WhatsApp is arguably the most popular messaging app in the world with over 2 billion monthly active users.
However, I'm sure there
are a number of you who are not too thrilled with WhatsApp and its link to Facebook.
Also, WhatsApp makes a recent
decision to change its privacy policy.
Many of you, in fact, are
actively looking for the best alternatives to WhatsApp!
In this article, we list two
of the best alternatives to WhatsApp that you should definitely consider downloading,
and using in 2021.
Why the need for an alternative to WhatsApp?
Although there has been
strong anti-WhatsApp sentiment since the messaging app was bought by Facebook
in 2014.
This never really
translated into a mass exodus.
That changed in January
2021, shortly after WhatsApp sent notifications to most of its 2 billion users
about impending changes to its privacy policy.
The notification of
WhatsApp
WhatsApp seemed to
indicate that acceptance of the new policies would be interpreted as users'
agreement to have their private information, shared with Facebook.
Within hours of users
being informed of the new changes, there was an outcry on social networks.
People started looking for
viable alternatives to WhatsApp, leading to a sort of mass exodus.
The media storm and
general negative publicity on the issue eventually forced WhatsApp to delay the
implementation of its new privacy policy.
After a global campaign to
explain to users that the new changes will not affect their privacy, WhatsApp sends
new announce.
Telegram: The best alternative to WhatsApp
Telegram regularly finds
itself at the top of the list in any article on alternatives to WhatsApp and
for good reason.
As well as being packed
with features, Telegram is visually similar to WhatsApp, giving users a sense
of familiarity once they've made the move.
Why is Telegram better
than WhatsApp?
User interface familiarity
aside, what keeps most people loyal to Telegram are some of the basic messaging
features that are better implemented than WhatsApp.
Telegram is a full-fledged
messaging app that can do almost everything you would expect from such an app.
It supports one-to-one
video chats/calls, group chats, channels, audio calls, creating bots and even
allows for polling.
As you may have noticed,
some of these features are not even present on WhatsApp.
Other notable features of
Telegram
- The compression factor of videos and images can be controlled.
- Support for short video messages.
- The ability to edit messages after they are sent.
- Seamless movement of chat data from Android to iOS and back.
- People who don't know you can't see your number in large groups.
- Oh, and yes, no restrictions on group size. You can add up to 200,000 members!
Telegram's weaknesses
It's not all good news
though. At the time of writing, Telegram does not support group video calling,
a popular feature for WhatsApp users.
Another point of criticism
is Telegram's end-to-end encryption, which is not enabled by default.
The company also recently
indicated that it may introduce some form of advertising to address rising costs.
We believe that Telegram,
even with some of its problems, is the best alternative to WhatsApp in 2021.
Signal Application: Great interest in privacy
Signal has established
itself as a strong alternative to WhatsApp in 2021.
The app's popularity soared shortly after
WhatsApp made its famous announcement.
Having received support
from the likes of Edward Snowden and Elon Musk, Signal has continued to focus
on privacy and security as best features.
Signal, like WhatsApp and
Telegram, also has a desktop application so you can send messages seamlessly
via your smartphone or computer.
While not as strong as
Telegram in terms of ancillary features, Signal's basic messaging functions are
known to work quite well.
Those functions include one-to-one
chats, groups, video and voice calls,
What sets Signal apart,
however, is its commitment to being a secure platform and its commitment to
remain so forever.
The company has stated
that it will always remain free of ads and affiliations.
Signal's weaknesses
Signal currently has a
user base of 50 million, which is significantly smaller than WhatsApp or
Telegram.
What really stops people
from switching to Signal is not the app itself, but the people lack to chat
with on this secure App.
