Telegram Vs Signal

In this detailed Telegram vs Signal guide, we take a look at two very popular, widely used instant messaging apps to see what they have in common, which security measures are better, and which once deserves your attention more. Before we continue, it is worth saying that both Telegram and Signal have a great loyal user base and this does not come as a surprise considering their great features that allow you to communicate online without any fear that your private, confidential data is exposed to intruders.

Further in this Telegram vs Signal guide, we take a look at each service separately. In other words, we check what kind of security measures Telegram and Signal employ. We also check other features that these services offer such as disappearing text messages and we also go through other options available when you get their respective apps. At the end of the article, you will be familiar with both options and you can decide which one works better for you based on your preferences and on what you are looking for, so let’s start.

Telegram Vs Signal Encrypted Messaging Apps

Both Telegram Messenger and Signal are encrypted messaging apps which means they use some kind of end-to-end encryption to protect private data, files, and everything else you share using these options. As you are probably familiar by now, instant messaging apps that use such technology and these include Telegram, Signal, as well as WhatsApp, Viber, and other popular options that let you communicate with anyone online securely and privately.

Telegram and Signal both encrypt your private messages at your end as well as on the intended recipient’s end so anyone in the middle cannot access, view, or interfere with the content of your messages or the content of your Telegram and Signal private messages. End-to-end encryption (E2EE) when employed properly protects your confidential data shared using instant messaging apps all the way.

In other words, the data you share is protected as it travels from your device to the recipient’s device. When it comes to Telegram vs Signal, both services thrive when it comes to their security measures but there are some differences in the way they operate and in the way they collect your private data. So, let’s explore how Telegram and Signal work.

Telegram Messenger and Its Features

When you look at the most downloaded apps from the App Store and Google Play, chances are you will come across awesome instant messaging apps including Telegram and Signal we discuss today. When compared to their major rivals such as WhatsApp, SMS texting, and Facebook Messenger, both Telegram and Signal promise more online and data privacy.

Telegram Messenger is a cross-platform, freeware, cloud-based software, and app for instant messaging available to Android and iOS users as well as desktop users. The service was developed back in 2013 by Telegram Messenger Inc. and Telegram FZ LLC. Just like other instant messaging apps available these days, with Telegram Messenger, you can make video calls, share files such as images and videos. You can also benefit from a great Secret Chat option that allows you to send end-to-end encrypted text messages and files.

When you get the Telegram app from the Google Play Store or the App Store depending on the device you use, you can enjoy communicating safely in group and one-on-one chats as every communication you have using the end is empowered with end-to-end encryption. Besides, Telegram Messenger lets you send animated stickers, share large files up to 2GB, as well as share music that you like, your contacts, and your location.

As estimated back in January of 2021, the service had over 500 million active users and at the time, it was the most downloaded app globally. To get started with Telegram Messenger, you need to get the app and the app is free no matter which device you use. Once done, you need to provide your phone number and you are all set. Some of the major benefits of using Telegram Messenger are:

  • Secret Chat options available
  • Free Android and iOS apps
  • Supports large group chats up to 200,000 people
  • Large file transfers up to 2 GB

Signal and Its Features

Further in this Telegram vs Signal guide, we take a look at Signal and its main features in comparison to Telegram. Just like Telegram Messenger, Signal is an encrypted, cross-platform instant messaging service crafted by Signal Messenger LLC. The very first version of the app was launched in July of 2014. Just like its main competitors, Signal lets you communicate online in group and one-on-one chats. With Signal, you can also share smaller files, send voice messages, send videos, as well as make video and voice calls.

To get started using Signal, just like with Telegram Messenger, you need to provide your phone number and get the Signal app from the Google Play Store or the App Store. Signal also works on Linux and Windows-powered desktop devices just like Telegram and this is a great advantage. Signal is empowered with end-to-end encryption and it offers some of the best privacy and security features when compared to its major competitors.

All conversations you have using the app are fully end-to-end encrypted whether you want it or not. The company responsible for the app cannot view your messages even if they try. When using Telegram, to send encrypted messages you need to enable a Secret Chat option while in Signal, end-to-end encryption is also protecting your private messages. With Signal, you can also send encrypted messages to group chats and this is not possible when using Telegram Messenger.

  • All messages end-to-end encrypted
  • Great privacy and security measures
  • Available for desktop devices
  • User-friendly on all devices

Telegram Vs Signal – Which One is Better?

It is obvious that both Telegram and Signal have their benefits. If you are looking for an instant messaging app with the best privacy and security measures, then Signal is the best option. At the same time, Telegram has some features that Signal does. For instance, with Telegram, you can communicate with large group chats of 200,000 users. When using Telegram, you can send large files up to 2GB while Signal only lets you send files up to 100 MB.

Telegram also supports synchronization between different devices that you use while when using Signal, your messages are stored on your device and not on Signal servers. The bottom line, Telegram wins when it comes to fancy features while Signal wins when it comes to data privacy and security. Depending on what you are looking for, both are great instant messaging options. 

iMessage Vs SMS

In this detailed iMessage vs SMS guide, we take a look at iMessage and its features and of course, SMS messaging and its features. By the end of this article, you know all of the major differences between SMS messaging and iMessage and you can decide which instant messaging option works better for you depending on your preferences. Before we examine the differences between iMessage vs SMS texting, we should examine each service separately.

First of all, both SMS and iMessage are instant messaging services that let you send real-time messages using a variety of portable devices that are connected to the internet. Instant messages sent using iMessage and SMS usually include two parties even though you can send messages to group chats as well. When it comes to instant messaging, there are several different types of these services including emailing options, social media platforms, instant messaging apps, as well as cross-platform freeware messaging apps for portable devices such as WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram, and Viber.

Different Instant Messaging Options

When discussing iMessage vs SMS message, we have to take a look at different instant messaging options out there. Some instant messaging services that you have at your disposal today use push technology while more advanced services and apps integrated video chat options, voice messages, as well as hyperlinks that are also shared in real-time just like text messages.

Depending on the instant messaging protocol used, instant messaging services facilitate online communication between known users from buddy, friend, or contact lists and this is a point-to-point or peer-to-peer instant messaging transmission. In other words, real-time messages are transmitted from the sender’s device to the recipient’s device in real-time. Back in 2010, there was a decline in the number of users of such services especially after AIM shut down and extremely popular Windows Live Messenger turned into Skype.

However, in recent years there has been a massive revival of such messaging options following the launch of mobile compatible iOS and Android instant messaging apps such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Wickr, Signal, Viber, and LINE. As estimated in 2014, these apps had more active users on a daily basis than popular social media platforms Facebook, Twitter, and others. This leads us to iMessage vs SMS, and both work very similarly but still offer different features and more importantly different data privacy and security options.

iMessage Vs SMS – How They Work?

Developed and launched by Apple Inc. back in 2011, iMessage is a reliable, secure, instant messaging service that only works across Apple platforms including iOS-powered smartphones, macOS, and iPadOS. Just like other instant messaging services and apps out there, with iMessage you can communicate with others by text messaging. With iMessage, you can also share videos, images, files as well as read statuses.

What is very important to note is that iMessage is end-to-end encrypted and this means that no one including third-parties and even the company that launched the service can intercept, view, and tamper with your messages sent using the service. If you are using an iOS-powered device, you have probably noticed that some of your messages sent appear in green while others appear in blue bubbles. Messages in blue are those sent using iMessage while those in green are sent as SMS messages.

Further in this iMessage vs SMS texting guide, we explore what is SMS texting and how it differs from iMessage. SMS that stands for short message service is one of the most used text messaging services and it uses modern communication protocols thanks to which anyone with a mobile device and an active telephone number can exchange text messages. Things when it comes to SMS texting have changed a lot since the very first SMS was sent back in 1992. Since these times, SMS texting became extremely popular with over 3,5 billion users as estimated in 2010 or over eighty percent of mobile phone users.

Unlike iMessage, SMS texting allows you to send as well as receive short messages that have the upper limit of one hundred and sixty characters. To send a SMS text message, you need a phone and you need a plan with some of your local cellular providers. Convenient and safe, SMS texting remains very popular and it works even when you are not connected to the Internet. On the other hand, Apple’s iMessage instant messaging service requires an internet connection. To send a text message using iMessage, you required a data plan or internet connection.

If you send messages using the service without internet connectivity, funds will be deducted from your data plan. iMessage has its separate app and using this app you can send both SMS and iMessage text messages. Unlike SMS, iMessage only works between Apple devices or iOS-powered smartphones. At the same time, iMessage has some innovative features that SMS instant messaging options do not offer. Some of the major iMessage pros are:

  • End-to-end encryption used
  • Already built into Mac and iPhone devices
  • Cool features such as stickers
  • Convenient, secure, and seamless

SMS texting also comes with benefits:

  • SMS texts can be sent without internet connectivity
  • No need to download any app or software
  • Safe, convenient, and reliable
  • Better open rates than other services

iMessage Vs SMS – Which One is Better?

When it comes to the iMessage vs SMS battle, once again it comes down to your preferences. SMS has been around for over two decades and it remains one of the most reliable instant text messaging options today. Even though sending a SMS will cost you, SMS is super convenient, secure, and reliable. When compared to other similar services, SMS texting also has better open rates. Unlike iMessage, SMS texting is available to anyone with a phone and a data plan with a cellular provider.

At the same time, iMessage has a bunch of great features that SMS texting does not. When using iMessage, you can send images, files, stickers, share your location, send voice messages, and videos. When using iMessage, you can also share GIFs, and even send and receive money with Apple Pay.

Moreover, your iMessage chats sync with iCloud accounts so you can access your iMessage texts on other Apple devices. At the same time, iMessage uses data and it goes fast when you send files. If your friends use Android devices, you will probably stick to SMS texting. Since both options have their perks, many iOS users end up texting using both iMessage and SMS.

How to Encrypt Email?

You are interested in learning how to encrypt email using different emailing services such as Outlook, Gmail, and others. If so, look no further as here we explore different options for sending encrypted emails with different email services out there. Before we get there, let’s examine what is an encrypted email in the first place, how it works, and finally how such messages protect your private, confidential data and boost your online and data privacy and security.

When you want to add an extra layer of protection to your personal messages with or without files attached, you encrypt them. So, how to encrypt email? To make it easier for you, there are many different options out there available to anyone for encrypting email messages and they work very similarly as they use the same end-to-end encryption technology. When you encrypt an email, your email message is converted from its easily readable text form into unreadable, scrambled data that cannot be viewed by anyone except you the sender, and the intended recipient.

Whenever you send an encrypted email message, only you and the intended recipient have the required encryption key. The recipient of your encrypted email has the required private key and this private key always matched the encryption public key. With this key, encrypted messages are decrypted once they reach the intended recipient. Anyone else without the key required cannot view and read your email messages.

How Email Encryption Works?

Email encryption works very similar to encryption technologies that instant messaging apps for Android, iOS, and Windows devices use to let you send self destruct, encrypted text messages, photos, videos, and other files. Email encryption technologies protect the private, confidential content you share via email from being accessed and read by third parties, and anyone else who is not the intended recipient.

When looking into how to encrypt email, you are looking for end-to-end encryption-empowered services, tools, and features. These generally employ public-key cryptography. Public-key cryptography used in these services is a powerful encryption system that uses public and private keys and their generation depends on sophisticated cryptographic algorithms. While public keys can be distributed private keys are always kept safe and secure for effective privacy and security.

When you send an email using standard emailing options, these email messages are usually encrypted as they travel from you to the intended recipient or during their transmission. However, at the same time, these messages are stored in their plain text form so they are readable by your email provider or some third parties. When you send an encrypted email, that message is encrypted during transmission as well as on your and the recipient’s part so it cannot be viewed by third parties or other outsiders.

The best, the most secure email encryption technology is end-to-end encryption and this is what you are looking for when learning how to encrypt email. The data within encrypted emails is encrypted on your part and then decrypted as it reaches the intended recipient. This means it is unreadable to your email service providers such as Outlook or Gmail. There are several different email encryption protocols that popular services use including S/MIME, PGP (Pretty Good Privacy), and GPG (GNU Privacy Guard).

How to Encrypt Email with Microsoft Outlook?

Further in this how to encrypt email guide, we take a look at Microsoft Outlook and its options for encrypting your emails. Launched by Microsoft, Microsoft Outlook is one of the most used email clients that operates as a part of the bigger Microsoft Office suite. Even though Microsoft Outlook is primarily an email client, it also features a variety of other options such as task managing, taking notes, contact managing, and calendaring.

Microsoft Outlook also offers Android and iOS apps while the Outlook mobile app also works across Windows-powered smartphones. So, how to encrypt email using Microsoft Outlook? If you have a Microsoft 365 Personal or Microsoft 365 Family subscription, you can encrypt your emails to ensure that the personal and confidential information you share is not accessible to third parties and intruders. In addition to encryption options, with Outlook you can also prevent forwarding of your emails which is another great feature. To get started, you need to be Microsoft 365 subscriber.

  • To send an encrypted email with Outlook, open your Outlook client
  • Click on the Encrypt button and pick one of two options
  • The two options include Encrypt and Prevent Forwarding and just Encrypt
  • To encrypt outgoing emails, click on the File tab and pick Options
  • Open the Trust Center Settings and click on the Email Security button
  • Find Encrypted Email and choose the Encrypt contents and attachments for outgoing messages

How to Encrypt Email with Yahoo?

Launched by the Yahoo company, Yahoo is another secure and one hundred percent reliable emailing service that has been around since 1997. As estimated in 2017, Yahoo had around 225 million users. It offers several different plans including Ad Free, Plus, and Basic for personal users. Just like with Microsoft Outlook, with the Yahoo email client, you can easily access and manage your Yahoo emails through its webmail client or via your web browser. So, how to encrypt email using this service.

Yahoo is empowered with SSL encryption technology or Secure Sockets Layer technology which protects your private, confidential emails from being accessed and viewed by intruders. However, when using Yahoo, you need to turn to third-party services to send encrypted Yahoo emails and this is not the case when using Gmail that offers everyone encryption options and when using Microsoft Outlook if you are a Microsoft 365 Personal or Family subscriber.

Fortunately, there are many great, reputable, and safe-to-use third-party services out there that do all the hard work for you. Some of these services that encrypt your Yahoo emails include:

  • ProtonMail
  • Ciphermail
  • Virtru
  • Startmail
  • Enlocked

Therefore, when looking into how to encrypt email using Yahoo, the best option is to turn to these secure emailing services. ProtonMail is one of the most used and it is empowered with the best end-to-end encryption. When using ProtonMail, you can also password-protect your emails as well as set email expiration timers. With Virtru, you can easily encrypt your emails as well but you need to use Chrome and Gmail. Startmail is also great but unlike other services, it is not free. Enlocked for Chrome is free just like Ciphermail that works across Android-powered portable devices.

WhatsApp Vs Signal

Here in our detailed, unbiased WhatsApp vs Signal guide, we take a look at what two very popular and widely used instant messaging apps offer. We take a look at WhatsApp, its history, its security features and compare them with Signal and features that this service offers. Once you are done with our WhatsApp vs Signal guide, you know what both services offer and you know which service offers better features to match your preferences.

Both Signal and WhatsApp are very popular instant messaging options alongside several other services of this kind including Telegram Messenger, Wickr, Viber, and Threema that we explored in other articles, so make sure you check those as well. Both WhatsApp and Signal use the best end-to-end encryption technology thanks to which you can rest assured that everything you share using the services is truly safe and well-protected from the prying eyes, hackers, and intruders.

While they use very similar technology, there are some major differences in the way they operate and in the way they protect your private messages, photos, and files you share. Further in this WhatsApp vs Signal guide, we take a look at the services’ privacy and security features, privacy and security tools employed, and other options so that you can decide which service works better for you.

WhatsApp vs Signal Features

WhatsApp was launched back in 2009 by WhatsApp Inc. while today the service is owned and operated by Facebook Inc. This is a cross-platform, freeware instant messaging app that can be downloaded to iOS and Android devices as well as Windows-powered desktop devices. Just like other instant messaging apps out there, with WhatsApp, you can send text messages, as well as make video and voice calls, send files, images, and share other content.

Crafted by Signal Messenger LLC and the Signal Technology Foundation, Signal is also a cross-platform instant messaging service. The very first version of the Signal app was released back in July of 2014. Today, the app can be downloaded to iOS and Android devices as well as to desktop devices powered by Windows. Just like with WhatsApp, with Signal you can send files including images and videos, text messages, make video and voice calls, send notes, and everything else you expect from a modern instant messaging app.

Both services run on portable devices including iOS and Android-powered smartphones and you can use them any time and any place for as long as you are connected to the Internet. As previously mentioned, you can use both WhatsApp and Signal on your desktop computer once you get the apps. To use WhatsApp, you need to provide your mobile telephone number and Signal also required that you identify your telephone number to get starts.

In other words, to use WhatsApp and Signal, you register by providing your personal information alongside providing your telephone number. Signal is empowered with the best end-to-end encryption introduced by Open Whisper Systems. In other words, Signal supports encrypted instant messaging which ensures the highest degree of online and data privacy and security. WhatsApp also employs similar encryption technology to protect your private conversations.

WhatsApp Vs Signal Security

With over two billion users, WhatsApp is the most used instant messaging service by both Android and iOS users while Signal had around 40 million active users several months back and its loyal user base has been growing exponentially in recent times. Further in this WhatsApp vs Signal guide, we explore the services’ security features and this is what should matter the most when deciding which service is better.

When looking for a great, reliable, and secure instant messaging app, you naturally look into security features and WhatsApp and Signal have some differences when it comes to their major privacy and security features. As previously mentioned, both WhatsApp and Signal employ end-to-end encryption in their apps which means outside parties cannot intercept your private messages sent using the services.

In their essence, WhatsApp and Signal that provide encryption for video calls, voice messages, file sharing, and texting, are safe to use. Nonetheless, there are some security and privacy differences between WhatsApp and Signal. Let’s examine Signal first.

  • Signal does not collect any private data you share except your telephone number
  • Signal is free of ads, fully open-source
  • Signal uses end-to-end Signal Protocol encryption
  • Signal lets you send disappearing messages

When it comes to WhatsApp and its security, privacy, and other features:

  • WhatsApp is not open-source except for its encryption
  • WhatsApp uses the same end-to-end encryption as Signal
  • WhatsApp collects some of your private data linked to you
  • WhatsApp regular and business versions of the app are free

Which One is Better?

When discussing WhatsApp vs Signal, it all comes down to their privacy and security measures employed. When looking for an instant messaging app, you want your private data to be safeguarded and protected at all times from third parties and you also want your identity to be safeguarded. Since both WhatsApp and Signal use the same end-to-end encryption technology and this technology is the best what we have today, you can rest assured that both services safeguard your identity and everything you share.

However, WhatsApp is more vulnerable since its encryption protocol used is open-source and it is more prone to hacking simply because it has a much bigger user base. At the same time, Signal has more privacy and security features that are regularly updated such as encrypted profiles, incognito keyboard options, as well as view-once text and media messages. Signal also offers screen security options to make sure that no one takes screenshots of your private messages and you easily enable it in the Settings section.

WhatsApp and Signal both offer fingerprint lock options so you are the only person who can access your chats and conversations. WhatsApp also allows you to hide your statuses and last seen and the same is available when using Signal. With WhatsApp statuses, you also have three options to choose from. At the same time, WhatsApp is known for collecting the most amount of your private data when compared to similar services while Signal does not collect any of your data except your telephone number. So, which one is better? This is entirely up to you and your preferences and what you value more, privacy and security features, fancier options, or a great user base. The bottom line, both value your online privacy as they should.

Share Files Securely

You are looking for the best app and service to share files securely? If so, this guide on sending files securely will definitely help you find an app or service that works the best for you. Fortunately, we have many great apps and services that let you send files securely whenever you are sharing something private and confidential. The vast majority of the options work for both Android and iOS users, while many of them can also be downloaded to desktop devices.

Some of the options have been around for quite some time and you probably heard of them already including Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive. Others are more recently launched for mobile users including pCloud, Resilio, and Enigmail. Either way, each of these options has some perks and benefits. Depending on your preferences, one of these great options to send files securely will doubtless provide what you are looking for, so let’s examine what they offer, how they work, and how to get started.

Whenever you want to send files securely with friends, family members, or someone else on the internet, you want a service that provides encrypted file sharing options. You also want a service that lets you send files securely, quickly, and without any unnecessary hassle. Nowadays, many file sharing services meet these important criteria and we discuss them further in the article.

Depending on your preferences, you can share files with great cloud storage apps or by using instant messaging apps and services that are empowered with end-to-end encryption and let you send disappearing or self destruct files that can be viewed only once. Over the last several years, file sharing options have advanced massively, so you have plenty of different apps and options at your disposal to send files securely, so let’s start.

Share Files Securely with Dropbox

Dropbox is one of the most used cloud-based file sharing tools out there that allow teams as well as individuals to send files securely and access these files on one hundred percent secure servers from many different devices. This cloud-based file sharing tool was developed and launched by the Dropbox Inc. company back in June of 2007. It offers personal cloud, file synchronization, as well as client software and cloud storage.

Over a decade since its launch, Dropbox is one of the most used cloud-based file sharing tools with great data privacy and security technologies that always protect everything you share using the service. With Dropbox, you can keep all of your confidential files securely stored. You can easily share files securely with everyone even those that do not use Dropbox. Dropbox also has a bunch of other great features such as sharing files from Adobe Photoshop, Google Docs, and much more. To share files with Dropbox:

  • Head to the Dropbox website and sign in to get started
  • Once you upload files that you want to share, press the All Files button
  • Hover over the folder or file’s name and select Share
  • Type the name, or email of people or person you want to share your files or folders with
  • Click on the Share Folder or Share File button
  • Once done, the person or people get an email to access the folder or file you shared

Share Files Securely with Google Drive

Another great option to share files securely online is Google Drive. Launched by Google back in April of 2014, Google Drive is a reliable, easy-to-use file sharing and file storage service. Just like Dropbox, it has a bunch of great features. With Google Drive, you can store and share files, as well as synchronize files across all devices that you use. The service also offers apps that work for iOS and Android-powered smartphones as well as Windows desktop devices.

It also should be noted that Google Drive encompasses Google Slides, Google Sheets, and Google Docs of the great Google Docs Editors suite. The free version of the service offers 15 GB of file storage while premium paid plans offer between 100 GB and up to 30 TB. Google Drive lets you change the privacy setting for every file you store and share. Both the Google Drive app and its web-based service offer backup options while with a Quick Access option you can easily find what you are looking for. To send files securely with Google Drive:

  • Log into your Google Drive account or sign in if you do not have one
  • On your computer, go to the Docs, Slides, or Sheets section
  • Find the file you want to share securely
  • Press on the Share button
  • Enter the email addresses of people or the person you want to share your file with
  • Optionally notify people that you have shared a file with them
  • Click on the Share button

Other Great File Sharing Apps to Try Out

As mentioned at the beginning, there are many great apps and services out there that let you share files securely. In addition to Dropbox and Google Drive, you can use the SHAREit app that works on all iOS and Android devices as well as PCs. The app was developed by Smart Media4U Technology Pte. Ltd. and at the time of its launch, it was a part of Lenovo while today it operates independently. As listed on the official SHAREit website, with the app you can send files securely and all sorts of files are supported including videos, music, and photos.

pCloud is also a great cloud-based file sharing service that uses the best end-to-end encryption to protect every single file you store and share here. The service also offers a great app you can download from the Google Play Store and App Store and you instantly have 10 GB of cloud storage space to get started. With WeTransfer, you can easily share files securely up to 2 GB for free. To get started with WeTransfer, you do not have to register just head to its website, add your file or files, enter the email of the person you want to share your file with and that’s it.