WhatsApp has long been positioned as one of the most important mobile applications in the world, receiving thousands of downloads every day on various devices and for this reason it has a significant number of users who, above all, prefer to use this platform. This time we will show you the best applications similar to WhatsApp which you can download alternatively.
On this site we have decided to make a good analysis based on the best existing options to download to your mobile with Android and iOS systems, and which work in a similar way to the popular WhatsApp. For this reason, we will immediately tell you the most important features of each application and how useful they can be for you.
What is the WhatsApp messaging application on Android or iPhone and how does it work?
WhatsApp Messenger is a messaging system adapted for the most popular smartphones, a leader in global communication today. This mobile app can be downloaded from mobile phone application stores and in this sense, it is used to send text messages and all types of multimedia files between users.
It integrates 100% of the essential options for satisfying coverage, comprehensive help that allows you to start conversations with other people wherever they are. Best of all, the application does it for free and only with an Internet connection, mobile data or WiFi.
Benefits
With all of the above, it makes sense that this instant messaging application offers you important tools and functions to facilitate all types of communication directly from your mobile and no matter where you are.
Therefore, it is necessary to highlight the most significant advantages of WhatsApp:
- Basically, the services provided by the application are totally free, and this is more than beneficial for all users of digital technologies.
- It has end-to-end encryption to ensure that all messages, photos, videos and any other type of file you share through the app are completely safe.
- It will automatically import all the contacts stored on your phone. This eliminates the tedious need to add contact by contact, like in other programs.
- It is available for multiple operating systems and therefore does not limit communication between people using different operating systems. It is compatible with Windows, Android, iOS and even BlackBerry.
- Does not show advertising content, which is a great advantage as it allows the platform to be displayed very quickly, unlike many other platforms.
- Lets all users know about it message status. That means, when it wasn't sent, when it wasn't received, when it was received, and finally when it was read.
- It has several tools with which each user can customize the application to their liking. Or for privacy, comfort, among other things.
- It allows you to create groups, which facilitates communication between communities.
- If you use it on your computer and smartphone, it allows you to synchronize all your conversations.
disadvantages
Before showing you the best applications similar to WhatsApp, you should know the disadvantages that could be the reason why you don't want to install this app. Below we will detail the most known disadvantages of WhatsApp:
- Written communication is much worse than oral communication. The latter is very nuanced (tone of voice, speed of speech, among other things).
- Since nonverbal messages have many possible interpretations, this platform can be very flawed.
- This app is believed to be addictive and interferes with a person's daily activities, rendering them unable to cope with their work.
- If you delete messages after they've been sent, WhatsApp posts the message so the recipient knows.
- Due to various updates, the app needs to be updated from time to time and actually this happens all the time. This causes it to take up more space on the mobile phone and prevents some users from continuing to use the service.
- Sometimes this can slow down other apps on your phone and cause them to crash unexpectedly.
- You must share personal information such as your mobile phone number.
- Unfortunately, it doesn't work without the Internet, and this requires all users to have a Wi-Fi connection or pay a monthly mobile phone plan that includes megabytes.
You can read: How to change the language in WhatsApp on Android, IOS and Web
The 10 applications similar to WhatsApp (alternatives) that you may not know
In order to be able to use other platforms or applications similar to WhatsApp from your Android and iOS device, and to have more functions at your fingertips that fully meet your needs, we present the 10 best applications similar to WhatsApp (or alternatives) so that you can familiarize yourself instantly with each of its functions:
1-Skype
This free instant messaging app is perhaps one of the most complete options for switching WhatsApp services. Keeping in mind that before the arrival of this app, Skype used to be one of the leaders in instant messaging.
As such, it allows you to have unlimited chats with other people and communicate with them with great efficiency as well as create and organize groups with friends and easily send all types of files (images, videos, audios, documents, among other data .). This app also lets you make voice and video calls to get closer to people who are far away.
The latter, with great image quality. And it has a function that surpasses the tools provided by WhatsApp, since it allows you to call landlines and mobiles in other countries as long as you have credit in your account (thankfully the rates are very low). It also has an emoji section for better self-expression in communication.
2 lines
Another of the well-known applications similar to WhatsApp is Line, which has undoubtedly revolutionized communication by being a platform which, like WhatsApp, allows you to send instant messages, make calls to other users and even make unlimited video calls.
It also supports group video calling and even lets you chat with up to 200 friends at the same time, and optionally private sessions. This service is free and is available in more than 52 countries, also offers the possibility to make international calls at very affordable rates and, if you see ads, it allows you to call for free.
3- Telegram
It is a completely free and ad-free tool, this app provides clean and instant messaging as well as fast, simple and secure messaging for all your users. Whereas thanks to its features it allows you to synchronize it across all your devices, i.e. with Telegram, you can access your messages simultaneously from all your devices.
Here because the application has more than 200 millions of active users, whose number is growing every day, and is a great option for those who want to maintain their privacy, thanks to its tools to create secret chats, schedule messages to remove yourself and prevent messages from being forwarded to other users.
It should also be noted that all conversations, groups, and media sent through the app are secured using a combination of 256-bit AES symmetric encryption, 2048-bit RSA encryption, and Diffie-Hellman secure key exchange. Furthermore, you have no limits on what you share or the number of users.
It is easy to use with a clean interface and minimal design that is fun to use and without paid subscriptions. The only drawback we found is that it doesn't allow for making calls.
4-Facebook Messenger
It is a well-known service developed by the social network Facebook to send messages easily without having to exchange phone numbers. It allows you to chat with many users at the same time, share photos and videos in real time, and even add filters or images to send a funny creation to your friends.
In addition, you can make calls or video chats to chat anytime, anywhere with a person or even a group of users. Other than that, as for other options, there are very funny emojis, stickers and GIFs to express yourself more easily.
It also has voice messages to record what you need, allows you to share your location, communicate directly with companies and search for offers via the app, play with your friends and, if that's not enough, it has the function of sending money from safely and easily whether you are in the US, UK or France; via PayPal or debit card.
5- Hangout
This tool is the perfect alternative to WhatsApp to stay in touch with the people you want and the way you want. It allows you to send messages, make voice and video calls, transfer audio and various file types, all for free.
It also accepts individual or group chats with very few restrictions, since up to 150 users can communicate at the same time and, as with video conferencing, they can be with 10 contacts at the same time.
Besides sending media files, you can also exchange cards, emojis, stickers, and animated GIFs to make the conversion more fun.
In short, with Hangouts you can call any phone number in the world and connect your Google Voice account for free to integrate text messages, voice messages and, of course, a phone number. Also available on Android and iOS, the app has a web version for those who prefer computers.
6- Viber messenger
This App is free, allows you to create individual or group chats with up to 250 people and for this reason it is considered one of the most effective solutions to add favorites to a group chat, create teams and even organize events in a very simple way .
It also has fun stickers and emoji icons so you can express yourself however you want and, like other services, it also has the ability to make live video calls and instant phone calls. It also has a free international calling service, as well as transferring any type of file.
Among other features, it should be noted that it ensures secure communication as it automatically encrypts text messages, voice and video calls, photos and everything you share through Viber.
You can manually authenticate all your contacts to make sure you're talking to the people you really want to talk to. This is why it has a hidden chat feature, so you can hide the conversations you want from the messages screen and access them later.
7-Wechat
This is one of the best applications similar to WhatsApp, as in addition to offering you a high level of security, it is the only messaging app certified by TRUSTe, and this makes it a great option to communicate with anyone and it also works as a social network that has become part of the lifestyle of millions of users around the world.
Thus, with WeChat you can chat, make voice and video calls in unrivaled quality and with 9 users at the same time. As for group chats, they support up to 500 participants with whom you can exchange texts, videos, photos, location over time and much more.
Plus, it has a huge gallery of fun and animated stickers, as well as tools to customize them however you want. It also lets you share snippets of your day using a time capsule that is stored throughout the day and that other users can see, and this lets you share your favorite moments.
It also has countless external services without installation, i.e. mini-programs. Finally, it has games, the ability to transfer money, albeit only to a few countries, and support for more than 20 different languages.
8- ICQ
Although this is a rather simple alternative, it has a very well designed interface which is capable of attracting many users and it also displays very simple controls. Thus, it is a great messaging service that offers you the facility to communicate anytime with the users you want and for free.
One of the most important features is that it allows real-time chats with a completely unlimited number of channels and participants which is why it is preferred by many. In short, like most of the advice above, ICQ allows you to make voice calls and send voice messages with functionality speech synthesis.
And also video calls with an extraordinarily remarkable quality, and the best thing is that all these mechanisms are safe thanks to good encryption. On the other hand, you should know that it does not broadcast ads and has chat synchronization across all devices you are using.
9-Trilliano
This is an instant messaging application that is not only for mobile use but can also be downloaded to computers and tablets. This also means that all your devices are perfectly synchronized and you can manage chats whenever you want. Trillian is commonly used to send unlimited messages for free.
Among other features, it is necessary to highlight a very simple, but at the same time attractive interface, reliability and high speed of work. As for its most important features, automatically suppresses push notifications on any mobile device if you are active on the desktop, thus avoiding calls to your terminal during the day.
You should also know that it is a very secure app as all communications on its servers use TLS to prevent third parties from reading your conversations. The downside is that it doesn't allow you to make calls or video calls.
10 wires
Finally, we recommend that you download and use this application, which is considered one of the most complete on the list. Although it is one of the applications similar to WhatsApp, it relies on the privacy of its users and since its servers are located in Switzerland and it complies with the laws of the European Union, does not provide your data or the data of its users.contacts.
This means it's an extremely secure way to communicate where everything you send is fully encrypted. In this sense, you can share multiple files and even transfer information from a cloud such as Google Drive or Dropbox.
It also allows you to make voice calls (up to 10 people can be included) and video conferences with the best quality. Also very special audio messages and GIFs.
Wire makes sharing your location easy and in real time, it also has a tool with which you can search your entire chat history and even filter images, links (from YouTube, Vimeo, Spotify, SoundCloud, among others) or any type of file sent via chat.
Furthermore, automatically scan linksMessage timers let you control how long others see what you're sharing. Group chats can have up to 128 people and allow you to synchronize conversations across computers, mobile phone and tablet. Plus, it's open source, you can sign up with your phone number or email, and it lets you delete or edit anything you've sent to other people.
