Why would anyone be looking for a WhatsApp replacement? For one, the fact that WhatsApp is the most popular messaging app in the world does not imply that it is the best. Many users of the platform agree that, when compared to Facebook Messenger, several apps provide superior services in dealing with users’ data.
We understand how difficult it is to persuade those who have been using WhatsApp for years to switch to another messaging service, particularly if they have been using it for years and their contacts also use the same platform. However, recent changes in Facebook policy that resulted in the merger of the three platforms—Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp—and that will change the way user data is shared between the three platforms could be a reason users prefer other messaging apps.
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List of WhatsApp Replacement Apps
There is life beyond WhatsApp. There are many other free messaging apps that can be downloaded and that, in many aspects, offer better service than WhatsApp. The list below contains 8 common messaging apps you can also use:
1. Telegram
Telegram is one of the favorite messaging apps as popular as WhatsApp. It is probably one of the best alternatives to WhatsApp since its interface is quite similar to that of Facebook services. In this regard, it is easy to get familiar with it It incorporates dozens of features that do not exist in WhatsApp- such as custom themes, support for bots, supergroups, channels, and many more. In addition, its open-source philosophy means that developers can create alternatives to the original, and introduce new functions not included by default.
Based on security, while Telegram has been the subject of debate on several occasions due to an alleged lack of encryption, the truth is that the platform’s encryption method is similar to that used in Google Allo, Facebook Messenger, Line, and other platforms, so it is possible to chat safely without data breaches. More importantly, it should be noted that it is a fully multiplatform service, with native apps for Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows, as well as browser access.
2. Signal
Brian Acton, one of the creators of WhatsApp, decided to leave Facebook and finance the platform behind Signal, a private and ultra-secure messaging app used by people around the world who care about their privacy, and which has even been recommended by Edward Snowden, one of the great cybersecurity gurus. Like Telegram, Signal is open-source, so any expert with the necessary knowledge can perform security audits on the encryption protocols- which are also open – looking for holes. Signal itself ensures that its encryption algorithms are frequently reviewed by professional cryptographers to continue to improve the platform’s security.
3. Messages
In most countries, the native Android messaging app is still that app that only serves to receive SMS. However, Google has repeatedly reiterated that it has big plans for this application, and its goal is to turn this platform into a kind of “iMessage for Android” based on the RCS protocol, known as the future of instant messaging.
RCS technology, in general, is a kind of WhatsApp without the need for an Internet connection, allowing people from all over the world to communicate regardless of which telephone operator they use, as the vast majority has committed to adopting a universal system. We don’t know when this technology will be widely adopted, but we do know that Google’s messaging app is one of the few that already supports it.
4. Line
Line was one of WhatsApp’s main competitors at first, and today, with more than 200 million active users worldwide – a figure comparable to Telegram – it remains a fantastic alternative to Facebook’s messaging service. True, the service is primarily used in China and other Eastern countries, and its main selling point is free voice calls. Line, on the other hand, is a free messaging app with unique features that you won’t find anywhere else.
5. Facebook Messenger
It is not necessary to leave Facebook to find a messaging application that is much more complete than the queen of this sector, and that probably in the future will allow you to chat with WhatsApp users without having to have the app installed on your mobile. Messenger is not perfect, and in fact, in some aspects, it is worse than WhatsApp itself –such as the appearance of ads in chats–, but after its latest update it has an infinitely better design, and there is no doubt that the number of features and functions is unsurpassed by most of its rivals.
6. WeChat
Another app that is successful in Asia, but has not yet found its place in the rest of the world’s regions, is WeChat. According to data from Statista, by the end of 2018, more than 1,000 million people from around the world have already used the appt, which shows that it is not exactly a weak rival for WhatsApp. WeChat has the typical functions that we can find in most similar platforms- such as free calls and video calls, the possibility of sending a location in real-time, and stories.
7. Viber
Viber has just received the biggest update in its history, with a much cleaner and more polished design, and unique features like the ability to make group calls with up to 5 people. After just over 8 years of life, this multiplatform messaging application created by the Israeli Talmor Marco continues to be one of the most popular alternatives to WhatsApp, even though it has sometimes remained at the center of the hurricane due to controversies related to the treatment of user data.
8. Skype
Microsoft’s cross-platform communication tool could not be missing either. Skype, despite being a complete communication tool more than a messaging app, has evolved over the years to become a worthy rival to WhatsApp and the rest of the free messaging services.
It allows us to chat or talk on the phone with our contacts from any device, as well as send documents, multimedia files, GIFs, and much more. In addition, the Android application has been recently refurbished to work better even on less powerful mobiles.
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