The fact that Facebook took over WhatsApp was not welcomed by everyone. Not only in terms of privacy, but also with a view to possible advertisements. For anyone who prefers nothing to do with Facebook, here are five excellent free alternatives to WhatsApp.
signal
WhatsApp may support end-to-end encryption these days, but there are apps that have been concerned about user privacy for much longer. Signal is the textbook example of this. The app offers free encrypted chats and phone calls, making it one of the few apps that care about both privacy and the end user.
The app offers everything you would expect from a WhatsApp competitor: simple chats, group conversations, high-quality calls and, last but not least, an empty price tag. Signal is a great app if you value your privacy.
Download Signal for iOS and Android.
hangout
Google Hangouts is the successor to the trusted Google Talk. The service allows you to communicate with your friends in many different ways. For example, you can not only send text messages with the app, but also make audio and video calls. A nice detail is that you can do this both together and in groups.
For Google Hangouts, just like Facebook Messenger, for example, the service can be used not only on your smartphone, but also from a computer. So your conversations are always where you are. Handy!
Download Hangouts for iPhone and Android
allo
Hangouts just doesn't really want to get off the ground, so what do you do as Google? You just try again! Allo comes out this summer and should become the answer to WhatsApp. With end-to-end encryption, numerous formatting functions and deep Google integration, Allo already has a nice list of features. The app is currently under development and should be available for Android and iOS in the summer.
Kik Messenger
In the time when WhatsApp was not yet available for Windows Phone, Kik Messenger has had its heyday on the platform. Although that time is now over, we must not forget the app. For example, Kik Messenger still claims to have 100 million users and in our opinion that is justified.
For example, the app lets you send homemade memes and drawings. That way, communicating with your friends becomes a real creative activity.
Download Kik for iPhone, Android, Windows Phone, Symbian and BlackBerry
viber
Viber is extremely popular in Asia, but is slowly starting to conquer the western market as well. Viber works just like WhatsApp based on your phone number. The app is much more playful than the competition, with a motley collection of homemade emoji and the ability to add stickers to messages.
The handy thing about Viber is that there is also a desktop version, so you don't always need your phone to have conversations. The app also supports audio and video calling, albeit with varying quality.
Download Viber for iPhone, Android and Windows Phone.
Telegram
Telegram's popularity skyrocketed when it became known that Facebook would take over WhatsApp. The reason for this is clear: Telegram is a WhatsApp clone that is barely distinguishable from the original in many ways. Apart from a blue base color instead of green, the similarities are obvious.
In addition, Telegram has been offering end-to-end encryption to its users from the beginning, whereas WhatsApp only recently adopted it. The fact that a desktop version is available that you can use without needing your smartphone also speaks in favor of Telegram.
Download Telegram for iPhone, Android and Desktop.
