The financial and economic news agency Bloomberg published the top 7, which included the most popular messengers. The ranking of the best is based on the size of the user audience.

Not all of these services generate much revenue, but owners view them as building blocks for an ecosystem that includes advertising, e-commerce and other ways to generate revenue.

We present you a comparative review most popular programs for messaging.

This service, which has a ghost on its logo, is used by about 100 million users. Using the application, you can send photos, videos, and drawings to your contact list. But you cannot communicate simply with text, only “paired” with a visual image. Users set a time limit during which recipients can view their messages. The files are then “evaporated” from the sender and recipient’s device, but are not deleted from Snapchat’s servers.

6.Line

This chat, very popular in Japan, is used by 211 million people. Initially it was intended for mobile phones with Android and iOS OS, then a version for BlackBerry, Nokia Asha and Windows Phone appeared. There is a version of Line for computers running Windows and Mac OS. The highlight of the application is the built-in social network, where you can blog and post comments.

5. Viber

The best creation of Israeli developers is used by 249 million users. The PC application synchronizes the contact list, messages and call log with the “owner’s” mobile device and allows you to make free calls to any devices of other Viber users, regardless of the country of location.

Chinese mobile encrypted instant messaging service used by 600 million users. Between April and July 2015, the number of WeChat users grew by 37%, according to data from the program's developer, telecommunications company Tencent. The system supports voice and text messages, makes it possible to share photo and video files and exchange contacts via Bluetooth.

The top three most popular instant messengers in 2015 are headed by a service integrated into the social network Facebook. This application, based on the open MQTT protocol, is used by 700 million users. By comparison, Skype, the Internet telephony service run by Microsoft Corp., boasts only 300 million users. In 2011, a mobile version was released for the BlackBerry, iOS and Android platforms, and in 2012 a version of the messenger for PC appeared. In 2015, users of the service no longer require mandatory registration on Facebook. In order to enter the application, you need to provide a phone number.

Facebook Inc. paid $18 billion for the cross-platform WhatsApp application, which currently has an audience of more than 800 million people. This is the best messenger presented in Russia. He has standard function messaging, as well as the ability to create groups and share video, photo and audio files. The text can be either manually typed or dictated. The program is linked to phone number, not the user's ID or nickname, and generates a list of contacts by scanning the owner's phone book for numbers registered in the system.

The most popular messenger in the world, developed by China's Tencent. Every month, 843 million people exchange secure messages using it. It has several interesting features such as a built-in software store, real-time translation, capturing a small part of the chat screen, or recording small video clips and sharing them with the other person.

Review of messengers. The best and popular Internet messengers

What is a messenger?
Messenger (IM = Instant Messenger) is a program, mobile application or 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 global network, for example 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.

The most popular instant messengers are 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. Now iOS users can link up to three numbers to their application. 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.

The new version of the popular messenger Viber 10 received new design, as well as two new features: group calls and chats with a hidden number. Chats with hidden numbers in Viber allow 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 calls Out 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 into Android by default, and the need for such a messenger has 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 (chat rooms with companies with which you can purchase goods and services). Messenger also received additional personalization settings: 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 everyone popular systems messages: 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. This will be a new SMS standard 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 won’t 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, creating 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... Google Assistant is built into it - virtual assistant With 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, end-to-end encryption is used, you can set the storage time for transferred data, and messages sent in this mode are not displayed 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 of the Telegram application for iOS, OS X, Android, as well as the web version of the service, have the opportunity 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 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 messengers in Lately are rapidly multiplying and luring users away 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 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 platform e-books Kobo, 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. Currently, about 300 million people use this service.

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 a 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 chat or video chat directly from office applications such as 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 to make free or cheap VoIP calls over 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. So far, the best solution in this matter has been Trillian. 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 support for smartphones running on the operating system Symbian systems OS 9. 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 that stop Skype users, who have already been waiting for the release of the native Skype client for 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

Client version Skype programs For portable devices, working under the control operating system Symbian OS should appear towards the end of this year. Skype is one of the most popular IP telephony networks. 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 unknown reasons, you managed to download the latest sixth version of Microsoft Messenger for Mac, 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. strange, but getting rid of this “speck” is not at all difficult - just open the Applications folder, find the Microsoft Messenger.app file there, and click right button mouse 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 just copy them to 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 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, private messages, broadcast messages, scheduler, notebook, address book and much more. All administrative actions are performed on the server using GUI, 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. To run the program, you need Windows XP and Flash Player 7.0, a Microsoft passport or a Windows Live ID account. Expected to be released in the near future postal service Windows Live Mail.

It’s paradoxical, but true: with all the variety of messengers, you usually don’t have to choose them - people simply use the same thing as their friends and acquaintances. But what if secrecy really matters? In this article, we will go through the list of modern instant messengers and see what protection guarantees each of them has.

Recently there was a poll on “Hacker”, and the most popular answer (Telegram) was seriously alarming. How far has it gone when even the average Hacker reader has already lost touch with reality after being attacked by a marketing headcrab (pictured)?

We've compiled a list of instant messengers to see how each of them fares with security. The selection included both popular and promising programs in terms of security. We warn you that we will delve into the technical side as much as is necessary for the average user, and no further.

In many ways, we followed the path of the authors of a series of articles by the Electronic Frontier Foundation called Secure Messaging Scorecard, but we chose other criteria - in our opinion, more important.

Criteria

FOSS

Is it distributed? source messenger under one of the free licenses? If so, is it open source mining? How closely do developers interact with the community? Do they accept pull requests? All this is important to consider when choosing.

Degree of centralization

One of three options is possible here:

Possibility of anonymous registration and use

For some services, a phone may only be needed to protect against spam during registration; therefore, it is very easy to use number rental services for SMS.

In other cases, the messenger is tightly tied to the phone. This is bad because if two-factor authentication is not enabled, then when you gain access to this number you can log into your account and leak all the data. But even if two-factor is enabled, it is still possible to delete all data from your account. And of course, this is, consider, registration using a passport (we use the realities of the Russian Federation, others were not brought in).

But it is not all that bad. There are instant messengers that allow you to register using mailbox or social network account. There are also those where you can create an account in the messenger itself without being tied to anything.

Availability of End-to-End Encryption (E2EE)

Some messengers have this feature by default, in others you can enable it, but there are also those where end-to-end encryption simply no.

E2EE chat synchronization

Again, this function is not yet available as often as we would like. Its presence greatly simplifies life.

Notice to verify E2EE fingerprints

When starting E2EE chats, some messengers offer to check the fingerprints of the interlocutors, others do not openly offer this. But not all instant messengers have a fingerprint verification function.

Prohibition of taking a screenshot of a secret chat

Not the most useful function, because to bypass the ban it is enough, for example, to have a second phone on hand.

Group E2EE chats

E2EE group chats are usually not that required function, but very comfortable. The rule “more than two - speak out loud” should be left for children.

Notification about the need to verify E2EE fingerprints in group chats

When adding a new interlocutor, with whom the fingerprints have not been verified, to a secret group chat, not all instant messengers offer to check his fingerprints. Because of this omission, the meaning of secret chats is lost.

Protecting the Social Graph

Some instant messengers collect information about the user's contacts and other data, such as who the user called, how long he talked. There is a thread on this topic.

WWW

We have selected only some of the criteria that can play a role when choosing a messenger. There are others, but they are not always related to security. A group of scientists from European universities did a good job of putting everything into perspective in their work Obstacles to the Adoption of Secure Communication Tools (PDF). It is also always useful to review the results of an independent audit, if available. For example, in the case of Signal, such an audit was carried out (PDF).

Telegram

License: formally - GPLv3. However, an important part of the development is closed. If you look at the repositories, you can see that recently there has been some movement only in the web version. Alas, in this form it is rather an illusion of openness
Degree of centralization: centralized
No
Availability of E2EE: implemented, but as an addition. By default, chats are not encrypted
E2EE chat synchronization: No. Secret chat can only be used from one device; it will no longer be accessible from another
No. Users can go into the settings themselves to compare fingerprints
yes, but does not work on all devices
E2EE Group Chats: No
Social graph protection: No

The messenger, created by Pavel Durov's team, is built on MTProto correspondence encryption technology. At the moment, it is partially blocked in Russia, but this blocking is a separate topic for discussion.

The messenger is ambiguous. There's a lot of hype around it, but is it justified? There is no access to the source code, chats are not encrypted by default, there is no social graph protection (all your contacts are stored on Telegram servers), there are no group E2EE chats, E2EE chats are not supported in the desktop version of the program, only in the mobile version, the messenger is centralized, messages are stored on the server (and they, as already noted, are not encrypted), and with all this there is no possibility of anonymous registration.

If you want to use Telegram, then don’t forget to create secret chats to protect your correspondence. In the mobile version, you need to select the New Secret Chat command. Of the desktop versions, only a few support secret chats (for example, one of the two clients for macOS).

In a secret chat, messages are encrypted and are not stored on the messenger servers. You can't take a screenshot either. secret chat, but nothing prevents you from taking a photo of such a chat from the screen.

Signal

License: AGPLv3
Degree of centralization: centralized
Possibility of anonymous registration and work: No. There are no other options other than a phone number.
Availability of E2EE: There is
E2EE chat synchronization: There is
E2EE Fingerprint Verification Notice: No. Users are encouraged to scan each other's QR codes or compare fingerprints
Prohibition on screenshots of secret chats: can be turned on or off
E2EE Group Chats: There is
Notification about the need to verify E2EE fingerprints in group chats: No
Social graph protection: There is

The Signal messenger was developed by the American startup Open Whisper Systems, where, besides the two founders, only a few people work. To encrypt messages, a cryptographic protocol created specifically for it is used - Signal Protocol. It is used for end-to-end encryption of calls (voice and video), as well as regular messages. The Signal protocol has since been used by other instant messengers: WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Google Allo.

It would seem that in this case, any messenger can become as safe as Signal. But, as practice shows, no. Unlike Signal, where encryption is turned on by default, these messengers have it turned off. To enable it, you need to activate Secret Conversations in Facebook Messenger, and Incognito Mode in Google Allo.

Although Signal is centralized, the code is open and distributed under a free license. Signal has support for E2EE group chats, social graph protection, and supports timed disappearing messages.

However, protection should not be confused with anonymity. Signal is not anonymous: when registering, you need to indicate the phone number to which the messenger is linked. As for disappearing messages, this feature is also found in other messengers, for example in Viber and Telegram (in the secret chat menu you need to select the Set self-destruct timer command).

Communication and sending files have become even more convenient with the advent of instant messengers - special programs for video calls and instant messaging. The world's first messenger (ICQ) appeared in 1996, then Skype gained popularity, and since 2009 similar programs and mobile applications began to be regularly released: about 70% of the largest cellular operators in Russia (Beeline, MegaFon, MTS) use messengers. Every year the number of users increases by 5 - 7%, while more and more new applications appear. We invite you to familiarize yourself with the TOP 4 instant messengers in terms of popularity among Russians.

The “killer” SMS and part-time brainchild of Pavel Durov - the Telegram messenger - burst into the world of messaging in 2013 and immediately became popular, but mainly abroad. In our country, the share of users according to the results of 2017 is only 7.5%. The number of subscribers in the Russian Federation is about 8 million people, of which 1.5 million are active. The total number of users is about 40 million, and the application is most popular in Iran.

Telegram appeared in the wake of media reports about the surveillance of Internet users by American intelligence agencies. An important advantage of the application is the impossibility of hacking correspondence. Among the important advantages of the program, we note the following:

• message encryption;
• fast work;
• possibility of exchange quick messages and files of various formats;
• own cloud storage;
• the maximum number of users in one chat is up to 5 thousand.

This application was originally created for teamwork, so it is optimal for business. You can use hashtags in correspondence (for now only in Latin), replies and mentions have been added to group chats. Chat users can reply to specific messages by double-clicking on them. When developing the application, Pavel Durov and the Digital Fortress company (translated from English as “digital fortress”) relied on the security and privacy of users.

In addition to encrypted messages, corporate users note the built-in function for synchronizing files and messages between the mobile application and the desktop version. It is also possible to view message statuses (read/unread). With the help of Telegram bots, the largest companies in the country successfully interact with clients: Tinkoff, Alfa Bank, Qiwi, Tele2, etc. Telegram is a free, secure and convenient communication channel that works on devices with iOS operating systems , OS X and Android, and the readability of messages in it is on average three times higher compared to email correspondence.

A program similar to Skype in functionality appeared in December 2010. The Viber application has about 900 million users worldwide, and in Russia it is used by about 82 million people (about a third of subscribers of the largest domestic operators cellular communications). The program development centers are located in Israel and Belarus (in the homelands of the founders, Talmon Marko and Igor Magazinnik, who met while serving in the Israeli army).

Since 2016, you can create public accounts for commercial enterprises in the application. They are designed to provide two-way communication between subscribers and business representatives. Business accounts and public chats can be created upon request, but are completely free. Other benefits of the application include:

• free calls to anywhere in the world (between Viber users);
• transfer of video, photos, text documents;
• conference chats supporting up to 40 users.

Viber offers automatic search users by phone number from their contact list: just install the application on your smartphone, after which it will analyze the phone book and show which of your friends also has the messenger installed. If the user you want to call does not have the Viber application, use Viber Out to make calls (calls are paid, you need to top up your account balance).

The advantage of using Viber Out is the lower cost of calls compared to mobile operators, which is especially important in roaming and when making international calls. Please note: communication via Viber is free only when connected to Wi-Fi networks. For using the program through cellular networks Additional charges may apply. Among the interesting features of the application is the ability to send money transfers between accounts thanks to the company’s cooperation with the Western Union system. The message encryption function is responsible for the secrecy of personal correspondence, but there is also another function - creating copies of personal correspondence, which calls into question the fact of security.

The most popular messenger in the world - WhatsApp - appeared in 2009. The number of its users exceeds 1 billion, and in our country its audience is 106 million people (more than 40% of the population). Every day, up to 5.6 million Russians use it, sending SMS messages, audio and video files, and documents. WhatsApp became the first service synchronized with phone book contacts. Interestingly, the application was developed in California and belongs to the Brand Corporation Zuckerberg Facebook, but not very popular in the US. The program is most in demand among users from Spain.

The client works on most platforms, including Windows, iOS, Android, Nokia Symbian, etc. Since 2016, the application is completely free, although previously there was a subscription fee of $1 after the first year of use. The program has many business-oriented functions, namely:

• sending documents in PDF format;
• synchronization of received files between mobile and desktop versions;
• sending files saved in iCloud, Google Drive, Dropbox;
• authorized business accounts;
• group chats with the ability to add up to 256 participants;
• mass mailing;
• automatic saving of photos to the device gallery;
• sending current geoposition;
• displaying message status and delivery history.

You can turn off the read status in WhatsApp, and then the other person will not know whether you received their message or not. You can also disable the display of the last login time - another feature for maintaining privacy. In dialogue mode, you can delete any message by tapping and holding (a context menu will appear where you can select an action). WhatsApp does not have a full-fledged program for the PC, but there is a web version, which can be entered by reading the security QR code on the computer screen using a smartphone.

One of the oldest, but still popular instant messengers, Skype, was created in 2003. This cross-platform software is absolutely free to use when making audio and video calls, as well as sending messages to users who also have it installed. The application uses closed code, which suggests a high degree of safety. More than 300 million people around the world use Skype every month, making calls totaling over 3 billion minutes every day.

Main advantages of the program:

Unlike most IP telephony programs, Skype uses a decentralized P2P architecture, and the only central element is the identity server, which stores accounts and backup copies of contact lists. Special data compression algorithms allow you to make voice calls comparable in quality to traditional mobile phone calls using an Internet connection at a speed of 30 - 60 kbit/s.

If you have been using instant messengers for a long time or are just planning to install them, feel free to share your opinion about them on our website - like your favorite programs and create a popular rating with us!

Greetings to all users of the best mobile portal called Trashbox. Today I will delight you with another article from our new series of editorial material. This time you will find the top best messengers for the operating room Android systems. I would also like to remind you that exactly a week ago one of our editors, Taras Zhukov, wrote a similar article about. Well, let's begin. Please step under the cat.
In the top of the best instant messengers for the Android operating system, I will not highlight the best applications with any numbers. I will be in a simple way The best applications are listed in order. Thus, the first messenger in our top is ICQ, or ICQ.

ICQ Mobile

The most popular “ICQ” in its time is slowly beginning to lose its position, but this messenger is still used by a large number of both ordinary users, and loving fans. The developer is ICQ Ltd.

ICQ Messenger is the official ICQ client for the Android operating system, which, in addition to proprietary functions, is capable of running and supports other services. It is one of the most popular methods of messaging over the connected Internet. At one time, ICQ replaced a type of message such as SMS correspondence that was completely outdated in every sense. For example, supported services, you can connect your accounts of such popular social networks as VKontakte, Odnoklassniki, Google Plus, Facebook and Mail.ru in the application. This is a completely standard function, to be honest, but it clearly won’t be superfluous. You can easily communicate with your friends, family and acquaintances from all social networks using one application - you must agree, it’s quite convenient, isn’t it?

As with all messengers, there is also support for emoticons, which have recently become very popular. The style of emoticons is probably familiar to you from ancient times - these are the yellow animated koloboks, probably known to everyone. ICQ Messenger also supports sending files: pictures, videos, audio.

The design of the application does not leave much to be desired. Everything is done in a convenient format. The company decided to divide everything into tabs, which I wouldn’t call inconvenient at all. In the first tab you will see contacts. Absolutely all contacts from all your social networks are collected here. By clicking on one of all, you can view information about the user, as well as the ICQ login. The second tab contains chats, where you will find your open and active correspondence. I don't think there's much to talk about here. The third tab shows news (not everyone has such a function, it is worth noting that they do). In this tab you can read the news of your friends. Supports social networks such as Twitter, Flickr, YouTube and others that I listed a while ago. In the last tab you will be shown your basic information about yourself. In addition, the application supports push notifications, with the help of which it will notify you about any events, and history synchronization on all devices between clients (it supports various mobile and desktop operating systems, which is undoubtedly a plus).

Overall, ICQ Messenger is colorful, pleasant and stable program, with which you can communicate without in simple texts. I am very pleased with the presence of a convenient widget for the desktop, push notifications, as well as a beautiful display of received messages in the status bar. If you are one of the ICQ fans, I assure you that you will not be dissatisfied with the official client for the Android operating system.

QIP Mobile

Surely many personal computer users are familiar with this application. In my opinion, “kvip” is one of the best exchange programs instant messages for operating system Microsoft Windows. At one time, I personally used it. Now let's take a closer look at its official client for the Android mobile operating system.

It is worth noting that for quite a long time users asked developers to release a client for the “green robot” - well, they waited. The developer is a Russian company called Russian Internet Solutions.

QIP Mobile, unlike its older brother, has a smaller set of settings and functions, unfortunately. If you wish, you can connect to your main account such “accounts” as Jabber, Google Talk (currently called Google Hangouts), Facebook, VKontakte, LiveJournal, Ya.Online and, of course, Mail.ru.

The appearance of the application for the Android operating system looks very similar to that of ICQ, you will agree. There are also four main tabs, but only some of them have changed their purpose. Thus, the first tab in the “quip” is accounts. I think there’s no need to explain anything here - it shows the user all the accounts connected to the main account. The second tab is contacts, where, as in the ICQ Messenger application, you are shown contacts from various social networks and other services. The third tab shows your active and open conversations. I don't think there's much to talk about here either. The last tab provides the user with application settings.

The general design of the “quip” does not stand out among the others, especially compared to the background of the ICQ messenger I have already described. In general, the client’s simple appearance is not its disadvantage, quite the contrary. It is unlikely that you, even if you are a novice user, will be able to get lost in the many settings and different windows.

It’s very sad, but the old and, to some extent, even my own “kwip” did not want to connect to my VKontakte social network account. But this did not stop me from making a couple of screenshots and showing the operation of the application and the design of the correspondence as a whole. Perhaps the most significant disadvantage of the QIP Mobile messenger is the inability to send any files to the user, be it photographs of food, favorite music, or a recording recorded using a voice recorder. For example, I can’t communicate without the ability to send my friend all sorts of trolling pictures. In any case, the messenger fulfills its main purpose perfectly - communication, instant correspondence. In this regard, “kvip” does an excellent job. Well, let's move on to the next messenger.

IM+ (IM+ Pro)

A messenger called IM+ Pro is perhaps the coolest and newest messenger among all those for the Android operating system. Let me note right away: it supports a huge number of different services that you can enable and disable all at once with just one tap (Facebook, Skype, ICQ, VKontakte, Mail.ru, Odnoklassniki, Mamba, Ya.Online, MSN, Google Talk (now Google Hangouts), Yahoo!, AIM, mig33, SINA Weibo, Fetion, RenRen and Jabber), and each of them is available for connection in more than one quantity - this is simply an incredible plus for developers. For example, if you have two pages on the VKontakte social network, you can connect both of them and it won’t require any painstaking work.

IM+ works great and copes with its tasks on both smartphones and tablets. Depending on the display diagonal of the device you are using, the design of the messenger may look different. In this messenger, the number of tabs has been reduced to three - these are “Contacts”, “Chats” and “Accounts”. In the version for tablets, everything is done a little differently. On the big screen you will have access to two tabs. The first is responsible for contacts and chats, and the second is for an open conversation with any user.

The IM+ messenger, like many others, has its own desktop widget. With it you can change your network status, and also instantly go to the application. The widget shows your current status as well as the accounts you are connected to.

A messenger for the Android operating system called IM+ is available for both the “green robot” and the brainchild of Apple. The application definitely wins over QIP Mobile; at least in terms of the number of possible connected accounts, no one can compare with it. The messenger interface is simple and clear, which is worth adding to its advantages detailed settings and the presence of push notifications. All of the above allows the IM+ messenger to be an excellent client for those who like to use several favorite services at the same time. For example, for me it’s a combination of VKontakte + Skype.

In the app store Google Play Store there are two versions of the application: IM+ (free) and IM+ Pro (paid). The free version contains advertising and a limit on the time your clone can spend in push mode. In the paid version, accordingly, all this is not present, and the application completely justifies the price tag set by the manufacturer.

Agent

A fairly well-known messenger called Agent from the Mail.ru company will appeal to fans of the company’s proprietary services. Using this application, you can check your mail in one place, maintain your own blog on the [email protected] network, call friends, relatives, and pets, and send free SMS messages within the Russian Federation and the Commonwealth of Independent States. In addition to its main protocol, the Agent supports quite standard ICQ, Odnoklassniki and VKontakte.

I'm glad that there are built-in themes (when you download the application and then install it, you will be provided with 16 free branded themes), and when you attach a file to a message, it opens file manager, with which you can select any file you want. The chat displays emoticons and files attached to messages well. The chat design is pleasing to the eye, does not cut anything, the colors are juicy and not at all acidic.

The contacts tab is divided into several subtabs. When you open the contact list, you will have access to such subsections as “All contacts”, “Online only”, “ICQ”, “VKontakte” and “Telephone”. Accordingly, the ICQ and VKontakte subsections are displayed only if you have these accounts connected. The design of the chat is excellent, there are even the smallest details such as a paperclip when attaching a file - a trifle, but nice. The appearance of the message bubbles looks standard, in this regard there is nothing supernatural or extraordinary. The files are sent without problems, you can see this action in the screenshots. Directly from the chat, you can also view the user’s profile, send him a file, ignore him, send an SMS message, delete the history, and also close the chat. In general, everything is simple and I did not encounter any difficulties when using this messenger.

In the Google Play Store application store, the Agent messenger from Mail.ru is completely free. I believe that the application has a place in today's top, and if you are looking for a beautiful and multifunctional messenger with the ability to make calls, Agent is for you.

whatsapp

Surely you know such a big name as WhatsApp. The world's most popular cross-platform (Android, iOS, BlackBerry OS, Windows Phone, OVI) messenger is used by more than 470 million people - this is an excellent figure. At the time of publication of the article this application bought by the social network Facebook, which paid for it an incredibly cosmic sum of 16 billion dollars - 16000000000 dollars, just imagine. It is so in demand that the price is incredibly high. In any case, it’s not for nothing that WhatsApp is so praised. Let's look at it in more detail.

When you open the application, you are asked to read the user agreement and accept it. Next, you will be kindly asked to enter your mobile phone number, because it is on the basis of this that the WhatsApp messenger creates your account, after which the phone book is scanned and contacts registered in this service are added. The advantages are obvious: no registration, no inventing all sorts of logins and nicknames, no authorizations and adding friends - everything is simple to the point of impossibility, just enter your phone number.

After successful registration, you are provided with a list of contacts who are currently online. Using a conveniently located space, you can use the search, add a new conversation, change the status and go to the application settings.

Let's go to the chat, you can create it with several users at once. Here, as in many other messengers, you can attach a picture to the message you send (I’m glad that it is displayed just as well in the chat as in the Agent), a video, a recording from a voice recorder, a contact card and your own location. The last function is especially interesting. Thus, to the constant question “Where are you?” you can clearly reply to your friend by sending the location. And when sending a message, a check mark immediately appears, indicating delivery of the sent message. Again, a small thing, but nice, because you won’t have to ask, “Did you receive my message?” and other similar questions. The messenger interface is made in light colors, is pleasing to the eye, and there is no unnecessary tinsel. If you wish, you can put up wallpaper if you suddenly get tired of the languid white color.

There is nothing to highlight in terms of settings. Settings for chats and notifications are available. Overall nothing special.

The ease of using the WhatsApp messenger depends directly on the number of friends and acquaintances who use this cross-platform service. For example, none of my friends is on WhatsApp, since the most popular messenger, social network, and storehouse of films, music and other things is VKontakte, which, by the way, I actively use. The brainchild of Pavel Durov makes sense to me, since all my friends and family use it. As for WhatsApp, it was recently acquired by Mark Zuckerberg, the owner of the social network Facebook. No one knows whether the future of the globally popular application will be successful or not, including me, but time will tell. The messenger is free, you only have to pay a subscription fee ($2) once a year. Facebook had to pay a tidy sum for it - let me remind you, 16 Instagrams. Bottom line: if you have a lot of friends who use WhatsApp, you will like the messenger both in terms of functionality and usability.

Viber

I bring to your attention the following multifunctional and cross-platform messenger - Viber. Like the previous participant in our top, WhatsApp, the Viber application uses your mobile phone number for integration with contacts and subsequent account creation. Viber, like WhatsApp, does not require any additional settings. After installation, you will have access to a list of your contacts with “Viber” marks next to the name - these are users who also have Viber installed.

Unlike WhatsApp, Viber is only capable of sending text messages, photos and a location map, but not everyone even uses this. In any case, this is much better than in the same QIP Mobile, whose functionality compared to the PC version is so limited that, excuse me, it’s too mobile. I would like to note the presence of a button responsible for the call type function - you can switch from VoIP to GSM with one click - this significantly saves time.

One of the biggest advantages Viber messenger is cross-platform - supported by operating systems such as Android, iOS, Windows Phone, BlackBerry and even Bada. In addition, last year the program was released for the Windows and OS X operating systems. However, this did not significantly increase the number of users. Currently, Viber is used by more than 250 million people, while WhatsApp is already used by almost 500 million people.

The messenger interface is made in purple tones, but this does not interfere with ease of use. Once you click on the icon, the application will open and the first thing you will see is the Chats tab. Here you will be shown your open or long-forgotten chats with any user. By making a swipe gesture you will be taken to the second tab - Contacts. This tab is divided into three more, so to speak, sub-tabs: “Viber” (list of users using the service), “All” (shows your full list contacts, including favorites and Viber users) and “Viber Out” (this is the name of the call function, and it is in this tab that the call history is shown to you). At the bottom there is a box with which you can add a chat, find someone and go to settings. The latter, in turn, reveals to you not only settings, but also information about you, as well as your photo. All this, of course, is available for editing and other actions. Also in the same menu you can tell your friends about your account Viber recordings. Services available for sharing include Facebook, Twitter, Gmail (sending a letter) and a simple SMS message. I note that this is quite convenient, because you can notify your friend or family member about the use of this service using the two most popular social networks in the world or simple messages, both electronic and simple SMS. In addition to the settings, there you can also configure the Viber Out function, buy a loan or get tariffs for it. Latest feature in the "You" section is to exit the application.

Using Viber, you can exchange text messages, call each other using the corresponding function, send photos and video messages. According to the manufacturer, the program only works with using Wi-Fi and 3G. It was specially checked whether the same calls work with an EGPRS connection - everything works and the quality of communication is at a decent level. By the way, I called Taras using 3G. Since Taras was in Ukraine, and I was in Russia, and I had mobile Internet, and Taras had Wi-Fi, I personally thought that the connection would not be of the best quality, but that was not the case. The voice was clear, no interference, and I was talking on speakerphone. Video calls have not been tested, but I am sure that Viber will not let you down in this regard either. By the way, thanks to Taras for checking the connection, but for now let’s move on.

The Viber application is completely free for all of the above mobile platforms. Considering such a wide functionality, not having to pay a penny for the application is simply amazing. Without paying, you can also exchange messages, videos, photos and even call your friends and family for free. I believe that this is the second huge advantage of the Viber messenger. In any case, the choice is always yours, I only recommend it. Perhaps this is where I will end my story of using Viber.

Telegram

This service created by the founder of the social network VKontakte - Pavel Durov. The appearance of the messenger seems to be copied from one of its competitors - WhatsApp. The functions are similar, but more on them later. Telegram's audience is currently not wide - about several million users, while competitors' figures have already exceeded 200 million people.

The main advantages of the application are the openness of the protocols, as well as the encryption of everything. The messenger is also rich in settings for notifications and sound alerts. Otherwise, it is completely similar to other competitors.

The interface, as noted earlier, repeats WhatsApp, only the brainchild of Pavel Durov is made in the colors of his own social network. In general, it does not hurt the eyes and there are no bright eye-catching shades. When you open the application, you will immediately be asked for your mobile phone number, since this is what you will need to create an account in Telegram. After you have received the activation code, the main panel will open. You will immediately be shown available contacts, if any. Friends who use Telegram will immediately be notified that you have registered in the messenger - this is very convenient.

In chat, you can choose from 18 wallpapers for the conversation window, and also download own image. The appearance of the chat is no different from the others. The emoticons used are the same as those you can find on VKontakte. Images are sent with a bang, geodata too, I won’t even talk about text messages. Everything works as it should. During communication, the user has access to functions such as sending photos, videos, documents and location maps. When you exit the chat, in the top blue bar, similar to VKontakte, you can find someone, add a new conversation, and also go to the main settings of the messenger.

In general, the messenger is completely similar to WhatsApp - they are practically clones. In addition, let me remind you that Facebook recently bought the cross-platform messenger WhatsApp, and lo and behold, they change the main shades, and then it will become the second Telegram. By the way, Pavel Durov’s creation is as free as the most popular WhatsApp. Available for installation on both the Android and iOS operating systems.

Hangouts (formerly Google Talk)

As the title says, this messenger was previously known to the world as Google Talk. After some time, Google began updating everything branded services and, accordingly, the messenger also fell under the “hand of updates”. Not only the name was changed, but also the design and functionality as a whole. Now Google Hangouts combines both an application for exchanging SMS messages (starting with Android 4.4 KitKat) and a cross-platform multifunctional messenger, fighting for a place in the sun with the above-mentioned competitors. Available for installation for operating systems such as Android, iOS and Windows. It is worth noting that the service is closely integrated with postal service Gmail and identifies users by “Google Mail”.

With Google Hangouts, users of the above mobile operating systems have the ability to send messages, photos, videos, create group chats, and edit participants. At the same time, owners of smartphones based on Android receive maximum functions and conveniences, because there is close integration of the messenger with other Google services, be it social Google network Plus, mapping service Google Maps, cloud storage Google data Drive and YouTube video hosting. Like all of the company's other applications and services, Hangouts does not require any Money for the purpose of payment for use or installation. All that is required from the user is Internet access.

The application interface is made in light colors, control is based on gestures. As soon as you log into the app, your conversations and SMS messages are shown to you if you use the same app for both. A swipe gesture from right to left opens the last active chat, and a reverse gesture takes you back to the list. The add function is also available there. new conversation or messages to any of your contacts and users. At the top there is a “Menu” button familiar from the Android operating system. By clicking it, an additional list of functions opens, from which: “Select status”, “Invitations”, “Do not disturb”, “Archive” (deleted messages are stored here), “Settings”, and you can also leave a review about the application and read help. It’s worth noting that there are no settings as such. There are settings for SMS messages, but as for the Hangouts messenger, you can only read about it Additional information(licenses, privacy and terms of use).

As a user of the Android operating system, I will say that the Hangouts messenger is convenient for everyday use. Personally, I use it because, in addition to it, I use other Google services and unified synchronization is important to me. In terms of usability, I won’t say anything negative; the swipe gestures are convenient, and the appearance is only pleasing to the eye. In general, the Google Hangouts messenger is quite worthy of being in today's top best - it is also competitive, cross-platform and multifunctional. Let me remind you that the application is free and also available for the iOS operating system.

Skype

Surely, users of personal computers are familiar with such a communication program as Skype. I am one of those who still use it to this day. To be honest, before Microsoft purchased Skype, I used it actively, but after the purchase, my communication with friends, both in video and audio, ceased to be constant. For mobile devices, the Skype application is a very, very good competitor to the above messengers. Let me remind you that Skype is currently owned by Microsoft.

So, from the main screen of the application on the Android operating system, you have access to functions such as recent conversations, contacts and favorites. In addition, here, with one click, the user can start a call and exchange SMS or instant messages. You will also be able to view and change your personal information and access other features and options.

As is probably already clear, in the first tab you are given a list of recent conversations or calls. By clicking on one of them, you will, accordingly, find yourself in a chat and you will have the opportunity to view the history and continue correspondence or calls. Swiping from right to left will take you to Favorites. This is where the Skype app shows you your favorite contacts. I don’t think anything special needs to be said about this. Let's go further and get into the contact list.

The Skype interface for the Android operating system is made in light white, blue and blue colors. At the bottom there is a blue block with the main application control icons. The first one is responsible for the dialer; with it you can call any contact either at your own expense or using Skype. The second icon is responsible for creating a new chat. There you will need to enter a username, and then, accordingly, write a message to him. By going back and clicking the third icon, the user will be presented with a drop-down menu with the following options: “Add Participants”, “Add Number”, “Mark All as Read”, “Settings” and “Exit”.

By going to the settings, you can find the following functions: automatic authorization, contact synchronization, notification settings, privacy, as well as voice and video calls and connecting via Skype Wi-Fi.

In chat, you can communicate in exactly the same way as in the version for the Windows operating system. From the chat, you can either write text messages using emoticons, or call the user using the corresponding button and make a video call. The emoticons are set to the usual ones - koloboks. From there, from the chat, you have access to a block with three icons, with which you can remove the user from favorites, edit a contact, open personal data, block him, and delete him.

I called my friend who used Skype for Apple tablet iPad and my Wi-Fi. I used my smartphone and the same own network Wi-Fi. I was personally satisfied with the quality of both audio calls and video calls. There is no noise, the voice is heard perfectly, the quality is at a decent level for use on the mobile Internet or a wireless network. I didn't notice any problems. I'm glad that the developers take the time to fix the errors and fix them immediately, which is why they are missing.

In general, Skype for the Android operating system is still as convenient as its version for personal computers and laptops. There is nothing superfluous, the design is bright and modern, there are many functions - no matter how you look at it, it is competitive. The app is free on the Google Play app store and you can download it right now.

Facebook Messenger

Yes, the brainchild of Mark Zuckerberg is here too. This messenger can be called a stub from the social network Facebook, because it only uses chat. You can correspond with the user both from the social network itself via the built-in chat, and from the mobile application for the Android operating system.

The application interface, I’m not afraid to say, is copied from the iOS 7 operating system. All the same eye-catching colors, rounded shapes and flat design. Undoubtedly, the design of the application, even on the Android operating system, looks like that of users of Apple mobile devices - an inconsistency, right? But okay, let's move on.

The messenger, like a bunch of others, is divided into three tabs, as if they don’t know how to do it any other way. The first is responsible for active conversations, the second for contacts and the third for basic settings. Right from the first, you can start a conversation in one click, from the second, open a chat with any user, and from the third, set up notifications and various other functions such as synchronizing contacts and receiving updates about new users.

As you may have already noticed from the screenshots, I personally didn’t like this messenger at all. Yes, there is sending of images and other files, as in other services, yes, modern design and so on, yes, this is a chat of one of the most popular social networks in the world, but no - I don’t like it. Probably, having installed it on your mobile device, it will turn out to be what you have been looking for for a long time, but this is not a fact. In any case, just as I don’t like the social network Facebook with its design and completely inconvenient functionality, the messenger is the same for me. In addition, it was as if they couldn’t come up with the design of the application on their own, but simply took and circled the brainchild of Apple. I have nothing against the iOS 7 operating system, but Facebook Messenger is not my thing. It's functional, it's part of Facebook, it may be beautiful to you, but I'm putting it last for my own reasons. As you know, there are as many opinions as there are people, so don’t judge me for my harsh criticism of this decision from the founder of Facebook.

In general, I don’t know what will happen to Facebook messenger after the purchase of WhatsApp, because then it will lose all meaning of its existence. Mark Zuckerberg may even decide to merge the two most popular instant messengers, but I don’t see any point in that either. In any case, the future of the brainchild of the Facebook founder remains a secret to everyone except himself. The network is also perplexed as to what caused the purchase of WhatsApp for a record amount of $16 billion. Finally, I will say that the application is completely free in the Google Play store and you can download and try it at any time convenient for you, and in the meantime, the last participant is waiting for you.

In contact with

Undoubtedly, VKontakte is one of the largest and most popular social networks on planet Earth. The number of users currently amounts to tens of millions of people, and this is the second most popular figure among social networks in the world.

VKontakte for mobile devices is a truly full-fledged mobile version of the social network. In the application, you have access to almost all the functionality that you can find on the official website - it’s impressive. I believe that currently the social network VKontakte and its mobile application for many operating systems are an almost perfect application for everyday communication, listening to music, watching movies, and more. Also, do not forget about messages, but even here their functionality is revealed in full force. While in a chat, you can send photos, audio recordings, videos, documents and your own geodata. The good news is that the interface is designed in the style of the site and in general the application is not cluttered with unnecessary things.

I don’t want to tell any details about the VKontakte application for mobile devices, since most of the audience of our beloved Trashbox probably uses it every day and knows every function inside and out. I’ll just say a few words: I’ve been using the brainchild of Pavel Durov (founder of VKontakte) for more than seven years and am completely satisfied with today’s vision of the social network. Yes, they removed the wall, yes, a microblog appeared - these innovations caused riots and many insults towards Pavel Durov, but now VKontakte is what it is, and I like it. The application is absolutely free and available for operating systems such as Android, iOS and Windows Phone. Cross-platform is also one of the main advantages of all messengers that support such a large number of mobile operating systems.

This is where I would like to finish today’s top of the best instant messengers for the Android operating system. Let me note right away that the choice is very wide and the functionality and features of each messenger will help you choose the one that will become your everyday companion in life. I hope that I helped you in your choice. Good luck.