Review of messengers. The best and popular internet messengers

What is a messenger?
Messenger (IM = Instant Messenger) is a program that mobile app or a web service for instant messaging.

Most often, a messenger is understood as a program in which you write messages and where you read them. However, behind each such program there is a messaging network, which is also included in the concept of “messenger”. This could be a network within your company, or it could be a global network such as Jabber.

Due to the fact that there are quite a lot of these networks, not all instant messengers are compatible. Those. It’s not a fact that if you have a messenger and your partner has a messenger, you will be able to contact him.

It must be said that the concept of a messenger has long been no longer associated only with the exchange of text messages. Modern instant messengers have already become full-fledged communication centers that, in addition to messaging, implement voice and video communications, file exchange, and web conferences.

Most popular messengers- WhatsApp, Viber, Facebook Messenger, Skype, ICQ, Google Hangouts.

Below you will find some news from the most popular instant messengers and see their history.

Telegram has released a new update to the messenger, which added support for multiple accounts to the iOS application. Previously, the ability to add multiple accounts was only available on Android. iOS users can now link up to three numbers to their app. This will allow you to quickly switch between them without having to log out of your account. In addition, the user will receive notifications from all accounts - they will also indicate which account they were sent to.

A new version The popular messenger Viber 10 received a new design, as well as two new features: group calls and chats with a hidden number. Chats with hidden numbers Viber allows you to communicate in the messenger without exchanging phone numbers. To start a conversation, you need to copy the username from a message in the community or from the list of group members. Group calls in Viber work for groups of up to five people at a time. Interlocutors can be connected to the current call. Or, make a new call and add group chat participants to it. For now, such calls are available only in audio format; in the future they promise to add video chats. The call screen has also been updated in the application: you can view recent calls, go to the contact list, and also manage Viber Out calls in one tab.

2019. VEON messenger is closed

The Veon group, which includes the Russian Beeline and the Ukrainian Kyivstar, decided to close its “revolutionary” messenger. Veon was launched in 2017 and operators tried to hook their users on it by offering free traffic for communication via this messenger (and at the same time, making traffic from other messengers paid). But even this did not allow the messenger to take off. In addition, Telegram withstood the attack by Roskomnadzor, and space for the messenger controlled by the authorities was not freed up.

2018. Google is closing messengers Hangouts and Allo

Google decided to clean up its range of instant messengers and discovered that it had two unnecessary ones - Hangouts and Allo. The Hangouts messenger appeared in 2011 as part of the Google+ social network and was known for its multi-user video calling. Last year, 2 business products were created on its basis: Hangouts Meet (video conferencing service) and Hangouts Chat (group chat - an alternative to Slack). But the custom one Hangouts version- now we decided to close it. As for the Allo messenger, it was positioned as a home for virtual Google assistant Assistant (you can communicate not only with real people, but also with AI). But now Google Assistant is built in Android by default, and the need for such a messenger disappeared.

2018. In Russia, all messenger users are identified

The Russian government has come up with new rules for the operation of instant messengers, which will come into force in the spring of 2019. Now, when registering a new account, instant messengers will have to send the phone number, first and last name of the user specified during registration to the mobile operator, and within 20 minutes the operator will have to check whether the This data is what the user specified when purchasing the SIM card. If not, the account created in the messenger must be deleted. The government has not yet come up with an algorithm for checking existing accounts. If the messenger refuses to cooperate, it will be blocked in the Russian Federation. True, Telegram has still not been blocked.

2018. Facebook has updated the Messenger interface

Facebook has introduced a new, simpler version of the Messenger service. Instead of nine tabs in the messenger, there will be three main tabs on the bottom panel, but all existing functions will still be available: Chats (all user conversations will be here), People (active contacts), Discover (chats with companies with which you can purchase goods and services). Messenger also received additional settings personalization: for example, the user will be able to set different message colors for individual chats. In the future, Facebook promises to add a dark theme to Messenger.

2018. Piomni.io - allows you to conduct business in one messenger

Messengers have become a priority channel of communication with clients and the main tool for collaboration in company. Therefore, it is quite logical to make the messenger the basis for a business management system, as happened with the new service Piomni.io. It is integrated with all popular messaging systems: Viber, WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, VK... and allows you to communicate with all clients in one window. And besides this, maintain a customer database, create mailings and chatbots. And also create workspaces for communication and collaboration within the company. The developers also offer integration with Slack and many CRM systems. The cost of the service starts from 5900 rubles/month.

2018. Pinngle - messenger from Zigma telecom is actively conquering RuNet

Pinngle, a relatively new messenger for the Russian segment of the Internet, along with the standard functionality for any messenger, also offers unique advantages to its users. Shared chats for up to 10,000 people - are you in three chats instead of one because of the 250 person limit? With Pinngle you don't have to worry about such complications. Virtual mobile numbers and Pinngle Out allow you to call any number within any country from anywhere in the world while staying in touch with your family and friends via a virtual number as if you had never left the country. I would also like to highlight Pinngle’s ability to support calls even with a terrible Internet connection. The quality of communication remains high in almost any situation.

2018. Google announced a new messenger - Chat

There hasn't been a new messenger from Google for a long time. Users with popcorn are waiting for the list to be replenished: Google Talk GMail Chat Google Plus Chat, Gizmo, Hangouts, Meet, Allo, Duo. And now, finally, Google announced that the Allo project (launched a year and a half ago) is being closed, and in its place (in a few months) a new messenger will appear - Chat. But this will not be an ordinary messenger. It will be new standard SMS, through which you can send text, status, pictures, and videos. The idea is that any two Android phones can send messages to each other and there will be no problem that your contacts are not registered in some messenger. For this idea to work, mobile operators need to support the new standard. Google says 55 operators around the world have already agreed. Oh, and by the way, this new standard does not support end-to-end encryption, so it will not be banned like Telegram.

2016. Viber launched public accounts for business

The most popular messenger in our country, Viber, has added the ability to create public accounts for companies and brands. Until now, Viber has been used to communicate between businesses and clients. public chats, where a company representative could write messages, and subscribers could only read them, or the company and the client had to add each other to contacts. A business account will allow you to organize two-way communication with subscribers. In addition, you can connect bots to such chats, and also integrate them with your CRM system to see the communication history in the client card. For now, the creation of business accounts is only upon request (as well as public chats), but it is absolutely free.

2016. Google launched the intelligent messenger Allo

Google has launched a new messenger - Allo. It is positioned as a “smart” messenger, because... It comes with built-in Google Assistant, a virtual assistant powered by artificial intelligence. It responds to user queries and can also be added to a group conversation. The messenger studies the user’s habits, and the data obtained is implemented in the “Smart Reply” function - the application prompts the user for his typical answers to certain questions. In this case, all messages will be encrypted between the device and Google servers, like Hangouts and Gmail. The application has an "incognito" mode - in this case it is used end-to-end encryption, you can set the storage time for transferred data, and messages sent in this mode do not appear on the lock screen.

2016. Viber and WhatsApp have learned to send files

While mobile operators get rid of messengers like Viber and WhatsApp through legislation, and Google replaces messengers with the new SMS standard, the messengers themselves continue to increase their capabilities. This time we are talking about a business-oriented function - file transfer. I added it back in the fall, but only recently it became available in its desktop version. The resulting file is synchronized between all user devices on which Viber is installed. As for the file transfer function, it has just appeared, and it currently only supports PDF files. But WhatsApp allows you to send files stored in Google Drive, Dropbox and iCloud.

Pavel Durov's service - Telegram - has taken aim at the messenger market for teamwork, on which Slack, HipChat and other similar solutions are firmly established. Today users Telegram applications for iOS, OS X, Android, as well as the web version of the service, it became possible to use hashtags (#), respond to a specific message in correspondence (by double tapping on it or using a long tap), and also contact a specific participant in the correspondence using the symbol "@". Support for hashtags is currently only implemented in the Latin alphabet, which may cause some inconvenience for those who correspond in a language other than English. Clicking on a hashtag in Telegram instantly opens a search window where you can see all mentions of the selected tag.

2014. Telegram messenger attracts business users

Mobile instant messengers have recently multiplied rapidly and lured users from social networks. After some time, the same thing will happen in the business sphere - instead of corporate Facebooks, corporate Vibers will appear. The Telegram service (created by the founder of VKontakte, Pavel Durov) initially relied on privacy and security, and apparently, that’s why business users were the first to start using it. In a recent interview, Pavel boasted that more and more workgroups are using Telegram to collaborate instead of email. He believes that in addition to encryption, business users like Telegram's ability to sync messages and files between mobile and desktop versions, display message statuses (read or not), and organize large group chats.

You probably know about Snapchat, a very popular instant messenger that gained its popularity thanks to disappearing messages (users can send each other messages or photos that disappear a few seconds after viewing). So, Blackberry thought that such a feature would be useful for business users and added it to their messenger. For what? To send messages that cannot later be used against you - for example, offers of kickbacks. Another new feature is “message recall”. If you suddenly mistakenly sent a photo with a kiss to your employee, and not to your wife, you can now delete this message on the recipient’s phone with one click.

2014. Bleep - secure messenger from BitTorrent

Last year, the BitTorrent company (the same one that invented torrents) released the SoShare file sharing service for business, and this year it introduced a secure messenger - Bleep (also based on the BitTorrent p2p network). Bleep encrypts all user communications, all the way from user to user. In theory, only the sender and recipient of the message can read them. Although there are quite a few instant messengers that encrypt user messages (in fact, the vast majority of IMs do this job), Bleep is one of the first, or the first application, that does not leave metadata on a central server. Bleep is currently available for Windows 7 and 8, Mac, Android. iOS version is under development.

2014. Facebook Messenger is available on Windows Phone

Actually, Facebook is friends with Microsoft. In fact, Microsoft is a co-owner of Facebook. However, the social network waited more than two years before launching a version of its mobile messenger for Windows Phone. The Facebook Messenger mobile application for iPhone and Android smartphones was released back in August 2011. Facebook Messenger's features include the ability to send stickers and photos, conduct group chats, track message receipts, and find out which Facebook contacts are online.

2014. Web messenger Imo.im disables all protocols

Multi-protocol messengers were once popular. Once upon a time, web messengers (running in a browser) were considered the future of Internet communications. But then mobile messengers with closed protocols came, and browser-based messengers are now remembered only when they are closed. The Imo.im service is not closing yet, but is completely switching to its own protocol. All other protocols (Jabber, ICQ, Facebook) are no longer supported. Users who still remain on multi-protocol instant messengers are encouraged to switch to other services: IM+ Web, Trillian, QIP, Jappix, ICQ Web.

2014. Japanese Internet giant bought Viber

(3rd richest in Japan Hiroshi Mikitani and Viber founder Talmon Marko) The Japanese company Rakuten bought, perhaps, the main (today) competitor of Skype - the messenger for $900 million. Of course, this immediately brought to mind the recent purchase of fring by the American company Genband, after which fring was turned into an engine for telecom providers. However, in in this case There is no need to be afraid for Viber. Rakuten is not going to close or somehow remake Viber to suit its needs. They will simply invest money in it in the hope of defeating Skype and somehow getting back their investment (for example, using an IP telephony service). Ratuken has a diversified business of investing in Internet startups. For example, they own the Kobo e-book platform, they are co-owners of OZON, Pinterest and other Internet projects. Let us remind you that Viber is a cross-platform messenger that supports free voice and sometimes video communication. Its developers are mainly located in Belarus. On this moment This service is used by about 300 million people.

2011. Mail.ru combines Agent and ICQ

The Mail.Ru Group company announced that it has implemented compatibility between the two largest instant messengers on the Runet - Mail.Ru Agent and ICQ. Now Mail.Ru Agent users can send messages to ICQ users and vice versa. Both messengers now work with a single contact database, so you can search for counterparties from any program, regardless of whether they use Agent or ICQ. It is important to note that the new functionality is implemented on the server side, so communication with users added from another network is possible in almost all versions of Mail.Ru Agent and ICQ, including on mobile platforms. To date common base users of the two messengers - about 50 million. The main competitor of Mail.ru Agent and ICQ in Runet is free messenger QIP from RBC. Its audience is approximately 10 million people.

2011. Cisco introduced the upgraded Jabber

Cisco is finally launching Cisco Jabber, based on the Jabber XCP platform purchased in 2008. Cisco Jabber is a multimedia corporate messenger that, in addition to monitoring online status and text chat provides voice and video communications, conference calls, video mail, and screen-sharing. Moreover, it works on PC, Mac, and mobile platforms - iPhone, iPad, Nokia, Android and BlackBerry. And the server part can work both in the cloud and on local server. Of course, to control online status and text chat, Cisco Jabber uses the open Jabber protocol (XMPP), which allows you to communicate through this messenger with external partners using GTalk, AIM, Sametime or other popular IM clients. Cisco Jabber can also “talk” to other Cisco communication systems: WebEx, Cisco Telepresence, Cisco UC, Cisco IP phones. Moreover, it is integrated with MS Office and allows you to initiate a chat or video chat directly from office applications, for example MS Outlook.

2010. Nokia welcomes Skype for Symbian to OVI Store

OVI Store is an online supermarket of mobile applications for Nokia phones (similar to iPhone App Store). It was launched in May last year, but has only become popular in recent months. It even recently surpassed the App Store in terms of daily downloads. Once in the OVI Store, mobile applications receive a huge surge in popularity, but in order for an application to get there, it must pass Nokia moderation. So, Skype for Symbian was allowed there, which means Nokia is no longer afraid of conflicts with (European) cellular operators, who have repeatedly threatened the company with sanctions because of its partnership with Skype. Let us remind you that Skype for Symbian allows Nokia smartphones make free or cheap VoIP calls via Wi-Fi and 3G networks.

2008. GTalk has become friends with Windows Live Messenger

Messenger developers have finally realized what their users have known for a long time - there are too many of these programs. Last week, Microsoft managed to integrate Live Messenger 9 and Google Talk for communication and now they are also working on integration with AIM and ICQ. Considering that Live Messenger 8 can already talk with Yahoo Messenger, we may soon witness the emergence of a universal system instant messages. Still the best solution Trillian was in this case. Although it did not integrate different messaging systems, it allowed you to communicate in each without installing ten instant messengers on your computer. Users are looking forward to new opportunities for communication and collaboration between several IM programs, as this will give them the opportunity to select only one program and work in it, rather than using several similar programs at the same time.

2007. Mail.ru has released a web version of the Mail.ru Agent messenger

Mail.Ru company announced the release of a web version of the Mail.ru Agent messenger client. The current version has been assigned test (beta) status. Anyone can take part in testing. The web version of the client supports all the basic functions that the Mail.Ru Agent client for Windows has. It is capable of displaying a list of contacts with online presence statuses, sending and receiving instant text messages, searching for contacts, viewing profiles, etc. In the future, Mail.Ru plans to add to the list of opportunities network client the ability to send SMS for free, use an alarm clock, send each other “emoticons” and cartoons made in Flash. To use the application, you need any browser with JavaScript support and cookies enabled.

2007. Yahoo Messenger has become friends with Lotus Sametime

Starting today, Yahoo Messenger users will be able to officially communicate with the multimillion-dollar audience of business users of Sametime (IBM Lotus platform messenger). Let me remind you that in addition to this, Yahoo Messenger is already integrated with Windows Live Messender.

2007. Fring allows you to communicate via Skype and Google Talk on Symbian OS

Today, the next version of the Fring program was released, which claims to support smartphones running on the Symbian OS 9 operating system. Unfortunately, the program also has its drawbacks. So this version does not accept the Cyrillic alphabet at all. Therefore, you will have to chat either in English or using transliteration. Russian names in the contact list will be displayed as crakosabs, so it is better to rename them in advance on your desktop computer. Also, you will have to resort to the help of “big brother” in order to add or remove a Skype contact - Fring does not yet know how to do this. But will this stop Skype users who are already waiting for the release of their native Skype client under Symbian. Let us remind you that Fring is an alternative client that allows you to use such well-known services as Skype and Google Talk on your mobile phone.

2006. Skype for Symbian OS will be released by the end of the year

A version of the Skype client program for portable devices running the Symbian OS operating system should appear towards the end of this year. Skype is one of the most popular networks IP telephony. The number of users of this service today exceeds 100 million. Currently, there is already a version of the Skype client software designed for use on communicators with the operating system Windows Mobile. The possibility of releasing a similar application for Symbian OS was discussed last year. However, recently there was a wave of rumors on the Internet that Skype had decided to abandon the development of a Symbian-compatible client. Now company representatives have denied this information.

2006. Messenger 6 for Mac: Down with Windows Live!

If, for reasons unknown, you managed to download the latest sixth Microsoft version Messenger for Mac, you have installed the program and are using it with all your might, then we give at least fifty chances out of a hundred that the tiny Windows Live logo in the upper right part of the Messenger 6 window hurts your eyes a little. Oddly enough, but getting rid of this “speck” is not at all difficult – just open the Applications folder and find there Microsoft file Messenger.app, right-click to call context menu and select the option there Show Packages Content. Then follows a short journey through the subdirectories (from Contents to Resource) and search for four PNG files: ContactListMSNLogo.png, IMMSLogo.png, IMMSNLogo.png and MSNLogo.png - delete them or simply copy them to a separate folder. Achieving final perfection will also not be difficult: to do this, just open the ill-fated MSNLogo.png in Photoshop, select the entire image with the Cmd-A shortcut and delete it, then save the file under the same name and send it back to the Resources directory. After a reboot, Messenger 6 will look much cleaner.

2006. MyChat - client-server messenger for local network

MyChat is a client-server communication system for a corporate network. Works under Windows Me/NT/2000/XP via TCP/IP protocol. Functionality includes sending/receiving text messages, files, sending SMS to mobile phones, public and secret channels, privates, broadcast messages, scheduler, notebook, address book and much more. All administrative actions are performed on the server using a graphical interface, built-in console or Telnet session. All transmitted messages can be stored in server protocols. There is a mechanism for channel operators and server operators. You can set up various filters: for users, flood, bad words, etc. The operation of the server can be controlled not only directly from behind it, but also remotely using a Telnet session from any operating system.

2006. Microsoft launched Windows Live Messenger

Windows Live Messenger is the latest generation of MSN Messenger. The new messenger includes improved voice and video functions, an improved contact list, shared folders for files, improved security technologies, integration with communication services Windows Live Mail, MSN Hotmail, Windows Live Search and MSN Spaces. The program requires Windows XP and Flash Player 7.0, Microsoft Passport, or Windows Live ID account. Expected to be released in the near future postal service Windows Live Mail.

conducted by the mobile operator VimpelCom. According to statistics, at the end of 2016, each Beeline user used on average more than one messenger. This is due to the fact that instant messengers are very convenient: they allow you to quickly and freely exchange voice and text messages, emoticons, pictures, GIF animations and videos.

The high popularity of instant messengers has made them an attractive marketing channel. Many companies actively use instant messengers to attract and retain customers. For example, they offer website visitors correspondence in messenger instead of correspondence in online chat. This is convenient for customers because they do not need to remain in a specific browser tab and wait for a response from the operator.

TOP 5 most popular instant messengers in 2017

whatsapp

According to the study we mentioned above, WhatsApp is the most popular instant messenger in Russia. 68.7% of Beeline operator clients used it to correspond with friends, colleagues, and acquaintances. The Megafon operator also confirmed its popularity - according to an internal study, the messenger is popular with 47.6% of subscribers who use messengers at least once a month. And in research , published on the website of the J’son & Partners Consulting agency, collected statistics from all over the world: at the end of 2016, the messenger had more than 1.2 billion registered users.

In the Google directory Play app installed by more than 61 million people. Over the past 2017, developers have implemented a lot good updates. For example, we launched the ability to search for GIF animation directly from the messenger. Users of the messenger can call, exchange files, communicate in group chats for free, linked to a phone number.

In marketing, WhatsApp is used primarily for communication with clients, consultations or newsletters.

Viber

Viber ranks second in popularity among instant messengers. Thus, it is used by 45.7% of users of the VimpelCom operator. It is also in demand among Megafon users - 39.7% of clients use it. In the catalog Google Play the number of its installations exceeds 10,000,000. The description of the messenger in the catalog states that the number of users worldwide exceeds 800 million people.

In 2017, Viber developers also keep up with the developers of other applications and offer interesting updates. For example, now the messenger has hints for stickers, the ability to send newsletters or respond to specific message in a group chat. Messenger users can also make calls, including video calls, send text and voice messages, and communicate in group chats.

The main purpose of the Viber messenger in marketing is remote customer support and mailings.

Facebook Messenger

According to the J’son & Partners Consulting study, the link to which we provided above, Facebook Messenger ranks second in popularity in the world after WhatsApp. In mid-2016, the number of its users exceeded 1 billion. In the Google Play catalog, the number of installations exceeded 73 million.

Messenger allows you to communicate with friends on the Facebook social network without going into the browser. It also includes the ability to share updates and receive notifications about likes and reposts.

Most often, the messenger is used to communicate with users on behalf of the company. Many advanced companies in the field create chatbots that answer typical simple questions. This helps reduce the burden on operators.

Telegram

Telegram showed the most active growth - in December 2016, the average daily number of users increased by 60.5%. In the Google Play catalog, the number of its installations exceeded 2,000,000.

In the messenger you can create group chats and channels, make calls, including video calls, send text and voice messages, and communicate using stickers. Communication is free, convenient, fast.

Companies use Telegram to create their channels and remotely support users. You can also often find chatbots in this messenger.

Skype

This messenger entered the TOP 5 most popular applications around the world - in 2016, the number of its users exceeded 300 million. 38.3% of VimpelCom subscribers also have this messenger installed. In the Google Play catalog, the number of installations exceeds 10 million.

The first option that Skype entered the market with was free videos calls. In 2017, the developers added emoji, reactions to messages, the ability to share content without leaving the messenger, and many other options.

Many companies use Skype for remote video support of clients and conducting remote training meetings.

Which messenger do you think is the future? Who will take the palm in popularity in 2018? Share your opinion in the comments.

Increasingly, news is coming from different parts of the world that hackers or intelligence agencies have gained access to the correspondence of high-ranking officials, celebrities, government officials, and so on. Even from the events of recent days, we can give several examples offhand.

Why is it important to protect correspondence?

The notorious "Russian hackers"

At the beginning of June 2017, an American publication called The Intercept published information from a secret US NSA report on an investigation into attempts to hack voting systems on the eve of the high-profile US presidential elections in 2016. NSA employees were able to establish that a group of hackers had attacked at least one manufacturer of electronic voting systems.
Naturally, the hackers are presumably considered Russian, although no evidence has yet been found for this. However, the fact remains that hackers, whoever they were, were able to get into the “holy of holies” of American democracy.

Unpleasant Pavel Durov

At the end of May 2017, Pavel Durov, widely known in Russia, the former general director of the social network Vkontakte, and now the creator and head of the Telegram project, recently received a message from Google about an attempt to hack his account by “pro-government hackers.” Moreover, on his Twitter page, Durov hastened to upset the special services with the message that he does not use Google service for important correspondence.

Kazakh director at a rally

In the spring of 2017, Kazakh film director Marat Teleuov spoke about his experience of communicating with employees law enforcement. Marat “met” the police because of his participation in a rally against the transfer of land to foreigners in May 2016. This issue turned out to be a pressing issue for modern Kazakhstan; a large number of people came out to the rally, and law enforcement officers responded with mass arrests.
During the interrogation, the director was shown screenshots of his correspondence from email and social networks, threatening to imprison him for calling for a rally. Fortunately, Teleuov did not actually encourage his compatriots to riot, and as a result was able to prove his innocence. However, the brazen invasion of his privacy, the pressure during interrogations and 8 hours spent without food or drink, he remembered for a long time.

Everyone is at risk

The examples listed above show that no one, from the civil service to the ordinary person, is immune from situations where hacked correspondence data will be used against him. You might think that the average person, not a celebrity, not a government official, not a political activist, has nothing to fear. However, in reality, your private life can be turned inside out at any moment and turned into evidence for the prosecution.

It is worth remembering that your correspondence is also of great interest to attackers. Fraudsters can use it to gain access to your bank card, blackmail and other unpleasant ways to extract money from you. And even more harmless cases, when mailboxes or social network accounts are hacked simply for the sake of sending viruses or spam, cause a lot of inconvenience to their owners.

If you want your private life to remain that way, and so that no stranger dares to interfere with it, you need to develop a culture of safe use of instant messengers, email services, social networks, etc. And the main rule information security– use only secure messengers for important, confidential, personal correspondence. Today this topic is quite popular, and therefore quite a few applications guarantee one degree or another of data protection. Let's evaluate the security level of each of them.

The six most secure instant messengers (according to SECRETVPN)

Signal (formerly called RedPhone)

The application appeared in the AppStore in July 2014, and in Google Play in November 2015. Members of the non-profit organization OWS (Open Whisper Systems) worked on the creation of the messenger. The application can be used to exchange calls and messages with subscribers whose contacts are in your phone book.

Signal uses “Double Ratchet” end-to-end encryption technology. Signal users who start a conversation immediately trigger the creation of two encryption keys that only exist on their phones. And when they try to make a call, users see randomly selected phrases on their screens that must match.

The application servers do not store any keys, as well as information about messages and calls received by the subscriber. A fan of Signal, as well as other OWS projects, is the well-known Edward Snowden. (tweet from Edward Snowden)

Wire

This application was created by developers from Microsoft, Skype, Nokia and Apple. The first version of the messenger appeared in 2014 and immediately became cross-platform: Wire can be installed on Android, iOS and even Mac OS. Initially, the program differed from its analogues mainly in its stellar composition of developers. It can be used to send messages and voice, make group calls and chats, and send music and videos.

However, in 2016, Wire was updated with end-to-end encryption. This, again, is the principle according to which all keys for encrypting and decrypting data are created only on the devices of the participants in the correspondence. Any information that one subscriber transmits to another is completely unreadable until it reaches the recipient. This is essentially the same encryption that Signal uses.

The messenger is registered in Switzerland, a country whose legislation is famous for its respect for privacy. In addition, Wire provides reliable data encryption regardless of what device and OS the subscriber is using.

Silent Phone

This messenger is one of the tools of the Silent Circle package, the use of which Edward Snowden still calls for in his interviews. The Silent Circle company develops various products for secure communication. At its origins are famous encryption experts: John Callas, Phil Zimmerman, Mike Jaenke.

The Silent Phone messenger is quite standard in its functionality: you can use it to write messages and make calls, as well as transfer various files. In addition, users can "recall" messages that have already been sent, erasing all evidence of their existence in the application. Data transfer is carried out through peer-to-peer computer networks increased stability, while the information is encrypted using the SCIMP protocol – own development companies.

SCIMP technology, in turn, is based on the ZRTP protocol. The essence of its application comes down to the following (using calls as an example):

• when calling a subscriber, a public ID is generated;
• this ID is used to generate keys with which the current conversation will be encrypted;
• upon completion of the conversation, the pair of keys formed at the beginning is destroyed;
• after the conversation, no one can decipher the content of the session from the outside.

You will have to pay to use Silent Circle products (most inexpensive tariff– a little more than $10 per month).

Threema

Threema is a Swiss-made secure messenger that is quite popular among Russian law enforcement officers, businessmen and government officials. The functionality of the application is standard: exchanging text and voice messages, opening group chats, transferring various files, contact synchronization, etc.

Until recently, some experts called Threema almost the most secure messenger in existence. The application uses the same end-to-end encryption mechanism, thanks to which the keys needed to decrypt information exist only on users' devices. Additionally, using Threema doesn't require you to enter an email address or even a phone number, making the app as anonymous as possible.

In Russia, this messenger has recently been treated with caution, since Roskomnadzor included it in the Register of Information Dissemination Organizers. How diligently the creators of the application will follow Russian legislation, and whether this will affect Ukrainian users is unknown, but many Threema fans now prefer to conduct confidential conversations in other instant messengers.

whatsapp

WhatsApp can be called one of the most popular applications for free exchange calls and messages, conducting group chats, sending files and similar operations. It cannot be said that this is the most secure messenger, but in 2016 it acquired an end-to-end data encryption mechanism for all its users.

For these purposes, WhatsApp management agreed with representatives of OWS, who provided them with their proprietary Signal Protocol. Keys for encrypting information are not only generated only on subscribers’ devices, but are also periodically changed so that even if one key is cracked, an attacker cannot read the entire correspondence. Moxie Marlinspike, one of the creators of the Signal messenger, took part in the development of this system.

It is worth noting that WhatsApp was not initially positioned as a secure messenger. One of the first to appear on the market, it won users, first of all, thanks to the ability to write messages and call other subscribers for free using only an Internet connection. Therefore, there is no need to talk about the maximum security of the messenger, especially considering its closed code, which does not allow inquisitive users to help WhatsApp developers find and eliminate vulnerabilities.

However, today the application encrypts user data much more thoroughly than a couple of years ago.

Telegram

The new project of Pavel Durov, which first saw the light of day in the summer of 2013, is the most advertised secure messenger in the post-Soviet space. Telegram allows you to send messages, exchange files, and conduct group chats. You can also edit messages in the messenger, delete them, and set them to self-destruct after a certain period of time. The account is linked to a mobile phone number, although users can also be contacted by their nicknames.

The encryption method used was the MTProto protocol, developed by Nikolai Durov (brother of the founder of Vkontakte) and other specialists from the Telegram team. This protocol combines several popular protocols: RSA-2048 for authentication and authorization, DH-2048 for data encoding, AES for message forwarding, etc.

Although the application is really different high degree data protection, it’s still not worth saying that Telegram is the most secure messenger. For example, the linking of an account to a phone number is criticized, as well as the fact that the contents of regular chats (not secret ones) and the phone book are stored on Telegram servers for some time.

Matthew Green, a professor of cryptography at Johns Hopkins University, like a number of other experts, questions the advisability of using a proprietary encryption protocol. The professor is especially perplexed by the fact that the development of the protocol was not carried out by cryptographers, but by mathematicians who cannot accurately verify the absence of vulnerabilities in its mechanism.

The position of the authorities or what to pay attention to

Representatives of the leadership of various states, as a rule, speak out against increasing the level of security of messengers. In Russia this is the “Yarovaya package”, in the UK - a statement by the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs Amber Rudd about the inadmissibility of encoding information on WhatsApp after the terrorist attack on March 22, 2017, in the USA - permission to use any data from the phones of suspects, and so on.

In most cases, officials justify their position by fighting terrorism and crime. And not all IT companies value the security of their users’ data more than “friendship” with the authorities. Therefore, the use of secure messengers that encrypt data so that only the users themselves can decode it is becoming an urgent need in modern conditions.

The choice of a specific application is yours, but do not forget to keep your finger on the pulse of events. It is necessary to vigilantly monitor how the relationship between the developers of the chosen messenger and government officials develops.

We hope our article helped you decide which messenger to choose, we also recommend using

And the purposes of their use.

The functionality of instant messengers is evolving, turning them from simple programs for exchanging messages into a serious communication tool. Analytical company App Annie has prepared statistics demonstrating the popularity of certain instant messengers among users in different countries. The picture is complemented by information about the main sources of income of the main players in this market. Most of those noted in the statistics are familiar to many active users of instant messengers, but there are also representatives present primarily in China.

Market leaders

First place held Facebook company, owns two messengers: her own Facebook Messenger and acquired WhatsApp Messenger. It must be said that they are among the TOP 10 non-game applications by the number of worldwide downloads for the entire existence of the App Store for iOS. They are ranked 2nd and 6th on the list, respectively. The fifth position of the TOP-10 is occupied by Skype. In the third quarter of this year, Facebook and WhatsApp became the most popular among iOS users and Android.

As you can see from the statistics, Facebook Messenger is in high demand in North America, while WhatsApp Messenger is popular in Latin America and Europe. The remaining positions were taken by Asian KakaoTalk (South Korea), WeChat (China) and LINE (Japan). The income statistics of instant messengers look different. Here everything is still good for the leading and actively developing Skype And Viber. The information is objective, but it is worth remembering that Facebook Messenger is free to use, and for WhatsApp Messenger they ask for only $0.99 per year, and then only for new users.

Sources of income

Developing the capabilities of their messengers Chinese developers. Thus, KakaoTalk, WeChat and LINE already allow video calls in addition to standard text and multimedia messages. In addition, all of the above received support for third-party applications. Due to this, you can not only use them for games, but also call a taxi and even pay for various services. Thus, once ordinary messengers have turned into full-fledged multifunctional platforms.

As for the main sources of income, the majority of the revenue comes from sticker sales. Developers of Asian instant messengers KakaoTalk, WeChat and LINE also receive additional amounts thanks to built-in games. Of interest are also additional services by type of payment for utilities and municipal services.

Advertising in applications plays a significant role, but its monetization, despite all the efforts of the creators, leaves much to be desired. At further development messenger developers Viber, Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp Messenger may follow the example of their Asian colleagues, which will certainly affect the popularity of their products among users around the world.

website And the purposes of their use. The functionality of instant messengers is evolving, transforming them from simple messaging programs into a serious communication tool. The analytical company App Annie has prepared statistics demonstrating the popularity of certain instant messengers among users in different countries. The picture is complemented by information about the main sources of income of the main players in this market. Most of those noted in the statistics are familiar to many active users of instant messengers, but...

Those who have recently begun their acquaintance with the Internet often come across previously unknown words and terms that are not used in offline life. Today I will try in simple words tell what a messenger is on a phone and on a PC, what this program is used for, how it functions, as well as what features messengers from different developers have.

Messenger - what is it in simple words

Messenger is a program (application) for instant messaging over the Internet. Messengers can use text, pictures, videos as messages; some applications support transferring files of any format.

The predecessors of instant messengers are Email and telephone SMS.

But mail is not that fast. Typically, email clients check incoming emails every few minutes. This is inconvenient for quick communication, so mail is used more often for writing large letters.

Compared to modern online messengers, SMS is too expensive, and the functionality is very outdated (even emoticons cannot be sent normally).

Messengers use the Internet to transmit data, and it is now inexpensive, even if you take into account mobile tariffs.

Messages are exchanged instantly, the user writes a phrase, presses a button to send, and his interlocutor reads the message a split second later.

Most communication applications not only quickly transmit messages, but also show in real time the status of contacts in your address book - you can see who is online and will receive your message immediately, and who is not online.

In addition, most representatives of this class of applications allow you to make voice calls over the Internet, and some support video calling.

Summarizing the main functions of instant messengers:

1. Instant messaging;
2. There is no fee for communication, except for Internet traffic;
3. Ability to transfer text, pictures, videos, arbitrary files;
4. The ability to conduct voice and video conversations without additional communication fees;
5. Show the status of the interlocutor;
6. Save correspondence history.

How messengers work

Most users see only the client part of the messenger - this is either a program on a computer or an application on a smartphone (tablet). Meanwhile, all messengers are tied to own servers– there is information storage and data processing. The server part ensures the security of logins and passwords, allows you to find contacts even when their owners are offline, etc.

Each of the messengers works using its own data transfer protocol, and these protocols are rarely compatible. In my memory, I have only come across applications twice that could combine messages from different networks - these were Qip infinum and Mail.ru Agent - once they could even support the Skype protocol.

But everything is tied to money, and the developers of each messenger strive to ensure that users install only their applications (there you can insert an advertisement or offer some paid function).

Therefore, different messengers are almost always incompatible and in order to communicate, people have to install several applications at the same time.

Which messenger is better to use?

So we, friends, have figured out what a messenger is on the phone and on the computer, now the question arises, which one is better to use. Looking ahead, I will say that there is no clear answer. When choosing a messenger, you need to look at the unique features of each of them - what is more convenient for you personally in terms of functionality, as well as what the majority of people with whom you need to keep in touch mainly use - it’s one thing if you need a “light” client that takes up little space places, it’s another matter if you need to constantly hold video conferences.

Let's look at the most popular instant messengers on the Russian-speaking Internet.

Viber - a universal messenger

The brainchild of Belarusian developers was initially available only to iPhone owners, but after some time versions for Android and Windows appeared. The application works on both mobile phones and personal computers, so with Viber you will always be in touch.

Viber accounts are linked to a mobile phone number, which makes it very easy to search for people through a standard address book.

Viber is not just a messenger for messaging - it is a full-fledged communication tool with a full range of all modern functions. He can:

• Send text, image and video messages;
• Create group chats, bringing together several people in one conversation;
• Make free video calls between service contacts;
• Automatically retrieve Viber contacts from your phone's address book;
• For an additional fee, you can make calls through the application to regular phones at cheap rates;
• Create public group chats with the ability to search them;
• Stores correspondence history and all transferred files.

Skype - family messenger

Initially, Skype appeared as a program for a personal computer and was focused on voice and video communication between users. But with the spread of mobile devices, a mobile application for this messenger was also created.

Skype messenger allows you to do almost everything you can think of, but has one drawback - the program is “heavy” (takes up a lot of space) and seriously loads the device, so most people use it only on desktop PCs for making calls.

Skype features:

• Audio and video calls to users from the contact list;
• Calls to regular phones for a fee;
• Group video and audio calls;
• Sending text messages via chat;
• Transfer of any types of files, even to users who are not online at the moment (files are uploaded to the messenger servers);
• Storing message history.

WhatsApp - modern and functional

This messenger is an application very close in functionality to Viber. The WhatsApp account corresponds to the phone number, the contact list is taken directly from notebook phone.

Main destination - fast transfer messages from mobile devices – chat. Unfortunately, WatsApp has several disadvantages compared to its competitors:

• No desktop version;
• There is no ability to create open public chats;
• It is not possible to call regular phones.

Otherwise, this messenger is not bad, it can:

• Send text, graphic and video messages;
• Supports group chats;
• Allows you to make audio and video calls to other WhatsApp contacts;
• Store correspondence history;
• Show delivery and reading times for messages.

WhatsApp, like Viber, consumes little Internet traffic, as it was originally developed as a messenger for mobile phones.

Telegram - a secure messenger

The youngest of the described messengers, but despite its youth it has already taken its rightful place in the market. Telegram was developed by Pavel Durov (one of the creators of VKontakte) and was initially positioned as a secure means of communication.

According to my personal assessments, this product is more aimed at a commercial audience, where it is necessary to conduct group discussions and information leakage cannot be allowed. Secure protocols and all kinds of settings, up to automatic deletion messages after a given period of time provide all this.

Telegram has the ability to create channels and conduct a one-way broadcast of messages in them - only the author writes, the rest read - this is a kind of analogue of subscribing to updates, like email newsletters(only no one will send spam, since subscription is done only in person).

Unfortunately, there are no calls in Telegram, that is, you cannot communicate via this messenger by voice, which makes it inconvenient for casual family conversations between grandmothers and grandchildren or parents with children - where you really want to hear and see your interlocutor.

Telegram messenger has a version for different types of devices and can be installed on both a computer and a smartphone with any operating system.

Other messengers

There are many programs for communication, and the list of worthy ones is not limited to the four described. It’s just that other applications are less popular and your friends most likely do not use them.

TO interesting programs you could add the above-mentioned Mail.ru Agent, Qip, as well as ICQ, Facebook massenger. But it only makes sense to choose them if you have interlocutors.

How to install messenger

The installation method depends on which device and which messenger you want to install on.

Installing messenger on PC

For computers, you will need to go to the developer’s official website and download the distribution that matches your operating system. Here are the links:

• Official website – www.skype.com/ru/get-skype/ – .
• Official site - www.viber.com/ru/products/windows/
• Official website – telegram.org/apps

Then you run the installer and do everything it says step by step.

Installing messenger on your phone

With a phone, installation is even easier, go to the application store (Google Play, Play Market, App Store), enter the name of the desired messenger in the search - Viber, WhatsApp, Skype or Telegram.

Clicking the “Install” button will add the application to the device, and then you will simply need to log in if you already have a login and password or create a new account if you have not registered before.

Now you know everything about instant messengers - what they are, which one to choose and how to install on your device, and I hope that thanks to these programs you can always stay in touch and be closer to your family and friends.

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