Your questions, answered by Cybernews: Signal or iMessage, if I want to stay private?

If you want to keep your messages safe, which messaging app is better, Signal or iMessage? Each week, our team selects one pressing and common reader issue and deconstructs it to help you stay safe online.

As surveillance creeps into every corner of our modern lives, picking a private messaging app is becoming more important. One internet user raised a question about which private chatting platform they should choose: Signal or Apple’s iMessage.

“I’m new to the whole taking private seriously thing, so feel free to explain it like I’m five. I know that Signal seems to be the gold standard for private, secure messaging. But how wide is the gap between it and iMessage?” the Redditor wrote.

This week, the Cybernews editorial team decided to take this question and discuss which messaging platform is a better choice for privacy-conscious users.

Signal is still a golden standard for privacy

“Overall Signal IS the gold standard for private messaging, as it encrypts everything by default, and crucially doesn't store almost any metadata on its users,” said the Cybernews research team.

That’s right, all messages, calls, and shared media on Signal are end-to-end encrypted by default. This means that only the sender and recipient can access the content, and there is no backdoor for any other interested parties.

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The app is easy to use, as it works across different OSs and devices, so users can communicate regardless of their device. Signal also offers protections for unknown contacts and features like disappearing messages, giving users greater control over their chats.

“Signal's applications are open source, meaning that they can be inspected by security researchers, helping ensure that any security issues are promptly detected and fixed,” our researchers said.

iMessage is secure, but there’s a catch

Apple’s iMessage is also encrypted on devices, but according to the research team, the platform has some privacy shortcomings. For example, backups stored on iCloud are not encrypted by default, requiring users to opt in for additional protection.

“Apple collects metadata on what users are messaging whom, and at what times. This information could be used by Apple for analysis in the future, or be forwarded to law enforcement upon request,” explained Cybernews researchers.

iMessage is only available on Apple devices. The app might be a go-to option if your social circle uses Apple devices. However, it might not be so convenient if the recipient has a different device.

Messaging someone without an Apple device often defaults to unencrypted SMS or another app, which may expose conversations to risk.

iMessage is closed source, so it is very difficult for researchers to discover potential security issues. Zero-day vulnerabilities are likely to be exploited for longer before being discovered and fixed by Apple.

“The choice depends on who you’re trying to stay private from. Is it hackers, corporations, or governments? While iMessage may be sufficient for some, in most cases, Signal offers stronger privacy protections,” our researchers concluded.

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