You can easily form groups, share files or even receive files from your customers. WhatsApp is much safer as it has end-to-end encryption, making it more secure.
WhatsApp has long touted its use of end-to-end encryption, which means only the sender and recipient of a message can see its contents. While several other competitors including iMessage and Signal also offer end-to-end encryption, WhatsApp is by far the biggest in terms of user base.
#1 Signal. Signal is the overall winner for both iOS and Android users. Signal created an encryption protocol that is now recognized as the most secure messaging app protocol out there. It offers everything most users need – SMS, video and voice calls, group chats, file sharing, disappearing messages, etc.
Is SMS data encrypted? SMS, whether it's P2P (person to person) or ATP (application to person) IS NOT end-to- end encrypted. It's possible for the mobile network, or anyone that manages to intercept the text, to read the content. This is why SMS is such an attractive target for criminals.
When you send an SMS, the data is encrypted between your phone and the cell tower—it can't easily be intercepted over the air, as such. But that's simple network security. Once the SMS has disappeared into the network, it is open to interception.
Few people know, however, that phones can be tracked using little more than a text message. A Short Message Type 0, also known as a silent SMS, is used for the purpose, and these have been around for years.
Signal has been touted as the most secure messaging app by security experts and government organizations worldwide. Available as a free instant messaging app on iPhone, Android, and desktop computers, Signal provides end-to-end encryption via its Signal protocol: the gold standard of mobile encryption.
From its growing list of security breaches, weak data protection, poor web interface, and slow response to consumer needs, the disadvantages of WhatsApp grow stronger by the day.
WhatsApp requires your phone number to start the service and this contact number can be seen by anyone added in our contact list. Unfortunately, there is no way to hide your phone number on WhatsApp.
WhatsApp uses your phone number to send the verification codes while registering your account. So, yes, you have to use your real phone number on WhatsApp. So, this is a type of online phone that shows the phone number. However, you can also use a landline number or a virtual phone number.
WhatsApp is a popular voice, video, and text chat app, but there are many alternatives to choose from as well. Similar apps that offer end-to-end encryption include Telegram, Signal, and Threema.
There is no such thing as perfect security.
If you send a standard SMS/MMS text message through your cellular provider, for example, it is not encrypted and sent over open networks — making it easy for criminals to intercept the data.
Advantages to SMS
SMS messages are short and sweet. Because of the 160 character limit, they don't require a lot of time or energy. SMS messages are cheaper to send than MMS messages. Most carriers in the U.S. offer plans with unlimited texting, so there is likely no cost to your subscribers.
WhatsApp is relatively safe thanks to end-to-end encryption on all chats, which makes it a highly secure messaging app. Your WhatsApp data is vulnerable if you don't encrypt your WhatsApp backup; you can enable that with just a few taps.
According to the latest data, WhatsApp Messenger is the most popular messaging app downloaded on the Google Play Store in the USA. This is no surprise, considering it's the most used messaging app globally, with two billion users. After WhatsApp, the second-most used chat app in the USA is Snapchat.
Android phones can get infected by merely receiving a picture via text message, according to research published Monday. This is likely the biggest smartphone flaw ever discovered.
Open the WhatsApp Tools page. Tap the “Anonymous Message” option. Choose your country code then write the number you want to message. Next, in the box below the “Attach file” option, simply type your message and add the files, such as photos or videos that you want to attach to the message.
Because it uses end-to-end encryption, WhatsApp is inherently the safer option than other messaging apps. Yes, that includes Facebook Messenger, Instagram Messages, Snapchat, and even regular old iMessage. But it's not 100 percent foolproof either...
Other popular apps like Telegram, Signal and iMessage are as vulnerable. Messages sent across these platforms, including WhatsApp, are end-to-end encrypted and cannot be intercepted during transmission.
Unfortunately, there's no simple method for hiding your phone number from WhatsApp—you need to use a valid phone number to sign up with the service. But that doesn't mean you have to use your real number.