this post was submitted on 11 Apr 2026
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I am trying to convince my group to switch from WhatsApp to Signal and we plan to vote on it soon. So, I plan to use the replies in this thread to compile a list of reasons to use as talking points. Preferably, I need something that can be understood on a personal level as some of my friends are deeply cynical and have no concern about escaping techno-feudalism and surveillance.

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[–] devolution@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago

I tried to move my friends to Signal. They are too lazy. So I'm still stuck using Facebook Messenger and hating it.

My family is too non techy and heads in the cloud, so I'm still using Whatsapp.

Not because I personally want to, but because I'm not a hikikomori.

[–] parlor3949@anarchist.nexus 2 points 1 week ago

It was easier for me to just make new friends

[–] GlenRambo@jlai.lu 2 points 1 week ago

WhatsApp and meta have had a number of data breaches and accoint losses due to how the technology functions.

Signal is so secure that Defence use it. There's articles of russia "hacking" singal but looking into them shows it's only via social enginnnering to scan a QR code. Its so secure from accoint and data loss that signal literally can only give minimal evidence in court (compared to the Proton VPN stuff recently).

But TBH you might want to look into "How convince people of Y when they want X". Your friends want vinilla and you want chocolate. Its not specifically about WhatsApp vs signal.

[–] ThePowerOfGeek@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week ago (1 children)

I've been down this path. Getting people to switch was a mixed bag. Some did and have stuck around using it. But others either refused ("another messaging app?!") or wanted to but ran into problems using Signal.

I've also run into problems connecting with people on Signal. They just aren't findable, even with their privacy settings relaxed and with me trying several formats of their number. After troubleshooting and having other people try, it seems random and makes no sense.

So the three biggest downsides of Signal are: a) users having to juggle yet another messaging app (because their friends/family are scattered across several and they find this overwhelming already); b) Signal looking a bit 'ugly' of not as useable to some people; c) people getting frustrated at not being able to connect with friends who are already on there.

The biggest upsides to Signal are a) it's not Meta or some other corporation trying to profit from exploring its users; b) it's a clean and simple UX (IMO) that doesn't try to do too much extra; c) the organization behind it takes security very seriously.

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[–] Paranoidfactoid@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago

Matrix remains my favorite. Warts and all.

[–] grrgyle@slrpnk.net 1 points 1 week ago

Delta chat for me

[–] osanna@lemmy.vg 1 points 1 week ago

WhatsApp is stupid. I heard fuckerberg is putting ads in it. It’s meta. Why would I use a closed source app when signal works just as well, probably better tbh. Fuck fuckerberg

[–] YiddishMcSquidish@lemmy.today 1 points 1 week ago

I never used WhatsApp.

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