News Signal vs. Telegram: Which encrypted messaging app wins?

[admin]

Signal and Telegram are both popular choices for encrypted messaging. Which one is better for your needs?

Signal vs. Telegram: Which encrypted messaging app wins? : Read more

 

[gbcox]

Signal is just single feature version of Telegram. Telegram supports end-to-end encryption if you need it. Most people appreciate and are fine with the default, cloud based encrypted chats and all the associated advantages as automatic backups and syncing between devices and the ability to use Telegram on any device without having to be tethered to a phone. Additionally, Telegram has far more than just a "slight edge" in device support - it is basically universally supported. It has a real desktop client that works independently of a phone - and speaking of Linux, there is a download for all distributions - Signal only supports Debian.

Speaking of phones... with Signal you MUST use your phone number to communicate. Telegram, you can communicate with others using a handle - no one need ever know your phone number. Considering the importance that phone numbers have these days, that is a big issue.

The article also several times mentions contacts, as if it is some kind of sinister thing for a messaging application wanting to access your contacts. What it leaves out of course, is access to contacts is the first thing Signal asks when you install it. What will most people do? They'll simply click OK and move on.

Regarding the verdict... it really depends upon whether or not you want flexibility and functionality. Telegram simply does exactly everything Signal does, and more. If you feel for some reason you need to have your options limited, Signal is the application for you.

 

[nalexcastaneda]

Signal is just single feature version of Telegram. Telegram supports end-to-end encryption if you need it. Most people appreciate and are fine with the default, cloud based encrypted chats and all the associated advantages as automatic backups and syncing between devices and the ability to use Telegram on any device without having to be tethered to a phone. Additionally, Telegram has far more than just a "slight edge" in device support - it is basically universally supported. It has a real desktop client that works independently of a phone - and speaking of Linux, there is a download for all distributions - Signal only supports Debian.

Speaking of phones... with Signal you MUST use your phone number to communicate. Telegram, you can communicate with others using a handle - no one need ever know your phone number. Considering the importance that phone numbers have these days, that is a big issue.

The article also several times mentions contacts, as if it is some kind of sinister thing for a messaging application wanting to access your contacts. What it leaves out of course, is access to contacts is the first thing Signal asks when you install it. What will most people do? They'll simply click OK and move on.

Regarding the verdict... it really depends upon whether or not you want flexibility and functionality. Telegram simply does exactly everything Signal does, and more. If you feel for some reason you need to have your options limited, Signal is the application for you.

I totally agree with you. Further more the encryption used by Signal which according to this article is the same used by WhatsApp was chosen by the US government so it is more likely to have security flaws and backdoors.

 

[ash_0m]

When sending media files, which app keeps the original; size, resolution, quality, etc.?

 

[gbcox]

When sending media files, which app keeps the original; size, resolution, quality, etc.?

I don't know of any messaging app that will keep the original size by default. I do know however that
whatever default compression used by Telegram is more than adequate to display on a phone or print out
on a printer. If you do want to send the original quality image, you simply send it as a file attachment. The
limit on file attachments in Telegram is 2Gb.
Telegram: https://telegram.org/blog/profile-videos-people-nearby-and-more

Signal, the limit on file attachments is 100Mb.

Telegram also has some additional editing capabilities and can group multiple photos into albums so the recipient
just gets 1 message with all the photos neatly displayed rather than multiple messages.

 

[kinney]

Signal wins for me as all users get encryption by default, the only way it should be. Unless you're using the big ticket messengers like WhatsApp, Skype, FB Messenger, or iMessage, no point in switching unless you're guaranteeing users end to end security. I have friends at the State Department and they will only chat over Signal. They're of course more worried about foreign adversaries than our own government, but they're concerned with our own government as well. As far as backdoors, for either Telegram or Signal you need evidence rather than conjecture. Signal is also a non-profit, while Telegram is a business. We've never seen any conflicts of interest there, now have we?

Ultimately I think both of these are better than nearly every other alternative, but I'm firmly in the encrypted-by-default camp and use Signal.

 

[chopper_ufo]

I'll like to say signal is just another version of Whatsapp. After so many people asking for not using a "phone number", it is still not mention in its future roadmap.

 

[SoulSnatcher]

They both tie for suck. Signal is killing support for sms/mms & telegram doesn't support it from the get & telegram won't import your contacts list into their app. They want your phone number / full access to your contacts but you can't have access to your own contacts in their aop. I should mention telegram does support bots & if you can figure out how to make the sms to telegram bot function properly you can receive sms/mms through the bot on a channel, NOT like a regular message, but it's a pain in the A & still no non-telegram user contacts in app & as an added bonus messaging through the bot exposes all your info to their servers so what's the point? Even Google Messages supports end to end encryption between 2 Messages app user & still supports sms/mms to contacts not using Messages app. In short, unless you can get your entire contacts list to switch to either Signal or telegram or you are comfortable using multiple messaging apps & only getting notifications from your default app then pick a different app! I use Messages for Messaging because that's what most of my contacts use so most of my messages are end to end encrypted & I use Viber for outgoing phone calls because it's also encrypted no matter who you call (note Viber also supports sms/mms to non-Viber contacts & imports all of your contacts into the app). Apps that don't support both encrypted & non-encrypted messaging are shooting themselves in the foot cuz lots of apps are offering this & nobody I know wants to use multiple messaging apps. Additionally, you need to have encrypted storage on your phone AND use an encrypted keyboard like CipherBoard or Fleksa or hackers/keyloggers can get your data anyway either that or your keyboard app will keep &/or sell your info even if you're using encrypted messaging. All parts of sending, receiving, &/or storing messages must be encrypted or you're leaking your info anyway. Heads up out there people. Encrypt your entire device & fly low.

 

[SoulSnatcher]

Signal wins for me as all users get encryption by default, the only way it should be. Unless you're using the big ticket messengers like WhatsApp, Skype, FB Messenger, or iMessage, no point in switching unless you're guaranteeing users end to end security. I have friends at the State Department and they will only chat over Signal. They're of course more worried about foreign adversaries than our own government, but they're concerned with our own government as well. As far as backdoors, for either Telegram or Signal you need evidence rather than conjecture. Signal is also a non-profit, while Telegram is a business. We've never seen any conflicts of interest there, now have we?

Ultimately I think both of these are better than nearly every other alternative, but I'm firmly in the encrypted-by-default camp and use Signal.

Only Signal user to Signal user messaging is encrypted by default. Signal user to non-Signal user is NOT encrypted or private (ps also, nothing is totally encrypted unless you're using an encrypted keyboard and/or if you store your messages without an encrypted storage app then you're leaking your info anyway). Additionally, Signal is killing support for sms/mms so unless all of your contacts use Signal you will be using 2 messaging apps but only getting notifications from your default app. Anyway, Signal used to be great. Encrypted messaging to your Signal contacts & regular sms/mms to all your non-Signal contacts with a notification that messaging non-Signsl users is not encrypted (I mean chatting with granny or your nieces doesn't really need end to end encryption does it? Even if it does, unless they're using the same encrypted app as you, you're s.o.l. anyway). Used to be easy peazy. Not any more...

 

[SoulSnatcher]

Signal is just single feature version of Telegram. Telegram supports end-to-end encryption if you need it. Most people appreciate and are fine with the default, cloud based encrypted chats and all the associated advantages as automatic backups and syncing between devices and the ability to use Telegram on any device without having to be tethered to a phone. Additionally, Telegram has far more than just a "slight edge" in device support - it is basically universally supported. It has a real desktop client that works independently of a phone - and speaking of Linux, there is a download for all distributions - Signal only supports Debian.

Speaking of phones... with Signal you MUST use your phone number to communicate. Telegram, you can communicate with others using a handle - no one need ever know your phone number. Considering the importance that phone numbers have these days, that is a big issue.

The article also several times mentions contacts, as if it is some kind of sinister thing for a messaging application wanting to access your contacts. What it leaves out of course, is access to contacts is the first thing Signal asks when you install it. What will most people do? They'll simply click OK and move on.

Regarding the verdict... it really depends upon whether or not you want flexibility and functionality. Telegram simply does exactly everything Signal does, and more. If you feel for some reason you need to have your options limited, Signal is the application for you.

I don't understand the huge problem with using phone numbers to communicate. I mean as long as your contacts are in encrypted storage & only your phone/messaging app has permission to access your contacts, and your messaging is encrypted, and you're using an encrypted keyboard (if you're not using an encrypted keyboard & using encrypted storage on your phone then you're leaking your info anyway even if you're using encrypted messaging) then nobody knows who you're messaging or what's in the messages anyway.
Also, Signal also has a desktop Windows app that does use your ph number but does not require your phone for encrypted messaging, that gets sent over the Internet anyway not through your phone system. People should also know telegram won't import your entire contacts list, only other telegram users & encryption is not on by default you have to turn it on it settings. Additionally the telegram app itself does not support regular sms/mms you have to do it through a bot which exposes all your info to their servers anyway & is not even user through server encrypted. They want access to your contacts list but don't give you access to your own contacts in their app & will not send messages to non-telegram users, only through a bot, which is NOT the app & does not have the same protections. Ps Signal is also killing support for regular sms/mms.

 

[SoulSnatcher]

I don't know of any messaging app that will keep the original size by default. I do know however that
whatever default compression used by Telegram is more than adequate to display on a phone or print out
on a printer. If you do want to send the original quality image, you simply send it as a file attachment. The
limit on file attachments in Telegram is 2Gb.
Telegram: https://telegram.org/blog/profile-videos-people-nearby-and-more

Signal, the limit on file attachments is 100Mb.

Telegram also has some additional editing capabilities and can group multiple photos into albums so the recipient
just gets 1 message with all the photos neatly displayed rather than multiple messages.

Signal also will combine multiple photos & send them all together in one message, they just don't call it an album. Also, 100mb is more than enough for most people. I mean even large photos are what like 5mb? That's >= 20 photos in one message & if I have an extra large video file or anything over 100mb they're getting a link to the file from cloud storage that can be downloaded from their computer or any other source anyway. I mean who wants to be forced to download 2gb of data on their data plan just keep your attachment or cost themselves 2gb of data to send a message? Also, and maybe I'm wrong, but I don't see how the "people near by" feature can possibly be secure because I don't think you can track people or be tracked securely seeing as how you have to use servers to do it..