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We all know that WhatsApp is the most popular instant messaging application in the world. However, its recent announcements have made millions of people consider looking for an alternative, especially with their privacy in mind.
Now, many options within the application stores may be WhatsApp’s competition in 2021; everything will depend on your needs and tastes when choosing.
Even so, if you have doubts about which are the best applications that could replace the platform owned by Facebook, we have made a small compilation with the 6 best alternatives that you can download on your Android in 2021. Join us!
Best alternatives to WhatsApp on Android 2021
- Telegram
- Discord
- Signal
- Facebook Messenger
- Line
- Threema
Analyzing the different options in the Google Play Store, we find that there is more than one application that replaces WhatsApp. Specifically, we think that these six chosen will guarantee you a very similar experience and will keep you in touch at all times.
Next, we will tell you in more detail each of these apps that you can download on your Android to switch from WhatsApp.
Telegram
Telegram is possibly the best app that replaces WhatsApp on the list, mainly due to the number of functionalities and features it offers to a better extent than the platform owned by Facebook.
The main difference between the two applications is that Telegram collects much less information and data from its users (although not the least), which is already a great advance. However, it does not end here.
Telegram has end-to-end encryption in all messages and calls within the app by activating Secret Mode and further improving your privacy.
As if that were not enough, it has the multi-device option, messages that self-destruct, channels (much better than groups), bots for multiple purposes, a better interface, and its source code is open and released under the GPL v3 license that anyone can review. The person directly on GitHub and analyze it for errors or glitches, which gives you a lot of transparency.
Discord
Surely you know of Discord as being one of the most popular communication platforms in the gaming world. However, with the passage of time and various updates, it has become a much more mature and ideal communication service for any user, presenting itself as an alternative to WhatsApp.
Its minimalist interface is one of the main advantages to which, if we add the possibility of making video, voice and text chat, voice and video calls with very low latency, file and photo transfers, a private messages function, Group chats, group calls, media sharing, sharing the mobile screen and even being able to create your own server, make it a complete option.
Best of all, you don’t need to share your phone number, as well as your Signal and Telegram account with a username that identifies you and allows you to connect with other people on the platform. By the way, did we mention that it is free and available for various platforms such as Android, iOS, Mac, Windows, Linux, and web versions for any browser?
Signal
With the recent changes in Facebook’s privacy policies and the massive migration of users, Signal has positioned itself as one of the best alternatives to WhatsApp.
The main characteristic of Signal is that it is 100% focused on user privacy, to the point that the only data it collects from these is their phone number, the date they joined the service, and the last session they started on time.
If all this is added that it offers video, voice, and text chat, voice and video calls with end-to-end encryption, secure file and photo transfers under the Signal Messaging Protocol, making it an app similar to WhatsApp from first.
Facebook Messenger
This app may replace the popular WhatsApp in the not too distant future, or the best cases, you can link it and enjoy a multifunctional chat. And it is that every day its new updates place it as one of the complete instant messaging apps of the moment.
Best of all, its functions and features include smart bots, voice calls, video calls, sharing songs and playlists, group conversations, playing mini-games, and much more.
LINE
For some time, it was trendy, although later, it began to go more unnoticed. However, this does not mean that it ceases to be a good, very complete alternative with exciting functionalities that other applications lack.
LINE is another instant messaging application that has features similar to WhatsApp. Now, the really remarkable thing about this Asian platform is that it offers you the opportunity to conduct surveys in your chats, video calls with up to 200 people simultaneously, and it also has a timeline similar to a social network.
Additionally, there are two very outstanding features such as Keep, a kind of “agenda” that helps you save data or important things so that you do not forget or lose them in conversations, and the other is the possibility of calling international phone numbers that they do not necessarily have LINE with a special rate.
Threema
The last app on this list is Threema, an app that takes privacy to the next level. Unlike all the previous ones, it is a paid app and has a cost of $ 2.99. But what makes it special, and why did we include it on the list?
It offers end-to-end encryption on all information transmitted on the service through messages, video calls, files, and even status updates. In addition, it does not collect any data from its users, so it guarantees a lot of privacy, almost anonymously.
The most curious thing is that by not using any user data, it generates a totally random ID when using the application and with it is that other users will be able to communicate with you. Lastly, their software is open source, so it is constantly audited to keep it safe.
As you will see, these are the 6 best alternatives to WhatsApp for Android in 2021 and that you should try if you are concerned about your privacy and the use that your data receives as a user of the Facebook platform. What will be your choice?
If you liked this article, don’t forget to look at other free messaging apps such as Skype, Viber, Twinme, and WeChat that show life beyond WhatsApp.

Sharlene Meriel is an avid gamer with a knack for technology. He has been writing about the latest technologies for the past 5 years. His contribution in technology journalism has been noteworthy. He is also a day trader with interest in the Forex market.