Choosing a Secure Messenger: How to Protect Your Private Conversations

By Ava McKinneyOnline Safety

How to Choose a Secure Messenger for Private Conversations

It’s a paradox: despite the huge variety of messengers available, most people don’t really choose—they just use whatever their friends and acquaintances use. But what if privacy and security are truly important to you? In this article, we’ll review modern messengers and see what security guarantees each one offers.

Key Criteria for Secure Messengers

  • FOSS (Free and Open Source Software): Is the messenger’s source code available under a free license? Is development open and does the community participate?
  • Degree of Centralization:
    • Centralized: Requires a server, can be blocked (e.g., VK, Telegram, Facebook).
    • Federated: A network of servers communicating with each other (e.g., Email, Jabber/XMPP, Riot/Matrix).
    • Decentralized (P2P): Each client acts as both client and server.
  • Anonymous Registration and Use: Can you register and use the messenger without linking to a phone number or personal data?
  • End-to-End Encryption (E2EE): Is E2EE available by default or as an option?
  • E2EE Chat Synchronization: Can you access encrypted chats across devices?
  • Fingerprint Verification Notifications: Does the app prompt you to verify encryption keys with your contacts?
  • Screenshot Blocking in Secret Chats: Does the app prevent screenshots in secret chats?
  • Group E2EE Chats: Are encrypted group chats supported?
  • Social Graph Protection: Does the app protect your contact list and metadata from being collected?

Popular Messengers: Security Overview

Telegram

  • License: Formally GPLv3, but key parts are closed source.
  • Centralization: Centralized
  • Anonymous Registration: No
  • E2EE: Available only in Secret Chats, not by default
  • E2EE Sync: No (Secret Chats are device-specific)
  • Fingerprint Verification: No notification
  • Screenshot Blocking: Yes, but not on all devices
  • Group E2EE: No
  • Social Graph Protection: No

Telegram is built on the MTProto encryption protocol. It’s partially blocked in Russia, but that’s a separate issue. Telegram is controversial: source code is not fully open, chats are not encrypted by default, and there’s no social graph protection. Secret Chats are only available on mobile, not desktop. If you use Telegram for privacy, always use Secret Chats.

Signal

  • License: AGPLv3
  • Centralization: Decentralized
  • Anonymous Registration: No (phone number required)
  • E2EE: Yes, by default (Signal Protocol)
  • E2EE Sync: Yes
  • Fingerprint Verification: No notification, but QR code comparison is available
  • Screenshot Blocking: Optional
  • Group E2EE: Yes
  • Social Graph Protection: Yes

Signal is developed by Open Whisper Systems and uses its own Signal Protocol for end-to-end encryption. It’s open source, supports group E2EE chats, and protects your social graph. However, it’s not anonymous—registration requires a phone number.

Viber

  • License: Proprietary
  • Centralization: Centralized
  • Anonymous Registration: No (phone number required)
  • E2EE: Yes, by default
  • E2EE Sync: No
  • Fingerprint Verification: No notification
  • Screenshot Blocking: Yes
  • Group E2EE: Yes
  • Social Graph Protection: No

Viber uses Signal Protocol for encryption and supports secret chats with self-destruct timers and screenshot blocking. However, it’s proprietary, centralized, and requires a phone number.

WhatsApp

  • License: Proprietary
  • Centralization: Centralized
  • Anonymous Registration: No (phone number required)
  • E2EE: Yes, by default
  • E2EE Sync: Yes
  • Fingerprint Verification: Notification only when keys change (must be enabled in settings)
  • Screenshot Blocking: No
  • Group E2EE: Yes
  • Social Graph Protection: No

WhatsApp uses Signal Protocol and encrypts messages by default, including group chats. However, it collects a lot of metadata (contacts, call times, device info) and is not anonymous.

Briar

  • License: GPLv3
  • Centralization: Decentralized
  • Anonymous Registration: Yes
  • E2EE: Yes, by default
  • E2EE Sync: No
  • Fingerprint Verification: Required via QR code
  • Screenshot Blocking: Yes
  • Group E2EE: Yes
  • Social Graph Protection: Yes

Briar is a decentralized messenger that works over Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, or Tor. It’s open source, supports anonymous use, and protects your social graph. However, there’s no iOS version and no voice calls.

TamTam

  • License: Proprietary
  • Centralization: Centralized
  • Anonymous Registration: Possible via Google email or Odnoklassniki
  • E2EE: No
  • Social Graph Protection: No

TamTam does not focus on security. There’s no end-to-end encryption or social graph protection, so it’s not suitable for private communication.

VK (VKontakte)

  • License: Proprietary
  • Centralization: Centralized
  • Anonymous Registration: No (phone number required)
  • E2EE: No
  • Social Graph Protection: No

VK is not suitable for anonymous or secure communication. Messages are stored unencrypted on VK’s servers and registration requires a phone number.

Facebook Messenger

  • License: Proprietary
  • Centralization: Centralized
  • Anonymous Registration: Yes (via email)
  • E2EE: Available, but not by default (Secret Conversations)
  • E2EE Sync: No
  • Fingerprint Verification: No notification
  • Screenshot Blocking: No
  • Group E2EE: No
  • Social Graph Protection: No

Facebook Messenger supports E2EE in Secret Conversations, but not by default. Facebook collects a lot of user data, so it’s not ideal for privacy.

Wire

  • License: GPLv3
  • Centralization: Centralized
  • Anonymous Registration: Yes (via email)
  • E2EE: Yes, by default
  • E2EE Sync: Yes
  • Fingerprint Verification: No notification, but possible
  • Screenshot Blocking: No
  • Group E2EE: Yes
  • Social Graph Protection: Yes

Wire is one of the most privacy-focused messengers, supporting anonymous registration, default E2EE, group chats, and social graph protection. It’s available on many platforms, but it’s a paid service (6 euros/month, 4 euros/month with annual payment).

Jabber (OMEMO)

  • License: Various open licenses
  • Centralization: Federated
  • Anonymous Registration: Yes (via email, Facebook, or Twitter)
  • E2EE: Yes (with OMEMO extension)
  • E2EE Sync: Yes
  • Fingerprint Verification: No notification, but possible
  • Screenshot Blocking: No
  • Group E2EE: Yes
  • Social Graph Protection: No

Jabber/XMPP is a time-tested federated messenger with E2EE support (via OMEMO), anonymous registration, and group chats. It’s available on all major platforms.

Riot (Matrix)

  • License: Apache
  • Centralization: Federated
  • Anonymous Registration: Yes
  • E2EE: Optional
  • E2EE Sync: Yes
  • Fingerprint Verification: Yes
  • Screenshot Blocking: No
  • Group E2EE: Yes
  • Social Graph Protection: Yes

Matrix is a federated protocol, and Riot is a client for it. It supports anonymous registration, E2EE (optional), group chats, and social graph protection. Voice and video calls are also supported.

Status

  • License: MPLv2
  • Centralization: Decentralized
  • Anonymous Registration: Yes
  • E2EE: Yes, by default
  • E2EE Sync: Partial (incoming messages only)
  • Fingerprint Verification: Yes (via user ID or QR code)
  • Screenshot Blocking: No
  • Group E2EE: No
  • Social Graph Protection: Yes

Status is more than just a messenger—it’s also a crypto wallet and dApp browser. It supports anonymous registration and default E2EE, but is still in beta and has some usability issues. Group chats are not yet supported.

Threema

  • License: Proprietary for apps, AGPLv3 for web client
  • Centralization: Centralized (servers in Switzerland)
  • Anonymous Registration: Yes (unique ID, no phone or email required)
  • E2EE: Yes, by default
  • E2EE Sync: No (separate ID per device)
  • Fingerprint Verification: Yes
  • Screenshot Blocking: No
  • Group E2EE: Yes
  • Social Graph Protection: Yes (address book not uploaded by default)

Threema is a Swiss-based messenger focused on privacy. Registration is anonymous, messages are end-to-end encrypted, and the address book is not uploaded by default. However, it’s a paid app (one-time fee) and does not support chat sync across devices.

Conclusion

We won’t recommend a specific messenger—now you have the information to make your own choice. Each app has its pros and cons, and the best option depends on your needs for privacy, anonymity, and convenience.

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