With rising privacy concerns on WhatsApp, many have considered switching over to Signal.
So, how do the two apps compare?
WhatsApp vs. Signal: The Features They Have in Common
WhatsAppandSignalshare a similar set of features.
Mahnoor Faisal/MakeUseOf
They’re both free messaging apps with end-to-end encryption and cross-platform support.
you might also turn off the option entirely or create a custom time limit.
it’s possible for you to also hide notifications entirely.
In terms of multi-unit usage, you canuse WhatsApp on up to four linked devicesat a time.
Similarly, you canuse Signal on up to five linked devicesat a time.
WhatsApp and Signal are both available on iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac.
The biggest difference between the apps is how they handle data collection.
They also feature different size limits for group chats and calls, but are similar in terms of user-friendliness.
While this hasn’t always been the case, WhatsApp also utilizes end-to-end encryption.
But the apps handle metadata differently.
Both messaging platforms utilize the same encryption protocol developed by Open Whisper Systems.
This is where a key difference arises between WhatsApp and Signal.
WhatsApp may share your account information with its parent company, Meta.
This includes your phone number, app usage, gear information, IP address, among other things.
This poses a privacy risk.
On the contrary, Signal utilizes a feature that can protect your metadata, called Sealed Sender.
This feature hides information about the sender, even from the platform itself.
It also uses a third-party service to verify your account with a one-time PIN.
These companies may get into the information WhatsApp collects about you.
The service also uses cookies.
Popularity
According toStatista, WhatsApp has around 2 billion monthly active users.
Meanwhile,Business of Appssuggests that Signal had around 40 million active users in 2022.
This means that WhatsApp is far more popular as the biggest messaging app in the world.
However, don’t let these figures fool you.
Since both platforms have similar features like status updates, navigating either one won’t be a challenge.
WhatsApp Channels, which allow admins to send broadcast messages to their followers, were rolled out in 2023.
Should You Use WhatsApp or Signal?
There’s no denying that Signal outperforms WhatsApp in terms of security and privacy.
If you’re concerned about security and privacy, there’s no better choice out there than Signal.
