Best Encrypted Messaging Apps to Replace Your Default Texting App

Fact-checked by the digital reach solutions editorial team

Encrypted messaging apps use end-to-end encryption (E2EE) to ensure only the sender and recipient can read a message — not carriers, governments, or hackers. According to Pew Research Center’s 2023 smartphone report, 97% of Americans own a mobile phone, yet most still send plaintext SMS that any interceptor can read.

With data breaches rising and surveillance expanding, switching from your default texting app is one of the highest-impact privacy decisions you can make today.

Why Is Standard SMS Not Secure?

Standard SMS transmits messages as plaintext across carrier networks, offering no encryption in transit. This means mobile carriers, law enforcement, and anyone performing a SS7 network attack can read your messages without access to your device.

The SS7 protocol, which underpins global carrier networks, was designed in 1975 and has well-documented vulnerabilities. Researchers at the FCC have warned consumers about SS7-based interception, SIM swapping, and eavesdropping risks that affect all SMS users. Even SMS-based two-factor authentication is considered weak for this reason — if you want to understand better alternatives, our guide on how to set up two-factor authentication walks through the safest options.

RCS (Rich Communication Services), the intended SMS successor, adds some security on supported carriers, but encryption is not universal. For a full breakdown, see our comparison of RCS messaging vs SMS and where each falls short on privacy.

Which Encrypted Messaging Apps Are Actually the Best?

Signal is the gold standard for encrypted messaging apps. It is free, open-source, and applies end-to-end encryption to every message, call, and file by default — no opt-in required.

WhatsApp uses the Signal Protocol for E2EE on all personal chats, making it highly secure in transit. However, WhatsApp (owned by Meta) collects metadata — who you message, how often, and from where — which Signal does not. iMessage encrypts messages between Apple devices, but falls back to unencrypted SMS when texting Android users. Telegram only encrypts its “Secret Chats” feature; standard Telegram chats are stored on its servers unencrypted. For remote teams evaluating these and similar tools, our roundup of the best WhatsApp alternatives for remote teams provides a detailed comparison.

What Makes Signal Different From Other Secure Messaging Apps?

Signal stands apart because it was built privacy-first from the ground up, with no advertising business model to incentivize data collection. It is developed by the nonprofit Signal Foundation, funded by donations rather than ad revenue.

The Signal Protocol — the encryption standard Signal invented — is now licensed by WhatsApp, Google, and Microsoft for their own products. According to Signal’s published protocol documentation, it uses a combination of Curve25519, AES-256, and HMAC-SHA256 for cryptographic security rated far above standard messaging. Its disappearing messages feature, note-to-self function, and screen-security lock make it a full replacement for default SMS apps on both Android and iOS.

What About Signal for Group Chats?

Signal supports encrypted group chats for up to 1,000 members, with full E2EE applied to all participants. Group calls support up to 50 participants with end-to-end encrypted audio and video. This makes Signal viable not just for personal use but also for small teams — though if group communication habits are a concern at work, our post on 5 mistakes people make with business group chats is worth reviewing before you migrate.

How Do You Choose the Right Encrypted Messaging App for Your Needs?

The best encrypted messaging app for you depends on your threat model, your contacts, and your device. Privacy-first users with technical knowledge should choose Signal. Users who need mass adoption should consider WhatsApp, accepting its metadata trade-off.

Consider these factors before switching:

• Contact adoption: An encrypted app is only useful if the other party uses it too. WhatsApp’s 2 billion+ active users give it a practical adoption advantage over Signal’s smaller base.
• Device ecosystem: iMessage is seamless on Apple devices but offers no protection when messaging Android users. Android users should not rely on iMessage security at all.
• Metadata sensitivity: If hiding who you communicate with (not just what you say) matters, Signal or Briar are the only strong options.
• Connectivity: Briar is unique in that it can operate over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi without internet access — critical for journalists or activists in restricted environments.

For users on Android who want to streamline their entire mobile setup while improving security, our guide on common mistakes when trying to speed up a slow Android phone covers related performance and security settings worth checking. If you want a full walkthrough of getting any of these apps configured securely from scratch, see our beginner’s guide to encrypted messaging setup.

Are Encrypted Messaging Apps Legally Protected in the US?

In the United States, using end-to-end encryption is entirely legal for private citizens. No federal law requires messaging apps to provide government backdoors — though legislative pressure has increased in recent sessions of Congress.

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has consistently defended encryption rights in court and before Congress. The Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act (CALEA) requires phone carriers to enable wiretapping capability, but it does not extend to end-to-end encrypted apps built on top of the internet. This is why apps like Signal can legally refuse to hand over message contents — they simply do not have them. According to the Department of Justice’s own public statements, this creates legal tension but no current mandate to break encryption.

The security landscape shifts constantly. Phishing attacks, for example, increasingly target users who believe encrypted messaging makes them fully safe — it does not protect against social engineering. Our breakdown of what changed in phishing attacks this year explains exactly what to watch for.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Signal completely private?

Signal is the most private mainstream encrypted messaging app available in 2025. It collects only your phone number and last connection date. All message content, attachments, and call data are end-to-end encrypted and not accessible to Signal’s servers.

Can WhatsApp messages be read by Meta?

Meta cannot read the content of your WhatsApp messages because they are end-to-end encrypted using the Signal Protocol. However, Meta does collect metadata — including who you contact, how frequently, and your device and location information — which it can use for advertising and may share with law enforcement.

What is the safest encrypted messaging app for iPhone?

Signal is the safest encrypted messaging app for iPhone users in 2025. iMessage is secure between Apple devices only. Signal works across both iOS and Android and applies end-to-end encryption regardless of the recipient’s device type.

Does Telegram use end-to-end encryption?

Telegram only uses end-to-end encryption in its “Secret Chats” feature, which must be manually activated. Standard Telegram chats, including all group chats, are stored on Telegram’s cloud servers without E2EE, making them accessible to Telegram and potentially to governments via legal requests.

Can police read encrypted messages?

Law enforcement cannot read the content of properly end-to-end encrypted messages from apps like Signal — Signal has no technical ability to provide message contents even under a court order. They can, however, access metadata (such as phone numbers and connection times) and unencrypted backups if a user backs up chats to an unsecured cloud service.

What encrypted messaging app works without a phone number?

Briar does not require a phone number or email address and works over Tor for maximum anonymity. Session is another option that generates a Session ID instead of requiring a phone number or account registration, making it one of the most anonymous encrypted messaging apps available.