The best WhatsApp alternatives for 2022

(Image credit: Allie Zru)

The all-time WhatsApp alternatives are the perfect way for you to ditch Facebook for good. Leaving the social network side of things is piece of cake, but information technology's much harder to leave WhatsApp when they don't have a solid option to switch over to.

Facebook's global outage towards the end of last year also shows how reliant people are the social network — whether they realize it or not. So it'due south ever a good thought to think nigh leaving WhatsApp behind, and switch to a competitor. A competitor that will have many of the same features, so you lot won't miss out.

But where do you lot actually go if you've been with WhatsApp for so long? That'due south where the all-time WhatsApp alternatives come in.

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Granted, WhatsApp may be more controversial than it used to be, but that doesn't mean you should jump back to patently old SMS. The old-schoolhouse text messaging system is hilariously insecure, whereas fifty-fifty WhatsApp has end to end encryption and some robust security measures in identify.

There are plenty of other options out there. Options that don't involve putting y'all or your contacts at risk, and ones that would offering you something WhatsApp tin non.

Signal

Point is one of the most obvious choices for the more than privacy and security conscious. The messaging service has endorsements from the likes of Elon Musk and Edward Snowden — with the latter crediting its security conscious approach for him still being alive.

Not just is Signal completely costless, information technology also supports text messaging and vox, video and group calling. Messages can exist gear up to self-destruct, and you can use a Chrome browser plugin if yous'd rather send your messages from a desktop machine instead. Here'south our tutorial on how to use Bespeak.

Signal'southward open-source terminate-to-end encryption protocol is too used past WhatsApp, and so yous'll exist getting WhatsApp'due south security without Facebook's involvement.

The Signal app regularly conducts security audits on its software and manages to combine that security with a convenient interface that even your technophobic uncle could manage.

Point is owned and operated by a non-turn a profit foundation headed by cryptography expert and self-described anarchist Moxie Marlinspike and WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton, who famously left Facebook in 2022 later a public dispute over the future of WhatsApp.

Download Indicate: Android, iOS

best whatsapp alternatives: telegram — (Paradigm credit: Telegram FZ-LLC)

If you'd rather accept something similar to WhatsApp and linked to your telephone number, Telegram is one option for you lot. That said, experts have pointed out that Telegram's services aren't that secure, and its finish-to-cease encryption is non fix by default. Then that's worth begetting in mind.

That said, Telegram nevertheless offers the option to share files, set messages to self-destruct, and chat in groups of up to 200,000 users. It tin also sync messages across all your devices, and costs absolutely nothing to utilize.

Download Telegram: Android, iOS

iMessage

If you're an iPhone or Mac user, then the simplest selection is sometimes the best, and iMessage is the ideal alternative to WhatsApp.

Not but can yous send messaging to all telephone numbers, whether they utilize iMessage or non, but Apple tree has a proven track tape of not bending to demands by governments that it add backdoors to its encryption. So your messages stay safe (unless someone can read your iCloud backups).

iMessage is just every bit fully-featured as other popular messaging apps, with support for images, GIFs, video and group calls. In some countries iMessage users can fifty-fifty send each other money using Apple Pay.

Video and vocalization calling is not included in iMessage, and you'll have to exercise that in the FaceTime app instead -- and FaceTime works but with Apple devices. Why iMessage and FaceTime haven't been blended into one single communications app isn't clear, but that'due south the fashion it is. At least it's already installed on all iPhones and nearly Macs.

Google Messages

Google Messages is Google'south reply to iMessage, and it's usually bachelor on modern Android phones right out of the box. If you can't discover information technology, you can download Google Messages from Google Play.

Designed to replace your existing SMS app and integrated with all Google's services, Google Letters is essentially iMessage, but for Android (and Windows, merely non Macs or iOS).

Stop-to-end encryption is automated when you're messaging anyone else with Google Messages and you can send all your usual images and files every bit y'all would with something like WhatsApp.

What Messages doesn't have is video and phonation calling, since that'southward all handled by Google Duo. That's right: Just every bit iMessage and FaceTime are still separate for some reason, so are Messages and Duo, although the latter isn't restricted to Android devices.

The good news is that Duo is probable already installed on your Android phone, and if it's not it's free to download from Google Play. iPhone users can get Duo from the Apple tree App Store.

Download Google Letters: Android

Download Google Duo: Android, iOS

Threema

Threema is an app dedicated to consummate privacy, with the option to utilise the app with total anonymity. Yous tin can connect it to your email or telephone number, in case you want people to exist able to detect y'all, but dissimilar a lot of apps that's not mandatory.

Naturally information technology besides lets y'all send text, voice, picture, and video messages, which are all encrypted. Likewise y'all tin create grouping chats, send files, and fifty-fifty fix polls to more easily collect feedback from all your contacts. What'south more it has a born secure browser, and like WhatsApp everything is stored on your telephone rather than some random server anyone tin can access.

Threema itself is based in Switzerland, which is known for its strong privacy laws, only it hasn't really caught on in other countries. The lack of name recognition and the $3 pricetag might brand information technology hard to convince other people to migrate with you lot.

Download Threema:Android, iOS

Wire

Another choice hailing from Switzerland and information technology'due south strong privacy laws, Wire is another encrypted messenger with the usual array of messaging options. It lets y'all chat via voice, text, and video, while also supporting things similar GIFS, file sharing, and all the other stuff you similar from WhatsApp.

Dissimilar WhatsApp it'due south able to sync beyond devices, and supports multiple accounts for those times you lot demand to keep your communications separate.

Wire uses its own open up-source encryption protocol chosen Proteous, only information technology's based on the Betoken protocol used by both Signal and WhatsApp and undergoes regular security audits to continue it secure.

Wire is free for mobile and desktop users, though there is a paid tier designed for businesses.

Download Wire: Android, iOS

Viber

Owned past Japanese due east-retailer Rakuten, Viber is a service that started life as a VoIP app and gradually grew to include things like text messaging, phonation calls, grouping messaging, fully synced desktop and mobile apps, and more. All tied to your phone number

Like other services on this listing it's also end-to-finish encrypted, but features unique features including AR-powered selfie lenses (in partnership with Snapchat), group video calls, and a 'Communities' features that is basically a social network that lets people across the world discuss specific topics of interest.

Viber is free to use, though y'all can subscribe to 'Viber Out', a service that lets you make unlimited international calls to phones that don't accept Viber installed. Information technology'due south $6 a month.

Download Viber: Android | iOS

Other options are bachelor

While the options above are some of the best alternatives to WhatsApp, there are still other options available to you. Peculiarly of note are the best encrypted messaging apps, which offer many of the aforementioned features.

Whether you lot opt for something a piffling less high profile, like Wickr Me, or something with an actual toll tag attached similar the $10 a month Silent Phone. If y'all want to ditch WhatsApp, but are still hooked into the Facebook ecosystem, yous tin can fifty-fifty use Facebook Messenger. The opportunities for communication are endless, y'all simply need to notice the right option for you.

Why would you want to leave WhatsApp?

WhatsApp is nearly ubiquitous in many regions of the world. It's an important tool for businesses and personal communication, with its make recognition and popularity making it the go-to choice for a lot of people. Especially for cross-platform advice, where y'all can't just rely on iMessage of Google Messages.

However recent developments have started hammering dwelling WhatsApp'due south relationship to parent visitor Facebook. The same Facebook that'southward almost constantly in the news for some major controversy or another. The controversy over the WhatsApp privacy policy, which many understood to mean WhatsApp would first sharing more information with Facebook — with rumors that the contents of messages may too be attainable.

WhatsApp denied these claims, and insisted that not only were messages rubber and inaccessible cheers to end-to-end encryption, the privacy policy only meant Facebook would exist able to access data from how yous interact with businesses on the platform. But it hammered home simply how close the two companies really are.

Similarly the contempo global Facebook outage saw the social media giant'southward systems go downwardly beyond the world — and information technology affected all Facebook-owned services, WhatsApp included. The outage lasted for several hours, and anyone who relied on WhatsApp (or Facebook) for communication was completely cut off.

Information technology's incidents similar these that might make y'all want to leave WhatsApp for proficient. Or at the very least sort out an alternative in instance the app ever becomes inaccessible again.

Tom is the Tom's Guide'south Automotive Editor, which ways he tin usually exist found knee joint deep in stats the latest and all-time electric cars, or checking out some sort of driving gadget. It'southward long style from his days as editor of Gizmodo UK, when pretty much everything was on the table. He's usually establish trying to clasp another behemothic Lego set onto the shelf, draining very big cups of coffee, or complaining that Ikea won't allow him buy the stuff he actually needs online.