I am using whatsapp cause some of my family members insist on that but would like to find a better alternative to be honest. Don’t mind to pay for the service but would like it to be safe
have you even tried signal?
SMS.
You are probably an european. Here in Canada Whatapp is not that popular.
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In Cyprus, Viber here is super popular.
But I barely use it if ever. So I always resort to SMS too if necessary
WhatsApp (WA) in many markets is the primary platform for communications, in many instances replacing email. This is often a better trade-off as emails between platforms are not end-to-end encrypted by default. WA remedies this problem, however with the compromise of sharing metadata.
The reason why WA is preferred, even when Signal is better for privacy, is that it allows for unencrypted backup and export, which is necessary to retain evidence of consultations and agreements. For example, concluding a contract between a buyer and seller, or consulting a client to obtain a mandate. In commerce, and many other industries, it is an essential tool. Unless another platform comes along that is as robust, WA will always be hard to eliminate. In a market such as the US and Australia, iMessage serves this function, and in so-called ‘third-world’ countries where Android dominates, WA is the preferred option (with a few exceptions).
With WA installed on a secondary profile on GrapheneOS (GOS), critical time-sensitive messages may be missed, and if also used as a voice communications tool, the call notification will not alert the user in real-time. This is not ideal. In some industries, such as IT or Academia, options such as Signal, Teams, Discord, Slack etc may be preferred.
In all other instances, where communications are personal - approximating two people standing in a room having a conversation, and the sound waves in the moment suffices without the need to record every conversation -, Signal is of course a better tool. Alternatively, SimpleX for niche use cases.
If WA must be on the primary profile, using GOS capabilities to disable the app or revoking internet access when not in use may be a useful mitigation. Other mitigations such limiting storage scope and contacts access may be appropriate. On iOS, the app running in the background is very well controlled, however the only mitigation available is disabling mobile data for the app. Using a VPN router/firewall, with DNS filtering (e.g. NextDNS) at home, and VPN app outside the home, may be other useful mitigations.
The appropriate way of thinking of it is:
- Do I need WA? (is it a make or break situation?)
- If so, where must it be installed to optimise productivity or fulfil social needs? (On GOS the mitigation options are better, but GOS may not meet other productivity needs - personal judgement on workflow)
- What mitigations can I put in place to minimise the privacy impact?
Never heard of it, but I’ll check it out—thanks! Also, yesterday I had a conversation with whatsapp customer service, and they were actually really helpful. They answered all my questions about their services, which I wasn’t expecting. It’s nice when customer support is actually responsive and informative
Because video call with Signal is bad. I am using Signal for messaging but even for that it is bad. Notifications are not arriving instantly on many occasions, and video call quality is also very bad. I am using Whatsapp for messaging and Google Meet for video calls.
I tried to convince my family to switch to Signal and they did, but if I can’t even receive messages or do proper video calls, then what is the point? It is not a network issue, I can tell you that.
That’s common issue with all messengers, usually caused by phone software/settings.
What kind of settings are there on the phones? Let‘s say between two iPhone 15 Pro Maxs
I used is for years as its the defacto messenger in the Netherlands. I deleted it however on the day the GDPR kicked in :).
These days I just either use element or Signal.
I have no idea about iphones, but I know different manufacturers (ROMs) have different battery savings settings which affects notification receiving. E.g. my parents use different Motorola models, and have missed WhatApp calls quite often. Signal is more reliable, though there used to be issue with it on one phone. There’s an option to keep app running in the backgroud, but sometimes that doesn’t help.
I use Signal on phone without google services and had no such issue in last 4 years. WhatApp did, when I tried it few years ago.
- Go through the official Signal support guide Troubleshooting Notifications
- Make sure Low Power Mode is off.
- Go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh and turn it on both Wi-Fi & Cellular, then check that Signal is allowed in the menu below it.
- If you made any changes following the above, restart your device.
Yeah, I did it many years ago. This issue was there since my old iPhone 11 times. Also it is not just me, my parents who are using Samsung 23s (three of them) are also having same issues. Google Meet and Whatsapp have no problem.