Choosing the best private text app for your privacy and security

Data breaches and hacking are common occurrences, so it’s crucial to keep your conversations and sensitive information safe from prying eyes. It is where private text apps come in handy.  Private text apps exchange messages, photos, videos, documents, and more so the content remains private. As opposed to regular messaging apps like SMS, WhatsApp, or Facebook Messenger, private text apps ensure only you and the recipient view what is sent. No one in between, not even the app developer, access the encrypted content.

 Private text app

There are several key reasons why someone may want to use a private text app:

1. Privacy – Keep your conversations truly private and unable to be hacked or accessed by anyone else, including the government. It gives you the freedom to discuss sensitive topics without worrying about who might be spying.
2. Security – Private text apps employ end-to-end encryption so messages by the intended recipient. It prevents mass surveillance, data collection, and compromises by malicious actors.
3. Control – You decide when a message expires and can no longer be viewed. It allows you to maintain control over your information.
4. Freedom – Discuss any topic freely without fear of judgment or retribution. Private text apps enable you to exercise your right to free speech.
5. Simplicity – Private text apps are very intuitive and easy to use, even for less tech-savvy individuals. how to private message? Setup only takes a minute or two.

Factors to consider

When evaluating which private text app to use, there are several key factors to take into account:

1. Encryption method – Look for 256-bit AES encryption, the military-grade standard. Avoid apps with weak or proprietary encryption.
2. Metadata protection – The app should strip metadata like timestamps and locations to better protect anonymity.
3. Message expiration – Ability to set messages to expire after a certain period, anywhere from a few seconds to days or weeks.
4. Screenshot prevention – Blocking screenshots prevents unauthorized saving of sensitive content.
5. Self-destructing – Messages should automatically be deleted from the device after expiration for true ephemerality.
6. Password protection – Option to set a password or PIN to restrict app access only to you.
7. Authentication – Advanced encryption models like multi-device verification for added security.
8. Ease of use – A simple, user-friendly interface for a smooth user experience.
9. Customer support – Strong customer service in case any issues arise during use.
10. Reviews – Positive reviews by independent cybersecurity experts and users.

Recommendation

After comparing the pros and cons of each app, our top recommendation is Signal Private Messenger. Developed by encryption experts, Signal offers best-in-class privacy and security including end-to-end encryption, metadata stripping, and screenshot blocking. Messages automatically disappear from devices after being sent for impermanent conversations.  While the message expiration is capped at just 5 seconds, Signal still provides the strongest security protocols overall. It is also completely free, and open source, and does or store user data. For an easy-to-use app with encryption to keep your messages private, Signal is the optimal choice.