WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal or someone else? The complete guide to choosing a secure messenger in 2026

Most people don't like being treated like sheep, and that's exactly why recently a huge number of users of the first app fled from WhatsApp to Telegram and Signal. Maybe some went to Viber, but honestly, it's just another analogue of WhatsApp, with minimal features and supposedly secure messaging with encryption support, though in reality it also hands over your data upon request…

Security today is more of a buzzword than a real trend, because most apps track your interests, collect cookies, and thus automatically send your data to the marketing department, or maybe even further.

What is end-to-end encryption and why does it matter?

End‑to‑End Encryption (E2EE) is a technology where a message is encrypted on the sender's device and decrypted only on the recipient's device. No one in between — not the messenger server, not the provider, not a hacker — can read the content.

The key difference between messengers is whether E2EE is enabled by default or must be activated manually. This parameter often becomes decisive for those who truly care about their privacy.

If you're not paying for the product, you are the product.

Comparison of the three main messengers

WhatsApp — convenience at the cost of privacy

WhatsApp is the most popular messenger in the world. It's convenient, reliable, and installed by almost everyone. But this popularity has a downside.

WhatsApp is owned by Meta (formerly Facebook), and that determines its data policy. Here's what WhatsApp collects:

• Your phone number and name
• Profile photo and status
• Contact list (entirely, including those who don't have WhatsApp)
• Information about groups and chats
• App settings
• Technical information: device data, network connection, geolocation

Cloud backups are especially dangerous. If you enable backup to Google Drive or iCloud, you effectively "break" end‑to‑end encryption — these copies are stored either unencrypted or with a key that Meta can access.

WhatsApp pros:

• Huge user base
• Simple and intuitive interface
• Voice and video calls
• Integration with business accounts

WhatsApp cons:

• Owned by Meta — metadata collection for advertising
• Uploading the entire address book to servers
• Unencrypted cloud backups
• Closed source code
• AI features — unclear what context is shared with Meta

Telegram — functionality with compromises

Telegram is often called an alternative to WhatsApp, and for good reason. This messenger offers unique features: bots, channels, groups of up to 200,000 members, cloud sync, and much more.

However, in terms of security, Telegram isn't as good as many think. End‑to‑end encryption works only in "secret chats", which must be turned on manually. Regular chats are encrypted only to the server — meaning Telegram could theoretically read their contents.

The MTProto protocol, developed by the Telegram team, raises questions among cryptographers. It's considered less reliable than the Signal Protocol. Also, Telegram's server code remains closed.

Telegram pros:

• Huge groups and channels
• Bots and mini‑apps
• Fast sync between devices
• Sending large files (up to 2 GB)
• Option to hide phone number (via username)

Telegram cons:

• E2EE must be enabled manually for each chat
• Secret chats are not synced between devices
• Collects metadata
• Closed server code
• Cryptographers criticise the MTProto protocol

Signal — the gold standard of privacy

Signal is a non‑profit project funded by donations. It has no advertising model, no investors demanding profit, and no corporation behind it. In today's tech world, that's almost radical.

All messages, calls, and video calls in Signal are protected by end‑to‑end encryption by default. The Signal Protocol is considered the gold standard of cryptography — even WhatsApp uses it (but without the same privacy guarantees).

Signal collects a minimum of data. When approached with a court order, they could only provide two data points: the account creation date and the last connection time. The Sealed Sender technology prevents even Signal's own servers from seeing who is sending a message to whom.

Signal pros:

• E2EE by default for all chats and calls
• Minimal metadata collection
• Open source code
• Non‑profit organisation
• Disappearing messages
• Screenshot protection

Signal cons:

• Fewer users than competitors
• Requires a phone number for registration
• No cloud backup (this is both a pro and a con)
• Groups of up to 1000 participants (fewer than in Telegram)

Comparison table: WhatsApp vs Telegram vs Signal

What experts say and what's really happening

The situation around messengers has been heating up for years. In 2021, WhatsApp updated its privacy policy, triggering a mass exodus of users to Signal and Telegram. Signal then broke all download records — growth was more than 40 times compared to the previous week.

Elon Musk publicly advised users to switch to Signal, saying: "Can't trust WhatsApp". And Pavel Durov, founder of Telegram, called WhatsApp's claims about encryption "the biggest consumer fraud in history".

There have also been lawsuits. In the US, a class‑action lawsuit was filed against WhatsApp alleging that employees or contractors of the app could access users' private messages.

Experts agree: the real difference in privacy between apps is not only whether encryption exists, but whether it's enabled by default, whether the source code is open, and how securely the app handles metadata and backups.

What to do about it?

First, do not provide ANY personal data to sites where it's not required. For example, a government services site needs your name and surname to determine who to provide services to. But social networks like Odnoklassniki, VKontakte and others don't even need to know your real name or your birthday! But, as you understand, everyone wants to sell you something: from a coronavirus mask to a car or a ticket to the "Field of Miracles" show. What I liked most was the idea of user identification on VKontakte — they offer you a checkmark next to "verified account" in exchange for your personal information!!! Yes, that's definitely the best thing I ever dreamed of — a lousy checkmark and an avatar.

As practice has shown, WhatsApp chose exactly the wrong time to show off and tell us that they have integration with Facebook. People decided to leave the popular messenger, partly because they were tired of constantly connecting through Facebook, VKontakte, and other social networks just to get confidential information from them. Of course, WhatsApp marketers immediately started saying that they had been transferring data to Facebook before, and that nothing terrible had happened! But that's information that only those who have been sitting behind lamp‑lit screens for decades and still use wooden abacuses in stores will swallow. As for security in messengers in general, use group chats — at least that gives some chance of encrypting all transmitted data — and try to use proven means of communication. For that, there are forums, reviews, and other tools online. Elon Musk recommended Signal, so time will tell!

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What next?

• First, you have the right to decide which messenger to use and what data to share with third parties.
• Second, paid solutions don't mean they are secure! Take any Apple product…
• Third, to keep your confidential data out of the wrong hands, you need at least the following:

• Do not use location tagging in photos (e.g., on Instagram — this way criminals can determine your location, hence when and where you are… think about that when going on vacation);
• Do not tell everyone about your hobbies on social networks (and in general, it's better to have a CLOSED account there with no linkage to any services, i.e., use a strong password on any other site, and all passwords must be different for all sites!);
• At work, talk exclusively about professional topics if you're not sure about the interlocutors, eavesdropping, or cameras recording you everywhere;
• Use proxies, VPNs, and other modern technologies that hide your real data, such as browser, IP address, device, etc.;
• Be hidden from everyone — that way you protect yourself not only from "suckers" who want to profit from your data;
• Try not to leave your phone ANYWHERE where it's not 100% necessary! As a last resort, get a second SIM card, one of which will be used exclusively for communication with relatives and friends.

How do "suckers" operate?

• An ordinary sucker acts very simply: he operates directly, saying that your data is needed for statistics (for example, the idiots from Rostelecom going door‑to‑door offering cheap internet!);
• A seasoned sucker is a second‑level idiot, slightly above a homeless person on the street and those door‑to‑door "internet promoters". Such suckers ride with you in the elevator, for example, asking how you're doing and which floor you're going to, while not knowing their own… Or offering you to register in the building community…
• A pro‑sucker is a person who usually works together with an ordinary sucker, but unlike him, he puts a ready‑made letter in your mailbox with some demand: to bring a certificate to the housing office or your personal data, or, knowing your mobile phone, offers to go to the post office (yes, now you can do that too) to pick up a registered letter. The catch is that you NEVER left your address anywhere, especially to such wannabe companies like Russian Post. Why is this done? Simple: this way the idiots find out whether a person actually lives in such‑and‑such apartment, and they have no access to the entrance, and everyone tells them to go f..k themselves through the intercom.

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I have nothing to hide!

That's usually what short‑sighted people say, or those who in real life haven't encountered the crap coming from a multitude of "suckers". They say: "I never hide my data and I don't hide from anyone!" and so on. But in reality, it's exactly such people that suckers "scam", because why bother — the person will say and tell everything on camera, and write everything needed on paper.

If you still get calls every day offering loans, massages, free seminars, etc., it means you've simply forgotten about security, leaving your phone at a medical facility (where cute administrators later sell your data to anyone for 200‑300 rubles), or you simply use banks where the same people pass all data to credit organisations. The best way to avoid suckers is to punish them… in such a way that they no longer have the desire to scam...

And whether to disclose your data or not is up to you!

Practical tips on digital hygiene (additional)

• Always use two‑factor authentication in messengers where available.
• Regularly check which devices are connected to your account.
• Do not click on suspicious links, even if they came from friends — their account might have been hacked.
• For particularly sensitive conversations, use disappearing messages.
• Keep backups only in encrypted form and locally, if critical.

What next? A new secure messenger

We've covered the three main messengers, their pros and cons. Each has its drawbacks: WhatsApp collects metadata, Telegram doesn't have E2EE by default, Signal requires a phone number and has a limited user base.

But there is an alternative — a messenger that does not require a phone number, does not collect your data, and offers maximum privacy.

Get to know the new secure messenger, built for those who truly value their confidentiality. No phone number binding, no metadata collection, full control over your data.

It's time to switch to a truly secure messenger. Your privacy is in your hands.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)