Signal vs Telegram 2026: Which Messaging App Is Actually Private?

Signal is the only major messaging app that is truly private in 2026 — end-to-end encryption is on by default for every message, call, and file, with zero metadata stored. Telegram's standard chats are NOT end-to-end encrypted by default; only Secret Chats are, and regular cloud chats are readable by Telegram's servers. WhatsApp uses Signal's encryption protocol for message content but sends extensive metadata to Meta — who you talk to, when, how often — making it unsuitable for high-stakes privacy needs.