Signal vs WhatsApp

Hi guys, welcome back to the signal app guide website/blog..

2021 is hitting us hard beside the strange things happening in politics. We now have to fight for our privacy like never before.


There is one more app you have to say goodbye to If you don't want everyone to know what are you doing?


And know it's not an absurd app, it's one and only WhatsApp - The one who holds in his hands the lives of 2 billion users And to decided to give us up to none other than the privacy breacher No.1 Facebook.


After accepting that, all we do on Instagram in zeks years. Whatsapp, threaten users, either they share data with Facebook, or they are dismissed.


Thrown off the app, done, out, goodbye!


Now plenty of us uses this app daily. It's something that even my parents can chat on without creating a fancy social profile.


So, between cutting ties with a ban and sharing data with Facebook, well it's not a hard choice, right! Except this is the 3rd app disclosing info about people with them.


But just not info like phone model or os but payment, browser information, location, and more. It helps them serve better ads to you and info that could be a leak at any time. 


After all, Facebook has a history of ...user rights.


*Also Read:- Signal App Reviews

Elon Musk Supports Signa App

The moves spot such an outrage that even Elon Musk and Tweeter's founder got involved.

 

Telling followers to use a WhatsApp alternative the other backing up with the retweet.


And off-course, Microsoft took advantage and push skype more. No surprise there!


Now, for the company that's been keen on using end-to-end encryption, this seems like an odd move.

 

And I don't think they would have done if left alone, but Facebook forces their hands.


And from what I have seen, this might be the beginning of the end for the app.


The war for privacy is on folks especially because there are options - less popular, less talk about, less in media, but they do exist.

 

Take the example of the signal app - after Elon musk, advice people to use signal instead of WhatsApp. More than a million peoples downloaded the app in a week only till now.

 

Signal App


The signal is the core of WhatsApp in a way, and Whatsapp is the part of the signal family.

 So, how haven't come heard about it? 


  1. The signal is an NGO, and the app is under the signal foundation 
  2. It's not friendly, not authority, not with marketers and businesses 
  3. It is controversial, and for many, it's dirty little secrets. 

Well, since the 2016 signal offers users the chance to time their messages basically, you can opt to let the message showing the chat for 5 sec to 1 week after that, it disappears, and no one will see it again.


You can see how it helps people sneaking around.


As the Black Live Matter movement started, the protester was looking for a way to communicate safely, the signal app becomes the go-to app.

 

Why wasn't WhatsApp used?

Because unlike signal WhatsApp doesn't encrypt metadata, but the signal does. By encrypting, Police can't find, out to whom, when, and for how long message someone.

 

Seems, good to be true!

But, several years ago, Police ask a signal to help them in the case. All signal app could do, give them the date of those accounts created and the last time they were active.


And while WhatsApp becoming more open to our data, the signal is doing the opposite.

 

Recently they introduce the blur tool for photos. Which helps to secured one's identity.


Signal vs WhatsApp: Who's better? 


Is there any weakness of the signal & how bad WhatsApp is?

  • The end-to-end encryption WhatsApp uses is the protocol signal come up with, and while WhatsApp uses it for all communication, metadata, location, or cloud backups are not encrypted.
  • The signal app doesn't just encrypt everything, including profiles even suggest an incognito keyboard for android instead of a g-board to keep your data away from google. 
  • On the other hand, the Whatsapp group chat was recently indexed by google search. It was not intentional, but still, things like that don't happen with the signal app. 
  • The signal app is open source so, you can see the app's code, and bit you are a techie, check regularly, for changes in how they handle user data.

Now, WhatsApp got kind-of involved with the signal, when one of its founders jumped, he ended leading the app and cheering the foundation.


Signal Tips & Tricks


You don't need to signup with the actual phone number.


Signal just needs a phone number. That's like a user name and numbers to send you the verification text.


So, you can use the burner phone or create a random number with a google voice fictitious account.


If it's all about your security, I think it's an absolute selling point plus, and recommendation from Edward Snowden.


If you are thinking all okay but is this user-friendly as WhatsApp? Is it fun to use? Yes, totally!

You have video, voice calls, emojis, gifs, pictures, and everything else to send via text message.


You can create groups and have group calls plus, it works in all countries, and there is a desktop version for more convenience.


Files and local backups encrypted with a passphrase, and you can even send messages to yourself called "note to self"


Also Read:- how to use signal app

 

Anything Bad About Signal App?


If you delete your WhatsApp account to create a signal one, make sure you have enough people to communicate with, or else you go "note to self" to talk to yourself. You have to invite friends and family members on the signal to have a conversation. 


What do you think- could the signal app grow strong enough to replace WhatsApp? or people close their eyes to accept that sharing is perhaps not caring? Let me know in the comment below.


Thanks