Wickr and Signal: the comprehensive review of the features

Functional characteristics of Wickr

One of the most remarkable features of this messenger is the ease and seamless message sharing. Most users find convenient the short-time chat history. The system does not keep messages too long and deletes them automatically. Other versions of Wickr (Wickr Pro and Wickr Enterprise) allow adjusting settings and remain the correspondence. This feature is valuable for business.

Users can link numerous electronic devices to one Wickr account and receive messages to the needed gadget. However, Wickr does not offer any synchronization.

Wickr is easy to install on all popular operating systems: Mac OS, iOS, Windows, Linux. Android users can download it from Google Play Store. The total number of users is over 5 million.

Wickr uses the method of secure communication that prevents third parties from intruding on the data while it flows from an addresser to the destination device. Thanks to the encryption algorithms, the system provides guaranteed confidentiality during conversations and file sharing. Also, users are relieved from recording their computer data, making the communication anonymous.

Shady sides of Wickr

Wickr is available for everybody and easy to install. It means that scammers and criminals can register there too. And like all users, they can explore protective communication. There are many cases when somebody in Asia is searching openly for marihuana or LSD in Canada.

Here you can see many legally prohibited subtenses for sale. The sellers expose this by their usernames like «LSD and Alprazolam for sale» or «Coke in the UK.» Sellers post their offers for the substances in many countries and cities worldwide.

Drug dealers use social media platforms extensively to sell drugs. Some of them switch to Wickr to confirm the bargains and make transactions. They feel free to operate in Wickr.

Improvements and perspectives of Wickr

During the remote collaboration during the COVID-19 pandemic, companies experience an urgent need to share sensitive information. Thanks to end-to-end encryption and host protection control, Wickr Pro users do not have a cause for worrying. Skype, Zoom, and other messengers use client-to-server encryption, which is the wrong way to share secure communication files. Since all data come to one basket, a user has no idea where this information will go further afterward. That creates a potential danger during outside hacker attacks and inside negligent attitude to correspondence. End-to-end encryption rejects all these risks.

Also, Wickr has extinguished its e-mail competitors. Since security is not the primary priority of email itself, the information sent through web-cloud email servers remains vulnerable, disclosing many paths for hackers to reach it.

The core difference between Wickr Pro, Zoom, and WhatsApp is strict control and management. Wickr Enterprise is a perfect opportunity for customers who intend to host their instance.

Many customers are aware of the security control of Wickr but concerned to make full use, expecting it to be too complicated. The design of the Wickr Pro version is as simple as messages in mobile or email on a computer.

Wickr company has broadened the scope of free Wickr Pro services to assist small budget companies during remote collaboration. For example, now users can have a limitless video conference.

Functional characteristics of Signal

Confidentiality is one of the most prominent features of this application. It keeps the encrypted data in your gadget, leaving some information on a host server. The system requires a telephone number to register, which is the only issue as for privateness. The chance to intrude into your communication completely dissipates. Your data is at risk only if you lose your gadget, and someone will manage how to log into your account.

This communication platform allows sharing text messages, video and voice calls, creating group chats, and sharing files. Like its competitor, it is also available on iOS, Linux, Windows, and Android.

The Signal messenger is a choice of technical experts, cybersecurity professionals, mass media workers, and those who deal with any documentation. The professionals widely regard it for its exceptional confidentiality and incredible security. Security is guaranteed when both sanders use it. Otherwise, it turns into ordinary text messages. For extra protection, a holder of a Signal account can use a fingertips scan.

The basic level of Signal allows starting a chat with one person or a group. A standard user can share text messages, internet references, video, and audio content, send emojis. Beta versions offer new types of communication with similar features: group rooms with admins, updates, time frames for cleaning the messages. At the moment, the group limit is up to 150 people. The process of adding and deleting users from the group is simple and intuitively understandable.

The priority of Signal is privacy and providing the tools for adjusting it according to the host preferences.

Shady side of Signal

Signal has gained the reputation of the king secure messaging application, taking away users from WhatsApp and other messengers. That makes the political structures and government pay close attention to the correspondence between people. According to the law, court documents allow the FBI to read the texts, even if these are behind a gadget lock screen.

The Program of Extremism at the G. Washington University delivers the proves that Signal allows access to the correspondence. The court documentation contained the screenshots of messages shared through Signal, with the information about a gun traffic operation in NYC and the murder attempts.

Signal system does not have the storage of metadata. For this reason, it has become widely used among rivals in the USA, Hong Kong, and other world hotspots.

Progress and perspectives of the Signal messenger

Signal has been struggling severely with its main competitor WhatApp and does it successfully. Although WhatsApp can boast two billion users, it loses its position due to numerous disadvantages. One of them is poor functionality. For example, it does not allow users an option to access messages from several gadgets. Also, it does not offer a safe return while transferring the chat history to the new mobile. Designed by Facebook, WhatsApp remains its policy. As a result, it loses trust among people who do not like this platform due to becoming an equal commercial machine.

All these lacks are taken into account while developing the Signal messenger and designing its features. This chat messenger sends notifications when the users from the mobile contact list sign up to the Signal system. That promotes a quick switching. Users can create a new group without members, generate the group link, and send it to contacts. Joining the group is simple and requires tapping the link only. Once users receive the link but have no the installed version of the Signal messenger, they receive an additional link to download it. Signal highlights that any person can send the group link to the chat inside the platform or other applications.

The rapid development of group functionality is a noticeable distinctive feature of the Signal messaging service. Thanks to it, users are relieved from adding the users to a group one by one. It simplifies informing people about the coming event either within the Signal platform or outside of it. The group communication in Signal messenger is more secure than in WhatsApp. Signal services do not possess permission to enter group membership, headlines, avatars. The admission to access the group information has the group members only, not Signal administration.

That is a heavy strike on the system of WhatsApp where the users have no idea which information it monitors. The growing monetization politics have been only enhancing this fear. No wonder that users switch from WhatsApp to Signal. People want to receive a quality of communication and guaranteed security instead of maintaining the financial projects.

Till today, WhatsApp remains the most popular messenger, but the situation changes every day. Many companies want to take the place of a leader. Signal is the most potential one.

Written by Conspiracy

Knowledge is power,
VeePN is freedom

Get VeePN Now