The Best App for Private Messaging Is Not WhatsApp or Signal, but Delta Chat.
You have a variety of options when it comes to choosing a way to communicate digitally with friends and family: not only dedicated messaging apps like iMessage and WhatsApp, but also private messaging features built into social networks like Instagram, Facebook , and Snapchat . Some of these apps prioritize security and privacy, mentioning end-to-end encryption and disappearing messages (for example, WhatsApp now lets you hide your phone number ). However, for maximum privacy in your messaging, there’s an app you might not have heard of before.
Delta Chat is a decentralized (meaning there’s no single point of failure or control), open-source software with end-to-end encryption and anonymity—you don’t need a phone number to get started. You can even send messages to people who don’t have the app. Here’s what you need to know and why you might want to use it.
How Delta Chat works
Delta Chat has been around for about ten years and was originally conceived as a way to protect your messages from the influence of large tech companies. Over the years, it has added many features, become easier to use, and expanded to other platforms. There have also been some changes to how Delta Chat operates as a platform.
For most of its existence, Delta Chat operated via email: you registered with your email address, and the chat app essentially served as a shell for specific conversations in your inbox. Most of the storage and infrastructure work was handled by your chosen email provider, and anyone with an email address could join.
Now, Delta Chat provides you with an email address and handles all the necessary technical details. This not only makes the service more convenient, but also means you don’t have to disclose anything to use it—you won’t be asked for your phone number, email address, name, or anything else.
This might seem like it makes the service vulnerable to spam, but encryption prevents it: essentially, no one can send you spam without knowing your specific encryption key. Your address is a random string of characters that you can share with trusted contacts—there’s no public directory of users and no way to find anyone.
It offers many standard chat app features: audio and video calls, group chats, read receipts, and the ability to delete messages after a set time. You can easily share files with contacts and log in on multiple devices simultaneously.
Getting Started with Delta Chat
You can start using Delta Chat through the desktop apps for Windows or macOS , as well as the mobile apps for Android or iOS . As noted above, registering for the service doesn’t require you to provide any personal information: simply tap or click “Create a new profile” on the main screen to get started.
The app will ask you to provide a username by which your contacts will recognize you, but it doesn’t have to be your real name. You can also add a profile photo. You’ll then be taken to the main chat screen, although you won’t have any chats yet—only a welcome message and a folder for saved messages.
To add a user to Delta Chat, tap the QR code icon at the top (Android and desktop) or bottom (iOS) of the interface. Ask your potential contact to scan the QR code using Delta Chat on their device, although there are other options if you’re scanning it yourself. You can also generate an invitation link that can be pasted into an email or other messaging app.
Everything in the Delta Chat interface works as expected. A long press on mobile or a right click on desktop allows you to mute notifications, pin, and archive specific conversations, and the new chat button (the plus icon on Android and desktop; the pen icon in a square on iOS) lets you start a new conversation or create a new group chat.
To access the settings for a specific chat, tap the three dots (top right) on Android, tap the contact’s name (top right) on iOS, or tap the three dots (top right) on a computer. Here you can set up disappearing messages, search chats, clear chat history, mute notifications, and archive messages.
The main settings screen is accessible via the large gear icon in the desktop app interface, the three dots (top right) on Android, and the “Settings” tab on iOS. Here you can set a chat background, enable or disable read receipts, and adjust the quality of media files sent.
Why choose Delta Chat over its competitors?
There are plenty of encrypted and secure chat apps, including WhatsApp and Signal—so what are the compelling reasons to choose Delta Chat? The main advantage is that you don’t have to provide any personal information: you don’t need a phone number or email address, and no one will be able to find you (or spam you) unless you specifically choose to add them.
Furthermore, there’s a decentralized aspect to this. Delta Chat’s servers and data storage nodes are distributed across several different locations, so a power outage or technical failure won’t disrupt the entire system. You can even host your own Delta Chat data if you wish.
The email infrastructure behind Delta Chat makes it harder to block and censor messages than, say, Signal, and easier to export messages.
If you decide to try this app, you’ll face the usual challenge: convincing family and friends to install it in addition to what they already use. But you don’t have to convince your entire contact list to join Delta Chat: it could be a great personal app for you and a few close friends.