5 alternatives to WhatsApp (that aren’t giving away your contacts)
Angry with the WhatsApp-Facebook deal? It might be time to abandon ship
Messaging app giant WhatsApp sparked global outrage when it announced it was changing its privacy terms. It would now share user data with parent company, Facebook. What does that mean? WhatsApp will now display adverts like Facebook, depending on its users consumption patterns. Though no announcement has been made about the frequency or appearance of these adverts, it is safe to say that they are annoying enough on our Facebook timeline.
You can opt out of ads, but WhatsApp will share contacts for “other purposes”.
If you don’t any of that, now’s the best time to change your go-to messenger app. Your options are:
1) Viber: It goes one up over WhatsApp with video calls. A desktop and mobile phone-based messenger service, it enables you to send free messages, call and host video conferences.
Available on: iOS, Android, Windows, BlackBerry
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2) BBM: The original instant messaging app. BBM was the app to beat in the late 2000s. In 2013, BlackBerry launched the chat app on Android, Windows and iOS. As a reminder of the simpler times we once lived in (when phone numbers were safe), BBM is the perfect replacement.
Available on - Android, Windows and iOS
3) Hike Messenger: Since its launch in 2012, Hike has intended to do away with our bandwidth concerns: it functions without WiFi and data packs. This app boasts of an incorruptible encryption key to ensure users’ privacy above all.
Available on - Android, iOS, Windows
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4) WeChat: Apart from a one-on-one chat portal, the app provides a series of services, including booking a radio cab and paying utility bills. What’s impressive is the Microsoft Office-like suite, an offline drive where you can store and share documents with others. Also available on your desktop.
Available on - Android, iPhone, BlackBerry, Windows; For desktop: OS X and Windows
5) Telegram: Provides a series of unique features such as secret chats (encrypted chats with a self-destruct timer which deletes the entire conversation thread) and screenshot notifications (notifies of a screenshot taken by the recipient). GIF files are supported, and users can choose stickers and emojis from third party apps. Most importantly, it is quicker in delivering a message courtesy a Cloud sync feature.
Available on - Android, iOS, Windows, Ubuntu