Whatsapp vs Signal vs Telegram

WhatsApp

In 2009, WhatsApp was created by two former Yahoo employees, Brian Acton and Jan Koum. Its name is a playful take on the phrase "What's up." Initially, the app faced frequent crashes, which frustrated Koum to the point that he considered abandoning the project. However, Acton encouraged him to keep trying, which led to a renewed effort over the next few months.

Jan Koum was born into a Jewish family in Ukraine and later moved to the United States, where he began working in computer programming. In 1997, he met Brian Acton, and the two became close friends. They joined Yahoo together, and after leaving the company in 2007, they both applied for jobs at Facebook. Surprisingly, Facebook turned them down. Two years later, Koum created WhatsApp and invited Acton to join him in the venture.

Initially, WhatsApp saw limited success, but it eventually gained widespread popularity. This rise in popularity caught the attention of Mark Zuckerberg, who invited Koum for dinner and negotiated what would become one of the digital world's largest deals. In 2014, Facebook acquired WhatsApp for $19 billion, making it one of the most significant offers ever made for an app. At the time of the purchase, WhatsApp had around 600 million users; today, it boasts nearly 2 billion users worldwide.

Under WhatsApp’s new policy, user data is now shared not only with Facebook but also with third-party companies connected to Facebook, which can use this data for business purposes. WhatsApp data is stored on Facebook's servers, with the app now authorized to access certain mobile information, including battery level, app version, phone number, carrier, and IP address. However, WhatsApp assures that end-to-end encrypted messages cannot be accessed or shared by any other party.

For users of WhatsApp Business and the web version, their numbers have already appeared in Google search results. Users wishing to permanently leave WhatsApp should first delete their account within the app's settings. Merely uninstalling the app will not remove their data from WhatsApp’s servers. 

Given these changes, is it time to consider switching to alternative messaging apps to challenge WhatsApp's dominance? Several prominent figures, including Elon Musk, founder of Tesla, and journalist Edward Snowden, have advised their followers to try Signal as an alternative.

Alternative Messaging Apps

1.    Signal

Signal, currently a free non-profit app, has benefited the most from the backlash against WhatsApp's new policy. It has now become the most downloaded app globally. Interestingly, Brian Acton, one of WhatsApp's co-founders, is also associated with Signal.

Signal offers some unique privacy features: users can set different message deletion times for individual chats, ranging from five seconds to a week. 

This setting applies across both users’ devices. Signal's "Message Request" feature helps users avoid messages from unknown contacts, and its "Screen Security" feature prevents other apps from taking screenshots of chats. Moreover, users can no longer be added to groups without their consent, as a request must be accepted first. Signal offers secure voice and video calls, making it highly secure; even Edward Snowden, the former NSA whistleblower, uses Signal.

2.    Telegram

Telegram is another free messaging app with a variety of useful features. 

Users can set message deletion timers ranging from one second to one week and can send files up to 1.5 GB in size. Telegram allows groups with up to 200,000 members, offers file forwarding without needing downloads, and includes scheduled messages and chat archiving options. Additionally, users can search for each other by name or phone number and edit messages. Telegram’s system allows the original owner of forwarded messages to be identified, which supports data transparency. Although free, Telegram may consider ads or paid services in the future to support its extensive operations.

Telegram, a Russian-developed app, lacks end-to-end encryption for its default chats. Instead, messages can be decrypted on its servers, which poses potential security concerns. However, from a features standpoint, Telegram remains one of the best messaging apps.

And finally, a good mention of a Pakistani message service app. 

3.    Pakistan’s Tello Talk

Pakistan’s very own messaging app, Tello Talk, is available on the Google Play Store with many of the popular features found in international messaging apps. 

Currently downloaded by over a million Pakistanis, its popularity surged by 200% following the WhatsApp policy controversy. Tello Talk includes text, voice, and video messaging, along with chat rooms. Moreover, it offers corporate features such as access to news, TV channels, dramas, movies, online banking, and food delivery options. Tello Talk supports multiple regional languages, including Urdu, Punjabi, Sindhi, Balochi, Pashto, and Saraiki.

While Tello Talk offers promising features, it has room for improvement. Message delivery is somewhat slower than other apps, swipe-to-reply functionality is absent, and message backup does not extend to cloud storage.

Though all these apps are currently free, it remains to be seen how they adapt if user demand continues to grow.