied these claims, and insisted that not only were letters safe and inaccessible thanks to cease-to-cease encryption, the privacy policy only meant Facebook would be able to access information from how y'all interact with businesses on the platform. But it hammered home just how close the two companies really are.

Similarly the contempo global Facebook outage saw the social media behemothic's systems go down across the world — and information technology affected all Facebook-owned services, WhatsApp included. The outage lasted for several hours, and anyone who relied on WhatsApp (or Facebook) for communication was completely cut off.

It's incidents like these that might make you want to leave WhatsApp for proficient. Or at the very least sort out an alternative in example the app ever becomes inaccessible again.

Tom is the Tom's Guide'south Automotive Editor, which means he can usually be found knee deep in stats the latest and best electrical cars, or checking out some sort of driving gadget. It's long way from his days equally editor of Gizmodo Great britain, when pretty much everything was on the table. He'southward normally constitute trying to clasp another giant Lego set onto the shelf, draining very large cups of java, or lament that Ikea won't let him buy the stuff he really needs online.

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The best WhatsApp alternatives for 2022