Signal is an encrypted messaging platform that works similarly to Telegram, except every message is end to end encrypted (E2EE), meaning only you and the people you send a message to can read it, not your internet company, or even Signal themselves.

It supports 1-1 and group messages, as well as stories and voice/video calls.

It's free to use and supported on multiple platforms. It does require a phone number to sign up, but the number can be completely hidden (see below).

General Tips

• So only buddies can find you with your username, disable finding by phone number:

  • Settings > Privacy > Phone Number > Nobody

• Stories: you can have multiple stories for different groups of people, and even group chats. (Make sure not to mix these up!)

• You can password protect the app

Backups

Backups are not stored in any cloud service. You must transfer messages directly from your old device to the new one. See the support article for more info.

Update: they are starting a backup service, but it is currently in beta.