Why WhatsApp Shouldn’t Be Your Only Messaging App

It’s no secret that WhatsApp is the most widely used messaging service around the world (excluding China). It’s the most cost effective way to chat with friends and family as well as share media content with them. The platform’s user base has grown ever larger over the years, that WhatsApp has integrated businesses and shopping features into the app.

Though that might sound like music to certain people’s ears, to the rest of us, this feels a little unsettling. A lot of what we say and do, is recorded in said app. And regardless of how forthcoming companies like WhatsApp seem to be about privacy, we can’t help but remain skeptical about the idea of a “free lunch”.

Here are reasons why you should have multiple messaging apps:

Privacy
We have covered this topic extensively, and those of you who’ve read one of those pieces will know the importance of keeping your data away from marketers. App developers need a source of income. One way to to this is to sell “anonymous” user data to 3rd parties in exchange for money.

Apps like Signal are less likely to snoop on your conversations then tell the world about it. It uses an open source platform that can be scrutinized by the public. Besides this, Signal is purely funded by grants and donations, which means the company is less likely to gain anything by spying on you.

Separate Work From Family
Most of us rely on WhatsApp to maintain a multitude of communication channels, which include ones for work. It can feel debilitating, having to sift through an entire list of chats to find the one you want. As such, using a separate app for friends and family can help you temper the chaos that is quickly becoming a way of life.

Besides this, you could save yourself from several faux pas caused sending inappropriate content or personal messages to a work/business content. We’ve all been there, but wish we hadn’t. As such, use WhatsApp for work, but leave the personal stuff to Signal or Telegram.

Better Features
Telegram has come out with some interesting features lately. This includes new animations for Android and the ability to send a greeting sticker to a recipient from a new chat. But that’s not all, users can also delete conversations for both sides, access advanced multimedia controls and create custom emojis. It’s also prettier than WhatsApp in many ways.

WhatsApp has a ton of features, but its rivals are catching up at an accelerated pace. Give them a chance and you will be pleasantly surprised.