The best alternatives when WhatsApp crashes | Technology

WhatsApp was the first to hit and it shows: it has become the standard option for sending messages between mobile phones and those who do not have it installed do so more because it is a conscious exclusion than an oversight. However, being the most used and omnipresent also pays its tolls: saturation and excess of messages can ruin one’s experience or, in the worst case, make them look down at their mobile every time a notification arrives. . However, there are a large number of options beyond WhatsApp, and in fact, this messaging application is not successful in all markets (in the United States, for example, its use is almost testimonial).

Why might it be interesting to look for an alternative channel to WhatsApp? The saturation of this medium means that contacting some people is sometimes difficult, and among friends or family, using a niche application can be very positive since the user will know that all the notifications that come through this channel will be of value. . It is also useful for when there are emergencies and WhatsApp has fallen. Now, which one to choose?

Telegram

It is the great alternative, due to its popularity, to WhatsApp in Spain and it is possibly the one that has most welcomed those disenchanted with the dominant platform. In its favor, it has the possibility of being used simultaneously on several computers since it is a cloud-based service; it also allows the use of secret chats, whereby conversations can self-destruct and the sender is informed if screenshots are taken.

Facebook Messenger is the most used messaging application in the world, closely followed by WhatsApp

Another point in favor of Telegram lies in the possibility of creating aliases, so that we can share our account with an easily remembered name. This application also has end-to-end encryption and is very similar to WhatsApp in the bulk of its functions, but against it is the fact that it still doesn’t allow video calls and, for the more paranoid, that this service doesn’t have a real business model : When Pavel Durov, its founder, was openly asked about the matter, the answer was “there is no” which may arouse the suspicions of those who think that all the costs of a millionaire platform are altruistically maintained.

Messenger (Facebook)

Not everyone knows it, but Facebook Messenger is the most used messaging application in the world, closely followed by WhatsApp, also owned by it. Another myth that surrounds this application is that it is necessary to have a Facebook profile: to sign up for Messenger, all you have to do is have a mobile phone number. This application offers some functions that make it stand out from the rest, such as the possibility of making group calls and video calls or installing games and bots (the latter are also available on Telegram), with the content that most interests us.

Messenger is also cross-platform and can be installed simultaneously on multiple devices. Regarding security, this application has end-to-end encryption, but it must be activated in the mobile app options (activate “secret conversations”).

Signal

It is the great reference in terms of privacy. In this messaging application, there is absolutely no trace of anything that happens between the interlocutors. The encryption is end-to-end (in fact, its encryption is the one used by WhatsApp) and encrypted voice and video calls can also be made. If its great virtue is extreme privacy, its main flaw is the extreme simplicity of its design, although this may be seen as positive among many of its users. The application is also cross-platform, so it can also be installed on your computer. In short, Signal is an application very similar to WhatsApp, but its main argument is the extreme privacy of its conversations.

Wire

A Swiss company set out to create a secure, multi-platform alternative that is well-endowed in terms of features to make communications much more entertaining. Wire is a purely European project and this is precisely one of its sales arguments: its servers are located in Switzerland and therefore, outside the direct intervention of both the authorities of the European Union and the United States.

Its encryption system is inspired by that of Signal, and the platform allows, in addition to messaging, high-quality and encrypted calls and video calls. When it comes to messaging, Wire allows you to draw directly on the conversation, add attachments and the rest of the functions that we already know on other platforms. Its use is free for individuals, but the business model is focused on the corporate world, where they want to become an alternative to services such as Slack.

SMS

Traditional short message service (SMS) messages remain a viable alternative. Its great advantage is that you do not have to download any app or make preparations. The service is installed on the mobiles we use.

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