Two apps — Signal and Telegram — are currently No. 1 and No. 2 free app downloads in Apple’s App Store and Google’s Play Store. According to data from Apptopia and Sensor Tower, millions of users have turned to chat apps in recent weeks. There are some factors behind the increase.
There is concern over a privacy-policy update for Facebook Inc — known WhatsApp. Meanwhile, President Trump’s demotion from major social networks following the US Capitol riots has prompted people to seek means of communication without intermediaries and external visibility.
On January 7, Tesla Inc. chief executive Elon MuskTweeted, “Use Signal.” A subsequent flood of users caused the app Phone-number verification system To break temporarily. Days later, Twitter Inc. CEO Jack DorseyPublished a screenshot Signal at the top of the App Store’s charts, with heart emojis. At the same time, influential accounts of Parlar, a social network popular among conservatives, called on followers to turn to Telegram. Donald Trump Jr. actively posts in a public channel on the app.
What do signals and telegrams have in common? Both are chat apps that offer Big Tech’s incomprehensible end-to-end encryption. Encrypted messaging apps such as Signal and Telegram can offer more security, privacy, and features than plain text messaging — but their encryption methods and data collection vary. Meanwhile, WhatsApp and Apple Inc.’s iMessage also provides end-to-end encryption, but within their respective ecosystems.
Here’s how to choose an encrypted chat app, and why you want to.
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