Android

What are the best Facebook messenger alternatives for Android?

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Element (formerly Riot) vs Signal vs Trillian

 vs Discord vs Disa vs Telegram vs IM+ vs Facebook Messenger Lite vs Element vs Zangi Safe Messenger

Specs

Platforms

MacOS, Windows, Linux, Android, Browser, iOS

Audio recording

Yes

Publisher

New Vector Ltd

End-to-end encryption

Yes (optional)

Media

All File Types

VoIP

Yes

Service integrations

Yes

Message history

Yes

License

Apache License 2.0

File Sharing

Yes

DIY integrations

-

Proprietary Dependencies

-

Decentralized

-

Videoconferencing

-

Groups

-

Video recording

-

Search

-

Screensharing

-

Private Channels

-

Open-Source

-

User Groups

-

Server Stored Messages

-

Security Score

-

Channel Settings

-

Jurisdiction

-

Peer-to-Peer

-

Upload File Size

-

Animated Profile

-

File Size

-

Locationsharing

-

Multidevice

-

Required Android Version

-

Messaging systems

-

In-App Purchases

-

Server stored messages

-

Cloud Sync

-

Message Deletion

-

Unit Testing

-

Open source

-

In-app purchases

-

Message deletion

-

Usernames

-

Open source backend

-

Cloud sync

-

Audio/video streaming

-

Multiplatform

-

Open clients API

-

Proxy support

-

Platforms

Android, iOS, Linux, Windows, Mac OS X

Audio recording

Yes

Publisher

Open Whisper Systems

End-to-end encryption

Yes

Media

images / audio / video / files / contacts / GIFs / location

VoIP

Yes

Service integrations

-

Message history

-

License

-

File Sharing

-

DIY integrations

Yes

Proprietary Dependencies

Yes

Decentralized

No

Videoconferencing

-

Groups

-

Video recording

-

Search

-

Screensharing

-

Private Channels

-

Open-Source

-

User Groups

-

Server Stored Messages

-

Security Score

-

Channel Settings

-

Jurisdiction

-

Peer-to-Peer

-

Upload File Size

-

Animated Profile

-

File Size

-

Locationsharing

-

Multidevice

-

Required Android Version

-

Messaging systems

-

In-App Purchases

-

Server stored messages

-

Cloud Sync

-

Message Deletion

-

Unit Testing

-

Open source

-

In-app purchases

-

Message deletion

-

Usernames

-

Open source backend

-

Cloud sync

-

Audio/video streaming

-

Multiplatform

-

Open clients API

-

Proxy support

-

Platforms

-

Audio recording

-

Publisher

-

End-to-end encryption

-

Media

-

VoIP

-

Service integrations

-

Message history

-

License

-

File Sharing

-

DIY integrations

-

Proprietary Dependencies

-

Decentralized

-

Videoconferencing

-

Groups

-

Video recording

-

Search

-

Screensharing

-

Private Channels

-

Open-Source

-

User Groups

-

Server Stored Messages

-

Security Score

-

Channel Settings

-

Jurisdiction

-

Peer-to-Peer

-

Upload File Size

-

Animated Profile

-

File Size

-

Locationsharing

-

Multidevice

-

Required Android Version

-

Messaging systems

-

In-App Purchases

-

Server stored messages

-

Cloud Sync

-

Message Deletion

-

Unit Testing

-

Open source

-

In-app purchases

-

Message deletion

-

Usernames

-

Open source backend

-

Cloud sync

-

Audio/video streaming

-

Multiplatform

-

Open clients API

-

Proxy support

-

Platforms

Web, Windows, Linux, Mac, iOS, Android

Audio recording

No

Publisher

-

End-to-end encryption

-

Media

-

VoIP

-

Service integrations

-

Message history

-

License

-

File Sharing

-

DIY integrations

-

Proprietary Dependencies

-

Decentralized

-

Videoconferencing

Yes

Groups

Yes

Video recording

No

Search

Yes

Screensharing

Yes

Private Channels

Yes

Open-Source

No

User Groups

Yes

Server Stored Messages

Permanent

Security Score

15/20

Channel Settings

Yes

Jurisdiction

United States

Peer-to-Peer

No

Upload File Size

8 MB free, 50 or 100 MB paid

Animated Profile

Only with Discord Nitro

File Size

-

Locationsharing

-

Multidevice

-

Required Android Version

-

Messaging systems

-

In-App Purchases

-

Server stored messages

-

Cloud Sync

-

Message Deletion

-

Unit Testing

-

Open source

-

In-app purchases

-

Message deletion

-

Usernames

-

Open source backend

-

Cloud sync

-

Audio/video streaming

-

Multiplatform

-

Open clients API

-

Proxy support

-

Platforms

Android

Audio recording

no

Publisher

Disa.im

End-to-end encryption

no

Media

images / audio / emoji

VoIP

no

Service integrations

-

Message history

-

License

-

File Sharing

-

DIY integrations

-

Proprietary Dependencies

-

Decentralized

-

Videoconferencing

no

Groups

yes

Video recording

no

Search

-

Screensharing

-

Private Channels

-

Open-Source

-

User Groups

-

Server Stored Messages

-

Security Score

-

Channel Settings

-

Jurisdiction

-

Peer-to-Peer

-

Upload File Size

-

Animated Profile

-

File Size

34M

Locationsharing

no

Multidevice

Service dependant

Required Android Version

4.0 and up

Messaging systems

Data SMS MMS

In-App Purchases

None

Server stored messages

Service dependant

Cloud Sync

Service dependant

Message Deletion

Service dependant

Unit Testing

-

Open source

-

In-app purchases

-

Message deletion

-

Usernames

-

Open source backend

-

Cloud sync

-

Audio/video streaming

-

Multiplatform

-

Open clients API

-

Proxy support

-

Platforms

Web, Android, iOS, Windows, Linux, macOS, BSD, Windows phone, UWP

Audio recording

Yes

Publisher

Various companies affiliated with Telegram

End-to-end encryption

Secret chats

Media

images / video / audio / GIFs / stickers / PiP Video / Videomessages

VoIP

Yes

Service integrations

Through bots

Message history

Yes

License

-

File Sharing

-

DIY integrations

Yes

Proprietary Dependencies

-

Decentralized

-

Videoconferencing

Yes

Groups

≤ 100,000

Video recording

Yes

Search

-

Screensharing

-

Private Channels

-

Open-Source

-

User Groups

-

Server Stored Messages

-

Security Score

-

Channel Settings

-

Jurisdiction

-

Peer-to-Peer

-

Upload File Size

-

Animated Profile

-

File Size

2048 MB

Locationsharing

Live

Multidevice

Cloud

Required Android Version

-

Messaging systems

-

In-App Purchases

-

Server stored messages

-

Cloud Sync

-

Message Deletion

-

Unit Testing

Yes

Open source

Most clients

In-app purchases

To pay 3rd parties

Message deletion

Mutual/timed

Usernames

yes

Open source backend

no

Cloud sync

Yes

Audio/video streaming

Only from some clients

Multiplatform

Yes

Open clients API

yes

Proxy support

yes

Platforms

-

Audio recording

-

Publisher

-

End-to-end encryption

-

Media

-

VoIP

-

Service integrations

-

Message history

-

License

-

File Sharing

-

DIY integrations

-

Proprietary Dependencies

-

Decentralized

-

Videoconferencing

-

Groups

-

Video recording

-

Search

-

Screensharing

-

Private Channels

-

Open-Source

-

User Groups

-

Server Stored Messages

-

Security Score

-

Channel Settings

-

Jurisdiction

-

Peer-to-Peer

-

Upload File Size

-

Animated Profile

-

File Size

-

Locationsharing

-

Multidevice

-

Required Android Version

-

Messaging systems

-

In-App Purchases

-

Server stored messages

-

Cloud Sync

-

Message Deletion

-

Unit Testing

-

Open source

-

In-app purchases

-

Message deletion

-

Usernames

-

Open source backend

-

Cloud sync

-

Audio/video streaming

-

Multiplatform

-

Open clients API

-

Proxy support

-

Platforms

-

Audio recording

-

Publisher

-

End-to-end encryption

-

Media

-

VoIP

-

Service integrations

-

Message history

-

License

-

File Sharing

-

DIY integrations

-

Proprietary Dependencies

-

Decentralized

-

Videoconferencing

-

Groups

-

Video recording

-

Search

-

Screensharing

-

Private Channels

-

Open-Source

-

User Groups

-

Server Stored Messages

-

Security Score

-

Channel Settings

-

Jurisdiction

-

Peer-to-Peer

-

Upload File Size

-

Animated Profile

-

File Size

-

Locationsharing

-

Multidevice

-

Required Android Version

-

Messaging systems

-

In-App Purchases

-

Server stored messages

-

Cloud Sync

-

Message Deletion

-

Unit Testing

-

Open source

-

In-app purchases

-

Message deletion

-

Usernames

-

Open source backend

-

Cloud sync

-

Audio/video streaming

-

Multiplatform

-

Open clients API

-

Proxy support

-

Platforms

Web, Windows, Linux, Mac, iOS, Android

Audio recording

-

Publisher

-

End-to-end encryption

-

Media

-

VoIP

-

Service integrations

-

Message history

-

License

-

File Sharing

-

DIY integrations

-

Proprietary Dependencies

-

Decentralized

-

Videoconferencing

-

Groups

-

Video recording

-

Search

-

Screensharing

-

Private Channels

-

Open-Source

-

User Groups

-

Server Stored Messages

-

Security Score

-

Channel Settings

-

Jurisdiction

-

Peer-to-Peer

-

Upload File Size

-

Animated Profile

-

File Size

-

Locationsharing

-

Multidevice

-

Required Android Version

-

Messaging systems

-

In-App Purchases

-

Server stored messages

-

Cloud Sync

-

Message Deletion

-

Unit Testing

-

Open source

-

In-app purchases

-

Message deletion

-

Usernames

-

Open source backend

-

Cloud sync

-

Audio/video streaming

-

Multiplatform

-

Open clients API

-

Proxy support

-

Platforms

-

Audio recording

-

Publisher

-

End-to-end encryption

-

Media

-

VoIP

-

Service integrations

-

Message history

-

License

-

File Sharing

-

DIY integrations

-

Proprietary Dependencies

-

Decentralized

-

Videoconferencing

-

Groups

-

Video recording

-

Search

-

Screensharing

-

Private Channels

-

Open-Source

-

User Groups

-

Server Stored Messages

-

Security Score

-

Channel Settings

-

Jurisdiction

-

Peer-to-Peer

-

Upload File Size

-

Animated Profile

-

File Size

-

Locationsharing

-

Multidevice

-

Required Android Version

-

Messaging systems

-

In-App Purchases

-

Server stored messages

-

Cloud Sync

-

Message Deletion

-

Unit Testing

-

Open source

-

In-app purchases

-

Message deletion

-

Usernames

-

Open source backend

-

Cloud sync

-

Audio/video streaming

-

Multiplatform

-

Open clients API

-

Proxy support

-

Pros + Cons

Pro
 Supports Encryption

Riot allows for fully encrypted text, voice, and video chatting.
Comment

Pro
 Bridges to other networks

You're not confined within Riot's or even Matrix garden, and you don't have to make users of other networks switch to Matrix.
Comment

Pro
 Cross platform

Web browser Linux OS X Windows Android iOS
Comment

Pro
 Large existing community

With public rooms for many people, and you can create your own and let people from the community join.
Comment

Pro
 Self-hosting and federated network

Comment

Pro
 Decentralized

An open network for secure, decentralized communication.
Comment

Pro
 Supports text, voice, video

Comment

Pro
 File Sharing

Comment

Pro
 File sharing

Comment

Pro
 Simple interface

Riot has a very simple interface, adding the ability for more unexperienced users to use it.
Comment

Pro
 Widgets support

Want to watch that flick at YouTube and discuss it at the same time? Have Grafana graphs stacked above your DevOps team chat? Collaboratively edit Google Docs and chat over without switching applications? This is possible with Riot.
Comment

Pro
 Etherpad real-time document collaboration

An easy to activate integration that allows multiple authors to edit a document simultaneously.
Comment

Pro
 VOIP and videoconferencing

Comment

Pro
 Markdown support

Code snippets in chats can be highlighted with Markdown.
Comment

Pro
 Libre/open source

Comment

Pro
 Search

Search messages in your current room, or all the rooms you're in. Not subject to a message history limit like Slack.
Comment

Con
 More a replacement than an alternative

Riot.im can replace Facebook messenger, you can’t use it with Facebook.
Comment

Pro
 Supports encryption

Element allows for fully encrypted text, voice, and video chatting.
Comment

Pro
 VOIP and Videoconferencing

Comment

Pro
 Provides security and privacy

Signal uses an advanced end to end encryption protocol that provides privacy for every message every time.
Comment

Pro
 Recommended by Edward Snowden

Edward Snowden uses this messenger and recommends it to everyone who is concerned about his privacy.
Comment

Pro
 Free and open source

Signal is free and open source software, enabling anyone to verify its security by auditing the code. It's the only private messenger that uses open source, peer-reviewed cryptographic protocols to keep your messages safe.
Comment

Pro
 Supports sharing of various different media types

Signal supports: emoji, pictures, videos, audio, contacts, any location and GIF.
Comment

Con
 Poor support

Their E-mail adress for support are not working. They have a Community support on here. Sometimes if you need a support, you need to create an account on their forum and need to share a topic and wait for long time.
Comment

Pro
 You can easily view all media exchanged

You can easily view all media shared in the chat without scrolling back to when it was shared.
Comment

Pro
 Message mirroring on Signal Desktop

Signal Desktop is a Chrome extension that allows you to mirror messages from your phone, including replying.
Comment

Pro
 Works everywhere in every country

Unlike most messenger apps, Signal works reliably in all countries by securely circumventing internet censorship.
Comment

Pro
 Note to Self feature

Allows you to "send: messages to yourself and sync to desktop so you can use Signal as a kind of encrypted Pushbullet alternative.
Comment

Pro
 SMS/MMS support

Signal can be your default SMS/MMS text messenger. Encryption is not possible when sending SMS to your contacts, however.
Comment

Con
 Cannot work without Google services

Signal relies on Google services for push notifications so although it is encrypted and open source it needs proprietary component to work. That means you can't use Signal on some custom Android ROM (preferably rooted for full control) without Google apps installed.
Comment

Pro
 Supports encrypted group chats

Comment

Con
 Servers hosted in the US

A security risk due to National Security letters, which require giving up data to the US state, and making it illegal to disclose that.
Comment

Con
 If SMS/MMS imported, other apps can't read SMS

For those using Join, Pushbullet, or similar apps to send and receive SMS/MMS from web or desktop, putting your SMS in Signal somehow breaks this functionally. The dev is aware but plans to remedy the situation have not been named a priority.
Comment

Con
 Unreliable notifications

Sometimes messages won't be received if the Signal app has been closed for a long time or hasn't been opened after booting the device.
Comment

Con
 Single device

Signal can only be registered to one mobile device at a time. But you can link Signal to Signal Desktop.
Comment

Pro
 Anonymous Sender (Encrypted)

The sender credentials can be encrypted with the rest of the message, leaving only the recipient address readable by the Signal server. Even if Signal wanted they couldn't see who is talking with who by this mean.
Comment

Con
 Uses message mirroring

Comment

Con
 Needs access to your phone number and contacts to work

Comment

Pro
 Supports multiple users' accounts

You can have multiple accounts associated with each service.
Comment

Pro
 Freemium membership model

All of the functions are unlocked in the free version, save cloud-storage for chat histories.
Comment

Pro
 Low memory and CPU usage

Both the Windows and Android versions are very light on system resources.
Comment

Pro
 Group chat

Trillian to Trillian group chat is available.
Comment

Pro
 Multiple networks in one place

Among them Yahoo!, Facebook, Google, AIM, ICQ, XMPP, MSN.
Comment

Con
 Free version doesn't save chat history

While paid Android versions ($20/year or $60 for a lifetime purchase) do have the cloud storage for the message history, the free one does not. You need to make sure that the Facebook app saves your chat history when you connect via Trillian.
Comment

Pro
 Does not distunguish between free and paid users

Though Discord has a paid plan (Discord Nitro), it doesn't offer much of an advantage over using it for free — all users are treated the same way. They have maintained the fact that Nitro is just for users who wish to support them, and those who pay can customize their user experience better (e.g. animated avatars) and gets beta access to new features (e.g. addition of video calls).
Comment

Con
 Developer's previous company was sued for privacy violations, among other things

See: http://classactionlawsuitsinthenews.com/class-action-lawsuit-complaints/openfeint-green-international-privacy-class-action-lawsuit-complaint/ https://www.ftc.gov/enforcement/cases-proceedings/closing-letters/openfeint-inc Discord's privacy policy also states that while they might not sell your data, a company they get sold to will quite possibly attain said data and thus may be in "more" shady hands.
Comment

Pro
 Free with no ads

At it's core, Discord is 100% free (as in beer) and 100% ad-free. Additional features can be added with a Discord Nitro subscription, such as an animated avatar and a larger limit for file uploads.
Comment

Con
 Not an alternative client

Discord is a separate platform and not an alternative client for Facebook Messenger.
Comment

Pro
 Constantly updated

Discord has regular updates and new features/enhancements, all for free.
Comment

Pro
 Supports two-factor authentication

Discord supports two-factor authentication with apps like Google Authenticator and Authy to help keep your account secure.
Comment

Con
 Voice chat sometimes distorts voices

Voice chat has a tendency to be distorted at random times, making a user sound like a robot. There is nothing the user can do except hope the server re-establishes a good connection.
Comment

Pro
 Easy to use

Disa is very easy to use and has an open source API, so many new services will be added soon.
Comment

Con
 No longer supported by developers

No longer supported. Development has ceased and the cracks are starting to show. No longer able to send images or video. Wont be long before it won't work at all.
Comment

Pro
 Unified conversations

Ability to merge conversations from the same contact on different services.
Comment

Pro
 Customizable notifications

Ability to set different notification sound/vibration/led based on the plugin.
Comment

Pro
 Friendly developers and generally good G+ community

Fast, decent replies to questions, even if they've been asked before.
Comment

Pro
 Open source plugin API

Everyone can develop their own plug-ins.
Comment

Pro
 Many languages

Help and support in many languages.
Comment

Pro
 Disa takes privacy much more serious

Currently, the Disa team knows less about you than the website you're currently visiting.
Comment

Pro
 Pushbullet support

Disa works great with Pushbullet, allowing you to answer from your PC.
Comment

Pro
 Many requested features

The developer team does actually listen to the community and adds requested features.
Comment

Pro
 Does what it's supposed to do, without bloatware

Comment

Pro
 Great material design

With color-changing design with custom colors for each service.
Comment

Con
 Disa doesn't follow the Google Design Guidelines

Hamburger Menu/Navigation Drawer (Side Menu): https://www.google.com/design/spec/patterns/navigation-drawer.html#navigation-drawer-content No Animations: https://www.google.com/design/spec/animation/meaningful-transitions.html https://www.google.com/design/spec/animation/delightful-details.html Empty Pages/States: https://www.google.com/design/spec/patterns/empty-states.html# Maybe a Launch screen?: https://www.google.com/design/spec/patterns/launch-screens.html#launch-screens-branded-launch
Comment

Con
 Closed source

Disa is closed source, so the development speed is capped of their team, no external developer can help or add features that are not on the route of the team.
Comment

Con
 Does not support Google SMS

Comment

Con
 Constantly asks to re-authenticate WhatsApp

Comment

Con
 Doesn't let you customize notifications per conversation or contact

Comment

Con
 Smaller development team leading somewhat slow implementation of requested features

Though the main development (framework, etc) is moving along fine, things like quick reply and sending multiple images at once should've been in quicker.
Comment

Pro
 Free and convenient large file sharing

Copy/paste videos, gifs, images, geolocation, documents, and even executable files. Drag over files for practically any time up to 1.5GB in size. Images can be compressed, too.
Comment

Pro
 Privacy focused 

In addition to the end-to-end encryption that provides privacy to communications, the app also includes self destructing timers for chats, and the ability to permanently delete messages, yours and theirs, from your device.
Comment

Pro
 Desktop app handles HIDPI

The desktop app has a built in setting to scale the UI of the app up to 200% which allows for those with 4k monitors/screens to use the app without scaling issues.
Comment

Pro
 Beautiful UI

Very customizable with a lot of clean looking options.
Comment

Pro
 Self-destruct messages

Messages can be set on a timer. They will disappear after the timer expires.
Comment

Pro
 Two-step verification

You can set up an additional password to your account, which can be reset by your email. You don't have to use an email if you do not want to. If you lose access to your email or forget your password, you will be able to reset it via text message if your account is over seven days old and will receive it within a week (in case you recover anything before then).
Comment

Pro
 Supergroups of up to 200,000 people

In Supergroups, anyone along with admins can delete their messages from all sides. A message can be pinned to the top. All of the user's messages can be deleted by an administrator, and they can be banned and reported as well. Supergroups can have a public link (outside of Asia, due to high spam volumes), which is also a username.
Comment

Pro
 Possible to send photos and videos without compression

Comment

Pro
 Free of cost

The application is available free of cost.
Comment

Pro
 Media messaging

Videos, gifs, images, geolocation, and documents.
Comment

Con
 Not fully open source

Telegram has an open API and protocol free for everyone, but the backend software is not open source. Therefore 100% privacy can not be evaluated.
Comment

Pro
 Photo, voice, video and IM messaging

Comment

Pro
 Gets features while staying small

It has received several features the full app has (stickers, voice and video calls) while the app size stays about the same.
Comment

Pro
 Can run on slow phones

Being light (installed it takes up 6-10 MB of memory) and fast, Messenger Lite can run on phones with Android 2.3 and up.
Comment

Con
 No secret chats

Doesn't support end-to-end encrypted "secret chats" like the full app.
Comment

Pro
 Works on all networks

This app was made with 2G networks and areas with slow or unstable internet connections in mind. If you lose the connection, your messages will be delivered when you have signal again.
Comment

Con
 Doesn't support deactivated accounts

The full app has a feature where the user can deactivate their Facebook profile, but continue using Messenger. Lite lacks that feature.
Comment

Con
 Doesn't have video sending/video call features

With Messenger Lite you can't send videos or make video calls.
Comment

Con
 Not a native desktop application

There are desktop apps for most OSes based on electron.
Comment

Pro
 Works out of the box

Comment

Pro
 Useful

Comment

Pro
 Privacy

Comment

Pro
 Security

Comment
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