Encrypted Messaging: The Best Available Apps To Use in 2024

When it comes to communicating online, privacy becomes a consistent demand of users of the digital world, so the tech giants, like Meta, made end-to-end encryption a built-in function or feature of their apps used for chatting and calling. This encryption makes the conversation between two people remain private and secure, hindering all kinds of outside interference.

But there are numerous encrypted messaging apps available today, which leads people into the agony of choice. You must go for the best available encrypted messaging apps that are secure to the extent that even governments and the building companies cannot intrude into their messaging and breach their encryption.

The following are the best encrypted messaging apps that you can use for secure conversations in 2024:

Signal

Image: Mika Baumeister / Unsplash

Available on both android and IOS, Signal is the best available app for encrypted communications. It offers messaging as well as voice calls and group chats, all of which could be set on self-destruct mode to erase any trail of communication. Its encryption protocol is so reliable that even Whatsapp and Facebook employ it.

You can also use Signal on desktop, just like Whstapp, with the assistance of Chrome browser plugin. The company also enables users to move their Signal account from one device to another and to retain the account even after switching phone numbers.

Being open-source and user friendly, it is the best choice for people wary of their security and data breaching.

Telegram

Image: DIW-Aigen

Telegram is another popular app used to deliver encrypted messages to others. Telegram is a cloud-based app using its own MTProto encryption. The difference between Signal and Telegram is that it is not in encryption mode by default. Users have to enable secret chat mode to send encrypted messages. Just like the previous app, you can send messages as well as make voice calls and do group chats. Moreover, it also allows messages to self-destruct at the scheduled time.

Telegram has become a huge platform for group discussions, for it allows a large number of users to be in the same group at the same time. But do remember, these group chats are not encrypted. Having only two members in a conversation is a prerequisite to that.

WhatsApp

Image: DIW

The most widely-used app for communication globally, WhatsApp offers end-to-end encryption, based on Signal’s encryption protocol, to its users. It keeps receiving updates regarding security and privacy every now and then, making the app more reliable and sync with the time.

The app can be used on desktop via its QR code. It offers disappearing messages at the scheduled time, the feature of self-destruct mode on messages and images once viewed and backup of chat and contacts if users change devices. Whatsapp also allows its users to see who has read or not-yet-read their messages in a group. iPhones users can even transfer their chat history to an android.

Additionally, if someone is in doubt about Whatsapp encryption, they can conveniently check and verify the claim by opening a chat in the app, tapping on the name, opening the menu and then clicking on verify security code. Now you can verify its encryption either by scanning the given QR code on his/her phone, or by comparing a 60-digit number.

Offering encrypted communication, sending of all types of media and convenience in using it makes WhatsApp one of the best messaging apps in the world.

Threema

Threema is different from the above-mentioned three: it costs $3.99 and does not require a phone number to function. The app also employs end-to-end encryption based on NaCl cryptography.

The app does not require users’ phone numbers or credentials for a personal account. Rather, it assigns a unique ID key to all users, which makes them anonymous and allows them to communicate without revealing their identity. Similarly, the app also generates a QR code to be shared with other users to whom someone might not want to reveal their identity. But users can choose to make an account with their phone numbers or email if they want such secrecy.

Threema, like the other apps, can send encrypted messages, images and videos, and make encrypted calls. Moreover, it allows polling about members and group chat too.

Threema costs a few dollars, but that might be its plus point, for tighter security does require some spending.

Wire

Wire’s encryption protocol is based on Signal’s protocol and its code is open-source. Wire is free and does require a phone number, like Whatsapp.

The app offers end-to-end encryption on messaging, voice calls and video calls, and the sharing of files and GIF as well. Moreover, the app supports multi-platform cross-device syncing and multiple accounts serving different purposes. The app also has a business version, serving the specific purpose

The company has inclined itself more towards business usage, but common people can still benefit from the app available both on IOS and android.

Viber

Once a popular messaging app before the introduction of Whatsapp, Viber has lost its popularity in the last decade due to the availability of better apps. But still it is one of the best apps available for free for encrypted communication.

The app offers end-to-end encryption on messaging, voice calls and video calls. It provides the features of self-destructing secret chats and hidden chats, to remain elusive on a shared device. Viber also has an additional safety feature of coloured icons depicting the state of encryption when communication with someone–gray, green and red icon colors for encrypted communication, encrypted communication with a reliable contact and an anomaly respectively.

But it is free and provides end-to-end encryption in communication, which is enough for some people to download and use it. Do remember, calls to non-Viber users are not free!

Facebook Messenger

Image: Mariia Shalabaieva/Unsplash

Another highly popular app for communication globally is Facebook Messenger. Because Facebook has the most number of users, so does the Messenger. It is free and convenient to use and the best option to many. As mentioned above, it is based on the encryption system of Signal.

The messenger app offers end-to-end encrypted communication to its users, including voice calls, video chats, groups chats and images, with the features of self-destruct mode and disappearing messages.

The truth is that it is not the best option for encrypted messaging, especially when compared to the ones mentioned above. But it is still good enough to fall at number seven.

Dust

Dust employs AES-128 and RSA-2048 encryption in its system to provide security. The app keeps messages saved in RAM, not in phone storage as a safety measure.

Dust offers encrypted communication as well as self-destruct mode on its messages. It also keeps you anonymous by not mentioning your name and alerts users if a screenshot is taken. The app also has additional security features of privacy watch-dog and stealth search tool to sustain privacy on the web.

The app is not as well known as some of the apps listed above, but it is still an option to consider.

Why Should One Go For Encrypted Messaging Apps?

Encrypted messaging has become a necessity due to the stark rise in data breaching and hacking online. With the increasing presence of people online, privacy has to be sustained while communicating with others regarding matters that users want to keep to themselves or among a selective group of people. The conventional way of texting or communicating does not serve the purpose–for anyone could have a sneak peek at your personal messages–so encrypted messaging apps are the solution.

The foregoing list of apps reveals to readers which is best for them, after considering the security features they offer, to retain their privacy online.

Read next: Here Are the 6 Best Free VPNs in 2024

by Ehtasham Ahmad via Digital Information World

Google Gears Up For Launch Of Gems And Imagen 3 To Advanced Subscribers After Much Deliberation

Google is giving users the chance to create AI images of others through its Gemini AI tool. It’s a major rollout, considering how the company pulled out Imagen 3 a couple of months back.

Gemini’s senior product director confirmed the news through a new blog post where he shared that early access to the latest Imagen 3 generator will soon be up to grabs for advanced users. The same would be the case for those with Business and Enterprise, beginning in the next few days.

The company has included some serious tech advancements to this product and also enhanced evaluation sets while clearing product misconceptions. So you can see this as a red teaming effort.

The Android maker was left with no choice but to halt the feature where AI images of others could be generated. Some users reported serious inaccuracies and made calls for immediate changes.

When one user requested a picture of a German soldier from 1943, what he got was far from what he expected. The results featured racially diverse images that were far from the actual ones.

Google confirmed that the latest image generator does not show support for real people, minors, or those about controversial themes. Furthermore, the company admits that nothing is perfect and therefore that must be taken into consideration when using Gemini too.

Moving on to Gems, the company promised a customized version of Gemini this year in May at the I/O conference. The rollout was marketed as a way for the tool to remember specifics or detailed instructions.

The main advantage is saying hello to subject-specific results that save users a lot of time on difficult tasks. All you need to do is add some instructions and see the tool rewrite that into something more structured. It will feature goals, rules, and behaviors such as the tone and any other customization.

Gemini also hopes to give users some premade offerings like a learning coach, brainstormer, writing editor, coding expert, and career guide. Gems is also launching in the next few days to all advanced users so stay tuned.

Both offerings are sure to take Gemini far above what many had anticipated about the AI tool’s capabilities. Google is clearly sticking to its promises if things go as planned.

Read next: New Snapchat Initiative Empowers Educators with Resources for Safe Online Practices
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Analysis Shows Google, Facebook and Amazon are More Prone to Password Hacking in 2024

Researchers at Kaspersky revealed that there is an increase in password-hacking on different websites such as Facebook, Amazon and Google.

Facebook, Amazon and Google’s passwords are most seeked out by hackers because they can help them in data theft, credit card fraud and malware distribution. If hackers hack your Google accounts, they can easily get through the passwords of your other accounts. Gmail is like a key for hackers to hack your other account too. Once they get to Gmail, it is not hard for them to hack your other connected accounts too.

Kaspersky analyzed 25 biggest brands to find out which ones are most accessible to cybercriminals. It was found out that there has been a 40% increase in cyber attacks on these brands in 2024 from 2023. There were 26 million attempts recorded to hack passwords on these brands in the first half of 2024 alone.

There was a 243% increase in phishing attacks seen on just Google accounts alone in the first half of 2024. 4 million attacks had been blocked by Kaspersky Security Solution but most of the passwords couldn’t be protected which gave an easy way to hackers. A security expert at Kaspersky, Olga Svistunova, said that there has been a major increase in attacks on Google this year. Hackers who can access Google accounts can easily hack other accounts too.

According to Kaspersky, Facebook recorded 3.7 million phishing attacks while Amazon had 3 million phishing attacks this year. Other brands which were quite vulnerable to hackers and got frequently hacked too were Netflix, DHL, Apple, PayPal, Mastercard and Instagram. Brands which saw an increase in targeting this year were American Express, AirBnB, HSBC, LinkedIn and eBay. Users should always be alert about these types of attacks and should take measures to safeguard their accounts.

Image: DIW-Aigen
Read next: Survey Reveals Google's Favoritism and AI Threats Are Major Hurdles for SEOs
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

Survey Reveals Google's Favoritism and AI Threats Are Major Hurdles for SEOs

According to the survey conducted by Aleyda Solis, Google’s preferences of certain websites and some search features are giving SEOs a hard time. 52% of the SEO respondents said that Google favoring big websites and user generated content are some of the big factors that are giving them a hard time.

The second biggest threat to many SEOs (48%) is Google preferring its own features and services instead of some external sites. 41% said that AI overviews are also affecting their SEO strategies. There are also some things that are slowly becoming threats to SEO experts. Due to many users using LLMs to search for something instead of Google (37%), addition of AI in Google search results (32%) and users searching on social platforms instead of search engines (28%) are also posing some real threats.

Even though these are some major threats to SEOs, some of the SEOs are preparing to combat these threats. The survey also asked SEOs how they are preparing their strategies that can fight off these threats. Most of the SEOs responded that they are planning to improve the quality of their work, and only sharing the content that is engaging, helpful and valuable. Some also responded that they are working on E-E-A-T which refers to experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trust and is a collection of signals that are needed to make a website rank.

Some respondents of the survey also reported that they are planning on traffic diversification which basically means that you should focus more on your audience than SEO and Google. Some SEO experts also stay updated on every SEO news and new Google features so they can plan accordingly whenever there is need for it.

Read next: Google Meet Users Can Generate Summaries During Video Calls Thanks To Gemini
by Arooj Ahmed via Digital Information World

X Takes On Zoom And Google Meet With A New Video Conferencing Tool

A while back, we heard about Elon Musk declaring his desire to make X an all-rounder app. He hoped to include job listings like LinkedIn and payments similar to PayPal. Now, he’s taking on Zoom and Google Meet with tests for a new video conferencing tool.

Thanks to one X employee, we know that the tool is currently in the testing phase as he confirmed taking on an internal conference with this latest offering. As per his comments, the feedback received from other team members was strong and that’s why the company is going ahead with the rollout soon if things go as planned.

They are right now working on bettering the tool with enhancements like pinning speakers and alerts to make users more aware of when people are joining the app or leaving it. The owner of X responded to this post using the fire emoji which clearly indicates he’s thrilled for the launch and also a confirmation that it’s happening.

Remember, Elon Musk is not longer providing responses to long press meets and inquiries so this is the best we can expect from the X owner himself. Meanwhile, one app researcher did show more details on what X users can expect.

This includes creating new meetings through the iOS platform, either quickly or later. So as you can imagine, it’s quite like online tools used for video conferencing.

Meanwhile, another app expert did share how the feature could even allow hosts to set up unique codes for all of their meetings. Participants only need to enter this when they are joining.

BREAKING: Each X Conference will have a unique code that you can share with people to let them join! pic.twitter.com/ZSOYb40QjH

— Nima Owji (@nima_owji) August 23, 2024

For now, there is no confirmed release date or plans for a rollout just yet. But we do hope to see something arriving soon.

X does give users the chance to make the most of video streaming through Spaces already. But at the same time, Zoom and Google Meet give users the chance to switch from one style of conferencing to another. Hence, seeing both the offerings of these apps merged into one will no longer be a surprise to us.

For now, we’re going to keep a close eye on the feature. During the year’s start, X did roll out a calling feature that was switched on for all by default. However, it came with privacy issues like no IP address which masked the protection.

We hope this time around, it’s safer and more secure in terms of privacy.

Read next: Instagram Allows Users To Add Text To Photos Straight From The Editor
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Instagram Allows Users To Add Text To Photos Straight From The Editor

Instagram is giving users the chance to incorporate text into their images, straight from the post editor.

This means users will not be required to use separate platforms to edit images, especially when they only need to incorporate text. Remember, text is always a useful addition to make a certain post stand out from all others in the feed. Similarly, it assists people in seeing information that might become lost inside the caption.

The usual post editor also gives users the chance to add another image on top of the first one as a sticker. After you press the layered photo, you can play around with the shape as per the app’s latest post.

It’s a fun and exciting feature whereby you can find the most clever ways to use the images.

Both Reels and Stories on Instagram are also getting some enhancements regarding text. While some fonts are new, there are also effects and animations added to make them stand out.

The news about the latest feature from Instagram comes at a time when the app is trying to experiment with another offering that’s quite similar to Snap-Map.

Read next: Creators Express Concern After Meta Announces Spark Platform Shut Down
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World

Creators Express Concern After Meta Announces Spark Platform Shut Down

Creators are not happy with Meta’s sudden decision to pull the plug on its Spark platform. The app gave many third parties the chance to create AR effects but that’s no longer going to be the case.

The news was published on the company’s Facebook community account for Meta Spark. This is where creators spoke about how disappointed they were with the news. Remember, the app was also a means of livelihood for many creators, and shutting doors means putting hundreds out of work.

The news did not come with any warming but as a sudden decision that led to confusion and chaos on the creators’ part. Many are now issuing demands as to why this decision was made as others ask for accountability on Meta’s part.

The effective deadline has been outlined as January of next year after which the AR tools will no longer be in use. However, those already created and under the ownership of Meta will still be available for use across its different apps.

Meta tried to cover up the anger by speaking about how grateful they were to the community and stakeholders who helped make the project a success. It was first rolled out seven years back when AR was first introduced. Since then, it has required a lot of creativity and innovation, also giving rise to extended reach to millions.

All the effects created using Sparks tools were utilized billions of times, Meta confirmed. It would not be wrong to call it one of the company’s biggest AR apps during that era. Moreover, it was not only restricted to Instagram and Facebook but also Messenger. When it launched, it was already in use by 600k creators from more than 190 different nations. Clearly, the app was making head waves.

Meta says the choice to scrap the app was not linked to its popularity or adoption. Instead, it was designed after a proper assessment. According to Facebook’s parent firm, it was a necessary call, and like all of its other offerings, it is prioritizing what it feels can best serve the general public.

There are some reports about Meta making creators and developers happy with better initiatives at this year’s Meta Connect event that will take place next month. This includes the company’s plans to roll out AR smart glasses. Now the question is whether or not that’s going to be a good enough replacement for Spark.

From what we can see right now, it does not seem like it. A lot of creators have invested time, money, and knowledge to transform Spark into an app by which they can make a living. It was doing good for the company and for many creators. Hence, shutting it down is still a mystery that creators may never be able to solve.

For now, if you do have some published effects stored on Meta’s apps, we suggest you save all of your project files before it’s too late.

Image: DIW-Aigen

Read next: This Little-Known US State is a Hidden Gem for Tech Careers – See If Yours Made the List!
by Dr. Hura Anwar via Digital Information World