PART 02 · FOUNDATIONS · 🟢
Encrypted messaging
The first move, the one that protects you fastest: leave WhatsApp, Messenger and Telegram for a genuinely encrypted (ideally open-source) messenger.
| You leave | You adopt | Why |
|---|
| WhatsApp | Signal | Same simplicity, without Meta or metadata harvesting |
| Messenger | Signal / SimpleX | Messenger isn’t E2EE by default and was scanned under Chat Control 1.0 |
| Telegram | Signal / SimpleX | Telegram isn’t end-to-end encrypted by default |
What it's for
An encrypted messenger for your texts, calls, video and groups. The direct replacement for
WhatsApp, just as simple.
Why it matters
End-to-end encryption by default, non-profit, an audited protocol that is the world standard.
Almost no metadata kept, and the team has pledged to leave the EU rather than install scanning.
For whom & when
Everyone, starting today. It’s the first and most useful step. One catch: a phone number, which
you can hide behind a username.
Install & use
Install from signal.org (App Store, Google Play, or the direct APK on Android).
- Confirm your number by SMS, then set a PIN.
Settings > Privacy: create a username to hide your number, and turn on
registration lock.
- Invite your contacts. On desktop, link the desktop app to your phone.
For important contacts, compare the safety number (in person or over another channel):
it rules out a man-in-the-middle interception.
What it's for
An encrypted messenger with no account, no number and no identifier. You connect by sharing a
link or QR code.
Why it matters
By design, even the servers can’t know who talks to whom. It’s currently the strongest option
against metadata correlation.
For whom & when
Pseudonymous accounts, sensitive contacts, high-risk. A bit younger than Signal, with a few
rough edges.
Install & use
Install from simplex.chat (F-Droid, Google Play, App Store or APK).
Pick a local display name (never your real name: it stays on your device).
To add a contact, share a one-time invitation link or a QR code.
- Turn on the passcode lock, and (advanced) configure your own SMP servers.
What it's for
Signal-grade encryption, but with no phone number and onion routing.
Why it matters
Your identity is a random “Session ID.” Traffic goes through a decentralised network (Lokinet)
that sharply reduces metadata.
For whom & when
When a phone number is a liability. Smaller ecosystem, best kept for conversations that matter.
Install & use
Install from getsession.org (all platforms).
“Create account” generates your Session ID and a recovery phrase.
- Write the recovery phrase on paper: it’s the only key to your account.
- Share your Session ID (or QR) with your contacts.
What it's for
A full-featured Swiss messenger (messages, calls, groups) where you are identified by a random
Threema ID, with no phone number or e-mail.
Why it matters
End-to-end encryption, open-source (AGPL) and audited apps, a company under Swiss law. Paid
once, it does not live off your data.
For whom & when
Anyone who wants an alternative to Signal without handing over a phone number, and is fine
paying for the app.
Install & use
Buy and install Threema from threema.com, the App Store or Google Play (a licence also
exists for the F-Droid build).
- Write down your Threema ID and create a password-protected backup.
- Add contacts by scanning their QR code: they get the highest verification level.
What it's for
A French messenger that works without any personal data: no phone number, no e-mail, no
address book.
Why it matters
End-to-end encryption, published app source code (AGPL), certified by the French cybersecurity
agency ANSSI (CSPN). Used by the French government for its communications.
For whom & when
Everyone, especially those who prefer a European publisher and servers. Contacts are added in
person or by invitation.
Install & use
Install Olvid from olvid.io, the App Store or Google Play. The basic version is free.
- Pick a display name: no sign-up is required.
Add a contact by scanning their QR code, or by exchanging an invitation and then a 4-digit
code.
What it's for
A messenger built on the e-mail network: profiles are created in one tap on “chatmail” relays,
with no phone number or personal address.
Why it matters
Automatic end-to-end encryption, a decentralised relay network (anyone can run one), free and
audited apps.
For whom & when
Those who want a decentralised network with no phone number, and the option of not depending on
any single provider.
Install & use
Install Delta Chat from delta.chat, F-Droid, the App Store or Google Play.
Create a profile: a chatmail relay is suggested by default, no phone number or e-mail needed.
- Add contacts by QR code or invite link so that encryption is verified.
What it's for
A peer-to-peer messenger that works with no internet: over Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Direct or
Tor.
Why it matters
No server, so nothing to shut down or seize. Survives internet shutdowns and network censorship.
For whom & when
Protests, disasters, remote areas, blackouts. Android only, and both people need the app.
Install & use
Install from briarproject.org or F-Droid (no iOS).
Create a local account (nickname + password), stored only on the phone.
- Add a nearby contact by scanning their QR code, or remotely via a link.
- When the network is down, turn on Bluetooth: messages hop device to device.
What it's for
Jack Dorsey’s mesh messenger: nearby phones relay messages hop by hop, with no internet, server
or account.
Why it matters
End-to-end encryption (AES-256-GCM) and a “panic mode” that wipes everything with three taps on
the logo.
For whom & when Protests and blackouts, alongside Briar. Use with caution.
Caution: unauditedIts own repo warns it “has not received external security review.” Great for resilience, but
don’t stake lives on it yet.
Install & use
- Install from the App Store (iOS) or the APK/GitHub (Android).
- Open the app and pick a nickname. No account to create.
- Nearby devices auto-discover over Bluetooth.
- In danger, triple-tap the logo to wipe everything (panic mode).
What it's for
Text messages carried by LoRa radio, from device to device, with no mobile network or
internet. Your phone connects to the device over Bluetooth.
Why it matters
No operator, no server: nothing to cut off or compel. Several kilometres of range, and a mesh
that relays messages.
For whom & when
Hiking, dead zones, outages and crises. You need hardware (one radio device per person) and must
accept short, slow messages.
Limits to knowThe default channel can be read by anyone. Direct messages are encrypted (firmware 2.5 and
later), but radio metadata stays visible. Meshtastic does not talk to MeshCore, a competing
project.
Install & use
Buy a supported device (list on meshtastic.org) and install the app.
- Select your country’s radio region: allowed frequencies and transmit time vary.
Create a private channel with a random key: the default public channel uses a key everyone
knows.
What it's for
A hardened build of Signal for Android, compatible with the same network.
Why it matters
Database encrypted at rest, automatic locking, and a “FOSS” variant fully free of Google
services.
For whom & when
Advanced users, especially on GrapheneOS, with a high threat model. Android only.
Install & use
Add the Molly repo in F-Droid, or grab the APK from molly.im.
Choose Molly-FOSS if you want zero Google dependencies.
- Register with your number (same network as Signal).
- Set a database password and automatic locking.
Against Chat ControlPrefer open-source apps whose teams have publicly pledged to leave the European
market rather than install client-side scanning (Signal has), or decentralised apps with no
central provider to compel. Reminder: if the OS itself enforces scanning, the app can’t help,
hence section 12.