Aren’t we all? And I guess the new “Status” features kinda was the last straw for a lot of folks. I mean, why would I need a 24h story on Facebook Messenger, Instagram and Whatsapp? Is the Zucks really that intent on pummelling Snapchat by cloning its trademark service on every social network he owns?

For me personally though, what annoys me the most is that a lot of people have my number, and most people think it’s just fine to Whatsapp you and that’s become extra tiring, and made Whatsapp somewhat of a nuisance on most days.

That’s why I use several other chat clients as well, such as Telegram, Signal and Threema among others. Here’s a little bit about each and why I use them, in case you really decide to ditch Whatsapp.

Signal

Encryption is everything these days. Open Whisper System’s end-to-end encryption is open-source and free, and what many other encrypted chat clients use. So, why not use their own chat and call client? There’s a few extra security features in this messaging and call app, and it doesn’t have the annoying stuff like profile pictures and statuses. I love the dark theme on it too, and I suggest you lock it with a passphrase so that if a robber (or cop?) is unlawfully looking through your phone, they won’t be able to access any of your private chats.

Download it for Android here and for iOS here. It’s desktop version(Chrome extension) is also awesome when you’re on your machine and not your device.

Telegram

This chat client is for our Ingress gaming groups. It’s my favorite when it comes to group chats, with a lot of useful tricks like “pinned messages” so you don’t have to read through your friends 1132 drunk messages to get the summary of what’s important. Also, the custom “stickers” are a lot of fun, we have some of your favorite dictators doing funny stuff, as well as plenty of inappropriate memes and funny images instead of boring old emoji. It’s like messaging app meets 4chan sometimes. Also, the “channels” feature is cool, where brands or influencers just broadcast stuff. Sharing files is also easy, and often, you get a snippet of a link or image you shared without needing to open it (basically all the watered-down features Whatsapp adds years later)

Download it here for Android, and here for iOS

Threema

If your work involves a lot of sensitive or confidential information and files, this might be what you pay those 2.99USD for. It’s not free like the rest, but it has some extra security features and a lot more anonymous. It doesn’t require you to punch in an email and doesn’t user your mobile number. They even have an “Threema Work” tailored for businesses that wanna keep their intellectual property and plans secure. I use this when I really need to and with contacts I have verified via the app. It’s definitely not a replacement given it’s not free and most people wouldn’t shell out the 3$, but if security and anonymity matter a lot to your work, then you might want to use Threema for those chats.

Buy it for Anrdroid here and iOS here.