What kind of data will WhatsApp share with Facebook? Sensitive data that many people won't want shared. It\u00a0reportedly includes<\/a>\u00a0your user ID, device ID, hardware model, operating system, battery level, signal strength, app version, browser info, mobile network, language, time zone, IP address, phone number, email address, contacts, advertising data, and payment information .<\/p>\n According to\u00a0this Wired article<\/a>, WhatsApp has been sharing much of this data with Facebook since 2016. But the pop ups that just started appearing, along with Facebook's recent history of privacy issues, seem to have finally tipped the public against WhatsApp.<\/p>\n Resolving to get away from WhatsApp is a good first step - but then comes the challenge of what to switch to. We've got your back on this one. So let's talk about our top five alternatives to WhatsApp.<\/p>\n There isn't any one service that works as a direct replacement for Facebook's WhatsApp. If you ignore the privacy issues, it is an excellent product, with tons of features and a multi-billion person user base.<\/p>\n Our 5 best WhatsApp alternatives each have their own unique characteristics that you need to consider. What they do all have in common is that they don't collect massive amounts of user data, metadata, or personally identifiable information, and they aren't about to share it all with Facebook.<\/p>\n We'll start with the messenger app that is getting the most attention these days, with recommendations from people like Edward Snowden and Elon Musk. That messenger app is called Signal.<\/p>\n Signal<\/a>\u00a0is a free messenger that features secure, end-to-end encrypted text, voice, and video chats, voice and video calls, as well as secure file and photo transfers. It is built around the Signal Messaging Protocol, widely recognized as the most secure messaging protocol available.<\/p>\n More importantly for this conversation, Signal goes out of its way to gather and store as little of your data as possible. Whereas WhatsApp gathers loads of information and stores it in their own servers, this WhatsApp alternative only records:<\/p>\n Any other data Signal uses, such as your contact list, who you have been communicating with, and the groups you belong to, is encrypted and stored on your device. As a result, no one, not even Signal's own personnel, can see any of this data without physical access to your device (or the device of someone who communicates with you).<\/p>\n How good is Signal? Their site features endorsements from experts like Edward Snowden,\u00a0Bruce Schneier<\/a>, and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. And when the whole WhatsApp controversy blew up, none other than Elon Musk suggested people move to Signal.<\/p>\n You can\u00a0get the Signal mobile app<\/a>\u00a0for free on Android and iOS devices. They also have a desktop version that runs on Windows, Mac OS, and Linux machines.<\/p>\n Sound promising? Then check out Restore Privacy's complete\u00a0Signal Messenger review<\/a>\u00a0to learn more.<\/p>\n Telegram<\/a>\u00a0is another good option if you want to escape from the WhatsApp data disaster. It offers the similar capabilities to WhatsApp, along with a huge user base. Most of the people you want to talk to are likely already using it. Telegram is cloud-based, which lets you use it on multiple devices simultaneously.<\/p>\n They gather less data than WhatsApp does, and they don't hand any of it over to Facebook. However, they do use server-side encryption for private and group chats that are stored on their servers. You'll want to use Secret Chats for the most private communications, since encryption is not enabled by default with the Telegram app.<\/p>\n You can\u00a0get Telegram<\/a>\u00a0for Android, iOS, Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. Threema<\/a>\u00a0is a mature, powerful messaging app that somehow never gained a wide audience. Unlike some of the other WhatsApp alternatives in this guide,\u00a0Threema<\/a>\u00a0is not free. It costs $2.99, but you don't have to go through the Google Play Store - the APK is also available for direct purchase and download.<\/p>\n With only a few million users worldwide, chances are that most of your contacts have never heard of Threema, much less used it. But if you are concerned with protecting your data from being used by others, it might be exactly the WhatsApp alternative you need.<\/p>\n You can use Threema totally anonymously. By default, you are identified on Threema by a randomly-generated ID that isn't associated with any user-identifiable data, and Threema doesn't log anything anyway. The service uses strong end-to-end encryption, so only the intended recipient of a message can read it.<\/p>\n Threema recently completed a transition to open source software, and the code is audited regularly so you can be confident that they aren't doing anything sneaky that could compromise your anonymity.<\/p>\n Threema runs on Android and iOS devices, and also has a browser-based chat for desktop use. To learn more about Threema, including their special versions for business and educational settings, check out Restore Privacy's full\u00a0Threema review<\/a>.<\/p>\n Wire is a corporate collaboration suite with secure messaging, group chat capabilities, file-sharing, and more. They also offer\u00a0Wire Personal<\/a>, which can be a good replacement for WhatsApp. Wire Personal is open source, end-to-end encrypted software, and it is completely free to use.<\/p>\n The company does log some data, but not to the extent that WhatsApp does. You need to provide either an email address or a phone number to create an account. Registering with a\u00a0disposable email<\/a>\u00a0address is a much more private way to go than using your phone number.<\/p>\n Like Threema, Wire Personal has a very small user base of only a few hundred thousand users. While it is free and works great now for personal use, it might not be a long-term solution given its limited adoption.<\/p>\n Wire Personal is available<\/a>\u00a0for Android, iOS, Windows, Mac OS, and popular browsers. You know a messenger app is secure when an elite military force chooses to use it for communication in a combat zone. Wickr was recommended for use by the 82nd Airborne's Task Force Devil when they were deployed at an unidentified location in the Middle East. If the Wickr product line is good enough for them, then\u00a0Wickr Me<\/a>\u00a0is surely a good enough WhatsApp replacement for us civilians.<\/p>\n Wickr Me uses anonymous accounts. With no personally identifiable information for them to log, the kind of problem we are seeing with WhatsApp's use of metadata can't exist.<\/p>\n All Wickr Me content is ephemeral. All messages and attachments self-destruct after the length of time you specify. Even if someone invents a quantum computer that can crack the encryption Wickr Me uses, there won't be any messages sitting around on your device to crack.<\/p>\n Wickr Me is available<\/a>\u00a0for Android, iOS, Windows, Mac OS, and Linux. Here are some frequently asked questions when the subject of the conversation is alternatives to WhatsApp.<\/p>\n As of today, one thing that is not at risk when you use WhatsApp is the content of your messages. The service's end-to-end encryption remains secure.<\/p>\n The danger is that WhatsApp collects a massive amount of other personally identifiable information about their users and will share it with Facebook, the parent company.<\/p>\n February 8, 2021, is the date when WhatsApp's new privacy policy goes into effect. If you live in the European Union or United Kingdom, this isn't a very big deal. But if you live anywhere else in the world, it is.<\/p>\n That's because the new policy requires you to agree to WhatsApp sharing all the data it has about you with Facebook. This includes sensitive things like your user ID, device ID, phone number, email address, contacts, advertising data, and payment information.<\/p>\n Facebook will of course be using any information it gets for its own purposes, selling it to third party marketers, and probably providing it to the FBI, NSA, and any other government agency that wants to keep tabs on who you talk to using WhatsApp.<\/p>\n What happens if you don't agree to these intrusive terms? You have to immediately delete your WhatsApp account.<\/p>\n It depends on which app you decide to use. Signal suggests you download the mobile app from Google Play or the Apple App Store. Telegram is available through those sources, too. But you can also download the APKs directly from\u00a0F-Droid<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0TechSpot Downloads<\/a>\u00a0if you are an Android user.<\/p>\n Yes. Both products use strong end-to-end encryption to protect the content of your messages. But WhatsApp gathers a large amount of data which it is about to begin handing to Facebook. This data can help identify you with a high degree of accuracy, which means you can be tracked as you travel around the internet.<\/p>\n Signal gathers only your phone number. Signal is also open source and their code has been extensively reviewed by privacy experts. There is no secret recording of user data that could be used to violate your privacy or track you as you move around the internet.<\/p>\n If you are concerned with your online privacy, it is time to join the crowd and abandon WhatsApp. While you won't find a competing product with the exact same characteristics as WhatsApp, there are several competitors that could meet your needs. We profiled the top five alternatives to WhatsApp here, and included links to our in-depth reviews of each.<\/p>\n You have until February 8, 2021 to either allow WhatsApp to share your data with Facebook, or to switch to one of these alternatives. We urge you to download one or more of these messengers and start testing it right away. You only have a few weeks to make your move.<\/p>\n To create, schedule and send massive marketing campaign via whatsapp use SendApp<\/a><\/p>\nTop 5 Alternatives to WhatsApp<\/h3>\n
1. Signal<\/h4>\n
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<\/picture><\/p>\n2. Telegram<\/h4>\n
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\nFor more details, see our\u00a0Telegram Messenger review<\/a>.<\/p>\n3. Threema<\/h4>\n
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<\/picture>\n4. Wire<\/h4>\n
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\nGet the complete story on Wire Personal in Restore Privacy's\u00a0Wire messenger review<\/a>.<\/p>\n5. Wickr Me<\/h4>\n
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\nLearn more about Wickr Me's unique features in Restore Privacy's full\u00a0review<\/a>.<\/p>\nWhatsApp alternatives FAQ<\/h3>\n
What are the dangers of using WhatsApp?<\/strong><\/h4>\n
What happens on February 8, 2021?<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Where is the best place to download WhatsApp alternatives?<\/strong><\/h4>\n
Is Signal safer than WhatsApp?<\/strong><\/h4>\n
In conclusion<\/h3>\n