Privacy And Features of Top Messaging Apps For Better Chats

Who doesn’t have a messaging app on your smartphone? It’s like not being a Circles.Lifer - you’re missing out on sooo much.

Here we present a battle royale between three of Singapore’s most beloved chatter apps - Whatsapp, Signal, Telegram.

And if you’re wondering whether there’ll be a similar article on telcos, don’t hold your breath. Because there’s simply no competition, is there?

Security and privacy

Whatsapp
Perhaps the most well-known security feature of Whatsapp isits end-to-end encryption (E2EE). No one, not even the app, can peek into the messages, video calls, voice calls and photos between you and your recipient. If anyone tries to pull apart the curtains, all they see is a bunch of gibberish that’ll take years to unpick.

That said, E2EE does not apply to metadata and backups. Where, when and whom you texted could still be seen. And if someone breaks into Whatapp’s servers or your phone, your chats could be exposed in all their glory.

The app does a commendable job with user-side security too, with biometric app lock and 2FA.

Signal

Signal outshines its peers when it comes to security and privacy, and for good reason. Besides E2EE of all communication, the app constantly pushes the envelope to retain as little info about its users as possible.

It hides users’ metadata from everyone including itself, which means only you and your contact will know who’re in a conversation. Encryption extends to backups as well with a four-digit passcode.

A honourable mention also goes to cool functions like the ability to disable screenshots and blur faces in outgoing messages.

Telegram

Telegram clearly takes the bronze medal in terms of protecting your chats. Unlike Whatsapp and Signal, there’s no default E2EE for all messages. It supports E2EE only for secret chats but not regular and group messages. If it wants, the app can snoop on your convos.

Telegram also uses a proprietary closed-source encryption protocol for E2EE, vs open-source ones by Whatsapp and Signal that are widely accessible and verifiable. It’s not that we don’t trust Telegram, but more transparency would certainly be nice.

Verdict: Signal is the clear winner thanks to its overall security and privacy architecture.

Features

Whatsapp
We must admit that Whatsapp is as feature rich as they come. Think multi-device use, playback speed for voice messages, disappearing texts, live locations and……..we might need a whole article just on this.

One way Whatsapp stands out from Signal and Telegram is through the Status, or Stories, feature. Like its social media parent, Status allows users to post updates and share their thoughts with others. You can change your profile picture, tweak the wallpaper, add GIFs and more.

Reach

Whatsapp remains the most popular messaging app on our sunny island, reaching 70% of locals. This is despite its recent announcement that certain user data may be shared with other Meta-owned platforms. It seems that our messaging habits and preferences are hard to change for now, despite some privacy concerns.

Telegram is Singaporeans’ best alternative, followed by Signal.

Verdict: Hard to argue with Whatapp’s hard numbers, isn’t it?

Here’s who’s smiling and who’s not:

Conclusion

Whether you’re a fan of Whatsapp, Signal or Telegram, there’s only one choice when it comes to everyone’s favourite data plans in Singapore. Get all the gigabytes you need for the chatterbox in you!