Whether you use an iPhone or an Android smartphone, there is almost no doubt about which messaging application you use on a daily basis: you undoubtedly communicate with your loved ones using Apple Messages, Google Messages, or even WhatsApp.
And this is not very surprising. The first two are installed natively on iOS and Android and support the RCS protocol, replacing SMS.
The third was adopted by the greatest number of people thanks to its free and easy use, at a time when messages and calls were still limited on mobile plans, particularly with regard to exchanges with correspondents living abroad.
These three American messaging applications clearly have a monopoly on the exchanges of billions of users: Apple Messages and Google Messages each have around 1 billion users and WhatsApp around 3 billion active users each month.
However, there are many European messaging applications that are just as effective, and undoubtedly even more secure. Here are our favorites.
1. Forget 🇫🇷
If you don’t yet know Olvid, it will be time for you to seriously look into this “made in France” messaging. The first instant messaging service to be CSPN certified (first level security certification) by ANSSI, Olvid places the confidentiality of its users at the heart of its operation. Because unlike traditional messaging services which require an email address, telephone number or name, Olvid promises total anonymity.
The application does not ask for any personal data during registration, which does not allow it to know who is using it. It therefore does not use a centralized directory and is essentially based on direct trust between users.
After registration, the “most secure messaging in the world” will not allow you to find your contacts, as messaging apps usually do. Olvid will not dig into your address book. Each contact with whom you wish to communicate must be manually registered in the application, through an invitation that you have sent beforehand. This could be a QR Code to scan if you are physically with the person, or a secure invitation link that your interlocutor must click on.
You and your contact will then need to confirm each other’s addition by entering the validation code displayed on each other’s screen. Only after this verification can you finally start the discussion.
What about the security of exchanges? All messages and attachments exchanged in your conversations are systematically protected by high-level cryptographic protocols. Each message is end-to-end encrypted with an ephemeral, single-use key. Thanks to this system, even if the encryption keys are compromised, access to conversation history remains impossible.
Olvid has removed the need to trust servers. So, even if the email servers were under attack, your messages would remain protected.
To top it off, Olvid can be used not only on smartphones (iOS and Android), but also on your PC or Mac, via a dedicated application for Windows, macOS and Linux. The source code of the application is also open and accessible by clicking here.
Please note, however, that in its free version, Olvid only provides access to secure audio and video calls and multiplatform synchronization of messages for a period of one month. You will need to subscribe to a subscription billed at 5 euros per month (Olvid only pays for itself through paid options) to get past this.
2. Twinme 🇫🇷
Created in 2012 by former INRIA researchers, Twinme is an instant messaging application that also supports audio and video calls and places the confidentiality and security of its users’ data at the heart of its operation.
Like Olvid, Twinme does not rely on a centralized directory. The app does not require a phone number, email address or username, nor does it access your smartphone’s address book.
Twinme relies on an invitation system that users must send and accept each other in order to be matched. The connection is therefore established using an invitation code, via a QR code or a clickable link. You can obviously create a profile with your name and photo to remain easily identifiable by your contacts.
To ensure absolute respect for privacy, Twinme is built to leave no trace of your exchanges on the Cloud. Within the application, communications (messages and calls) take place directly from device to device, without an intermediary server. To ensure the security of these Peer-to-peer exchanges, messaging secures all your interactions using end-to-end encryption.
Twinme allows you to maintain full control over your messages and conversations. If you delete an item, it will not only be deleted on your device, but also on the other person’s device. You can also block a contact at any time if necessary to no longer be contacted.
Like most instant messengers, Twinme supports audio and video calls, but also file sharing (documents, photos, videos). You can also use messaging to share live music during a call, transfer a call from your mobile to your computer, or even generate a clickable calling link that guests can use to reach you. The icing on the cake is that Twinme, whose source code is open (https://github.com/twinlife), is completely free.
Note that in 2022, Twinme merged with the Skyrock group, behind another instant messaging application, Skred, which is built on the same technology as Twinme.
Skred is an instant messaging service born within the Skyrock group and resulting from the free radio movement. With the main objective of defending freedom of expression, messaging benefits from an operation that allows it to escape surveillance mechanisms and the risk of seeing your personal data exploited.
Skred Messenger shares the same base as Twinme, its interface is almost similar, as are the features it offers. Unsurprisingly, Skred, whose source code is open, also places emphasis on the confidentiality of exchanges. The app, which does not require any personal data to function, will therefore neither need your telephone number nor your email address. However, you can create a profile with your name and photo, to be identifiable by your contacts.
Like Twinme, Skred is built around an operation that leaves no trace. Communications are done peer-to-peer, directly from device to device, without your exchanges passing through third-party servers. Conversations are also end-to-end encrypted and stored directly on your smartphone. No messages are stored on any online server.
Skred supports text messages, audio and video calls, and also allows exchanging files (documents, photos, videos, etc.). Just like Twinme, Skred allows you to transfer a call from your mobile to your computer, offers a live music sharing function during a call, and has a function to generate a Click to call call link that guests can use to contact you on messaging.
To differentiate itself from Twinme, Skred offers to partition your conversations into different groups. You will be able to create different spaces (family, friends, work) and different profiles, to use according to your social circles.
Note that Skred synchronizes all your data. If you delete a message or conversation in the app, it will also be deleted on the other person’s device.
Created in 2012 in Switzerland, Threema is an instant messaging application that stands out for its “Privacy by Design” approach. The app, which makes security and privacy protection its priority, now has more than 12 million users.
Confidentiality requires, Threema does not ask for a telephone number or email address to be used. Each user receives a unique identifier, allowing them to communicate without having to disclose their identity or personal address book.
To best protect your data, Threema limits its collection to the strict technical minimum. Your contact lists and groups are thus managed in a decentralized manner, directly on your smartphone, and the messages you send are immediately deleted from Threema’s servers as soon as they are received by your interlocutors.
Threema protects all communications it offers (message, audio and video calls, voice calls, files and even profile photo and group names) using end-to-end encryption. Like the previous three applications, the source code of the application is open and accessible to everyone on this page. The confidentiality of exchanges, however, has a cost: Threema charges 6 euros for its application (one time) upon purchase.
Born in Germany, ginlo Private is an instant messaging application created in 2020 by Karsten Schramm, the creator of GMX email messaging. This “made & hosted in Germany” application places digital sovereignty and protection against cyber threats at the heart of its mission.
Just like the most secure solutions, Ginlo offers the promise of total anonymity. The application allows you to link up with other users without ever revealing your phone number. To do this, it uses a dedicated identifier, the ginlo ID.
Faithful to its confidentiality commitments, the platform guarantees an experience without advertising, without tracking and without exploitation of your data. To guarantee the identity of your interlocutors, ginlo offers a verification functionality by scanning a QR code, ensuring that you are communicating with the right person.
Like the majority of instant messaging apps, ginlo allows you to send text messages, but also files (photos, videos and other files up to 100 MB). What about technical security? ginlo goes further than simple traditional end-to-end encryption by offering “Full encryption”. This means that your data is protected not only during transfer, but also while it is stored on your device and on ginlo’s servers.
As a provider, ginlo technically has no way of accessing your content, and the encryption keys remain exclusively stored on your device. The servers, located in Germany, benefit from ISO 27001 certification and comply with the strict standards of the BSI (Federal Office for Information Security).
In its free version, intended for individuals, ginlo Private synchronizes your data on 3 devices (Android and iOS). Unlike other models, ginlo Private remains free with no time limits for basic functions. The only downside is its interface, which is a little austere compared to the competition.
👉🏻 Follow tech news in real time: add 01net to your sources on Google, and subscribe to our WhatsApp channel.
