End-to-end encryption is popular with some people for privacy and security reasons, but for others, the disadvantage of having just one copy of the messages might outweigh privacy concerns. What do you think about end-to-end encryption messaging apps such as WhatsApp and iMessage? Do you prefer to use these apps over less secure messaging apps such as Facebook Messenger and Snapchat? Please share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below.

You also can’t forget about the uber-popular WhatsApp. Like the others on this list, it promises end-to-end encryption so your messages stay private. The biggest advantage is that the service, which is owned by Facebook, has over a billion users. There’s a very good chance you won’t have to convince all your friends and family to download the app.

That shouldn’t be discounted, as one of the pains of moving to a messaging service is convincing everybody to jump aboard. However, WhatsApp is now owned by Facebook, a connection that could make some wary, especially since the social network recently announced it’d be using some account information, including phone numbers, from WhatsApp. If your goal is a high threshold of privacy, then it’s worth keeping an eye on.

WhatsApp is the world’s largest messaging app in terms of its user base, which is well over a 1 billion users. In India, the app has over 200 million users alone, making it the de facto messaging app for many. But WhatsApp is also unique in the sense that it is one of the few messaging apps to have included ‘end-to-end encryption’ across the board by default.

The feature went live last year, and basically ensures that WhatsApp messages can only be read by the sender, receiver, and not anyone else. WhatsApp, government agencies, Facebook, nobody can read or see messages sent on the app. In an interaction with Indianexpress.com, WhatsApp Software Engineer Alan Kao and spokesperson Carl Woog highlighted some of the key features of the app’s end-to-end encryption.