My mother currently uses WhatsApp but really doesn’t like the way it looks and feels.
She’s not very tech-savvy, so I want to find a messaging app that is:
Easy to use for someone older
Similar core functionality (text, voice, video)
Privacy-friendly if possible
She originally got into WhatsApp because while using regular texting, random messages wouldn’t go through, due to the whole ios/android wars.
I’ve looked at Signal, Threema, Session, and a few others, but I’m not sure which would be the smoothest transition from WhatsApp for her.
What would you recommend for older users who are coming from WhatsApp but want something simpler or more pleasant to use?
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I’ve been using delta chat for about a year now and I will say I really do like it compared to signal.
For one thing, email encryption (yes the fucking bedbug of the internet) is being used here, it’s decentralized, and just recently (on android) they’ve added phone calling functionality… fucking phone calling functionality on email encryption.
I’ll say signal isn’t any safer (in terms of privacy and security) than WhatsApp, and i had a revelation that all centralized messaging services aren’t any better than WhatsApp even the proclaimed privacy focused ones. I have two reasons for this: 1.) They have the option to flick a switch and monetize their entire platform, that includes selling data to data brokers and other individuals. 2.) Because it is centralized it’s easier for hackers to breach and easier for governments to get user data.
I’m not saying that signal is monetizing their platform, but compared to their decentralized counterparts, they have the option to do so. Delta chat requires building a new messaging service from the ground up, if they wanted to monetize.
My only complaint is, since it is on email encryption, I can’t receive SMS messages, so everyone would have to transition to delta chat (atleast if you plan to use a chatmail) to get the same network as before. You can also create an account using your personal email and send messages via email.
Signal isnt any safer than WhatsApp? I get that they both use the same protocol (signal) but some disagreements:
whatsapp is owned by meta (profit driven data harvesters)
The automatic backups on whatsapp are stored without encryption
The whatsapp AI can also potentially leak conversational content