You're not paranoid; it's true: From advertisers to cops, everyone is watching you online. Instead of accepting life in a fishbowl, use Signal to keep your communication private. The free, open-source app protects your calls, messages, and video chats from prying eyes and data-hungry corporations. Best of all, you can use it on all of your devices. Among the messaging services we've tested, Signal strikes the best balance between security, accessibility, and fun, making it our Editors' Choice winner for private messaging apps.

There are two major differences between Signal and just about every other chat application out there.

First, it's end-to-end encrypted (E2EE) by default. That means only you and the chat participants can read your messages. While other services like Facebook Messenger and Telegram include an E2EE option, Signal makes it mandatory. That said, Signal is built for privacy, not anonymity. Its main concern is ensuring you speak securely with only the people you intend, not hiding your identity.

Second, Signal is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization registered in the US. Profit-driven companies need your data to serve you ads or the businesses just sell that information to another company. That's just not Signal's model.