I desire Sign however use WhatsApp for this easy purpose

[ad_1] <img class="e_ph" decoding="async" loading="eager" sizes="(min-width: 64rem) 51.25rem, 80vw" title="Signal vs Whatsapp app icons" srcset="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Signal-vs-Whatsapp-app-icons.jpg 1920w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Signal-vs-Whatsapp-app-icons-64w-36h.jpg 64w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Signal-vs-Whatsapp-app-icons-1000w-563h.jpg 1000w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Signal-vs-Whatsapp-app-icons-1536w-864h.jpg 1536w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Signal-vs-Whatsapp-app-icons-675w-380h.jpg 675w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Signal-vs-Whatsapp-app-icons-300w-170h.jpg 300w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Signal-vs-Whatsapp-app-icons-1280w-720h.jpg 1280w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Signal-vs-Whatsapp-app-icons-840w-472h.jpg 840w" alt="Signal vs Whatsapp app icons" src="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Signal-vs-Whatsapp-app-icons.jpg"/> Robert Triggs / Android Authority

When WhatsApp modified its phrases in 2021, I used to be one of many many customers who regarded for various messaging apps for Android. Whereas I had heard about Sign earlier than, the controversial transfer by WhatsApp prompted me to truly attempt the app out. I cherished it then and I nonetheless like it now.

However over all these years, I barely use Sign regardless that I desire it enormously over WhatsApp. And that’s due to a serious benefit WhatsApp has over the privacy-focused messaging app.

Which messaging app do you favor? 265 votes

WhatsApp.

34%

Sign.

39%

Telegram.

9%

Google Messages.

14%

One other app (tell us within the feedback).

4%

There’s loads to like about Sign

<img class="e_ph" decoding="async" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 64rem) 51.25rem, 80vw" title="Signal Privacy Settings" srcset="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Signal-Privacy-Settings.jpg 1920w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Signal-Privacy-Settings-64w-36h.jpg 64w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Signal-Privacy-Settings-1000w-563h.jpg 1000w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Signal-Privacy-Settings-1536w-864h.jpg 1536w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Signal-Privacy-Settings-675w-380h.jpg 675w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Signal-Privacy-Settings-300w-170h.jpg 300w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Signal-Privacy-Settings-1280w-720h.jpg 1280w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Signal-Privacy-Settings-840w-472h.jpg 840w" alt="Signal Privacy Settings" src="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Signal-Privacy-Settings.jpg"/> Robert Triggs / Android Authority

You don’t should be somebody who lives off-grid within the woods to understand Sign. The messaging app balances nice privateness options with a modern UI and loads of helpful options. It contains end-to-end encryption in your messages and calls by default. Even your profile is end-to-end encrypted and information assortment is minimized.

If you happen to’ve tried different privacy-focused companies, you’ll know that there’s normally a trade-off in relation to options. However Sign has an ideal characteristic set, with sure instruments even outpacing WhatsApp. In actual fact, Sign lets you schedule messages — a characteristic that WhatsApp doesn’t at the moment supply.

Sign has an ideal characteristic set, with sure instruments even outpacing WhatsApp.

Sign additionally lets you add contacts utilizing a username, with the choice to not share your quantity mechanically when added. There’s additionally the power to set chat colours and wallpapers, which means you possibly can customise the looks of the app.

Necessities, reminiscent of video and voice calls, are properly lined, and the app can be utilized on a desktop. Sign even has a Tales characteristic, although I by no means contact it. Total, Sign is a feature-rich messaging app, along with its privateness options. In consequence, I enormously desire the expertise over WhatsApp.

WhatsApp has develop into a bloated nightmare

<img class="e_ph" decoding="async" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 64rem) 51.25rem, 80vw" title="Holding smartphone with WhatsApp logo on the screen Stock photo" srcset="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Holding-smartphone-with-WhatsApp-logo-on-the-screen-Stock-photo.jpg 1920w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Holding-smartphone-with-WhatsApp-logo-on-the-screen-Stock-photo-1536w-864h.jpg 1536w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Holding-smartphone-with-WhatsApp-logo-on-the-screen-Stock-photo-675w-380h.jpg 675w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Holding-smartphone-with-WhatsApp-logo-on-the-screen-Stock-photo-64w-36h.jpg 64w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Holding-smartphone-with-WhatsApp-logo-on-the-screen-Stock-photo-1000w-563h.jpg 1000w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Holding-smartphone-with-WhatsApp-logo-on-the-screen-Stock-photo-300w-170h.jpg 300w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Holding-smartphone-with-WhatsApp-logo-on-the-screen-Stock-photo-1280w-720h.jpg 1280w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Holding-smartphone-with-WhatsApp-logo-on-the-screen-Stock-photo-840w-472h.jpg 840w" alt="Holding smartphone with WhatsApp logo on the screen Stock photo" src="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Holding-smartphone-with-WhatsApp-logo-on-the-screen-Stock-photo.jpg"/> Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

WhatsApp has added loads of options over time — however I don’t use a lot of them. I miss the WhatsApp of yesteryear, when it was easier. Statuses, Communities, and Channels all really feel like they simply add to the bloat and noise when utilizing WhatsApp.

I’ve additionally tried my finest to disregard Meta AI, since I don’t hassle with generative AI on my smartphone, however WhatsApp simply retains making it extra outstanding. Above the brand new chat icon, there’s now a Meta AI button. In the meantime, the search bar you utilize to filter via your chats is now additionally stuffed with really helpful prompts for the chatbot. You may mute Meta AI, however you possibly can’t truly take away it from WhatsApp.

WhatsApp additionally has a spam and rip-off downside. Whereas it’s not as unhealthy as you may discover on social media platforms, I nonetheless obtain far too many unsolicited messages from companies and scammers.

I obtain far too many unsolicited messages from companies and scammers.

Lastly, WhatsApp’s plan so as to add adverts to the app has simply soured my expertise additional. Whereas I keep away from the Updates tab as a lot as attainable, and can probably not see any of those adverts, it additional highlights Meta’s dedication to monetize its apps as a lot as attainable. It additionally incentivizes extra information assortment and sharing. Messages on the platform are end-to-end encrypted, however there’s a lot that firms can decide from metadata.

There’s additionally no assure that Meta received’t push adverts to different components of the app, since being a worthwhile firm has by no means stopped it from pushing much more adverts on its apps earlier than.

However WhatsApp has one main benefit

<img class="e_ph" decoding="async" loading="lazy" sizes="(min-width: 64rem) 51.25rem, 80vw" title="WhatsApp stock photo from Dec 2021 1" srcset="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Gmail-stock-photo-from-Dec-2021-1.jpg 1920w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Gmail-stock-photo-from-Dec-2021-1-1536w-864h.jpg 1536w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Gmail-stock-photo-from-Dec-2021-1-675w-380h.jpg 675w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Gmail-stock-photo-from-Dec-2021-1-64w-36h.jpg 64w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Gmail-stock-photo-from-Dec-2021-1-1000w-563h.jpg 1000w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Gmail-stock-photo-from-Dec-2021-1-300w-170h.jpg 300w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Gmail-stock-photo-from-Dec-2021-1-1280w-720h.jpg 1280w, https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Gmail-stock-photo-from-Dec-2021-1-840w-472h.jpg 840w" alt="WhatsApp stock photo from Dec 2021 1" src="https://www.androidauthority.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Gmail-stock-photo-from-Dec-2021-1.jpg"/> Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority

My distaste for WhatsApp is palpable, so why do I exploit it after I don’t just like the expertise? It boils down to 1 easy consideration — most of my contacts use WhatsApp. In actual fact, I used to be shocked after I came upon that WhatsApp will not be as in style within the US as it's in different international locations.

WhatsApp is house to most of my chats with contacts and all of my teams. It’s how PR firms usually attain out to me. It’s additionally how I attain sure companies, like after I order a repeat of my cat’s treatment from my vet. It’s actually uncommon to search out somebody who doesn’t use WhatsApp right here.

Whereas Sign additionally has group chats, the dearth of contacts who use it means it’s not a viable choice for my neighborhood teams that embody security info and incident reviews. I don’t even have sufficient contacts who use Sign to create an off-the-cuff group chat, since none of them know one another.

It’s additionally a tough promote to inform somebody to change over to Sign, since they’ll encounter the identical downside once they transfer over. I’m a tech journalist, so I ought to arguably have extra contacts that use area of interest, security-focused apps. However I've 20 complete contacts on Sign, in distinction to the 200+ I've on WhatsApp.

It is a exhausting promote to get somebody to change over to Sign, since they will encounter a scarcity of contacts too.

It’s the identical purpose that my colleagues can’t go away WhatsApp regardless of the adverts. However the largest downside with messaging apps is that they require different folks to make use of them, by definition. The messaging app we use will depend on what everybody else round us makes use of, so it’s basically chosen for us by others.

However that received’t cease me from hoping that Sign emerges as a viable various to WhatsApp. The app has nice options with out the luggage of Meta-owned merchandise. WhatsApp has been ordered by the European Union to permit interoperability with different encrypted messaging apps and progress is being made in the direction of that purpose. Hopefully extra international locations will add strain to develop this characteristic to different areas.

In any case, we deserve to have the ability to select which messaging app we use, because it performs such an essential function in our every day lives.