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Updated July 2026 · real, multi-region App Store reviews
User consensusAlternativesIs it worth it?
Better options than

Signal alternatives

Signal users often look for alternatives due to persistent bugs, issues with calls, and a lack of advanced group features. Alternatives like WhatsApp, Messenger, Marco Polo, Rakuten Viber, and Telegram offer different strengths, from reliable global communication to unique video messaging.

Why users look for alternatives to Signal

The alternatives

WhatsApp Messenger
4.7★ · 18,240,753 ratings · Free

WhatsApp Messenger is widely used for global communication, offering clear video and voice calls without latency, and reliable messaging R58. However, some users report issues with being logged out, verification limits, and receiving unwanted calls even with notifications off R53R54R61.

Better for: WhatsApp Messenger is better for users who need a globally useful app for communication with clear video and voice calls, especially for international contacts R58. It suits those who prioritize widespread adoption and consistent call quality, despite occasional login or notification issues R53R61.

Head-to-head: Signal vs WhatsApp Messenger
Messenger
4.7★ · 12,992,438 ratings · Free

Messenger provides reliable video calls and messaging, with some users enjoying games during calls R66. However, recent updates have caused issues with notifications not being received, and some users experience freezing or error messages preventing access R65R67R70.

Better for: Messenger is better for users who value video calls and enjoy interactive features like games during calls R66. It suits those who are already integrated into the Facebook ecosystem, provided they can tolerate potential notification and access bugs R65R67.

Head-to-head: Signal vs Messenger
Marco Polo
4.8★ · 2,153,550 ratings · Free

Marco Polo allows users to send video messages back and forth, enabling live interaction with friends and family R80. The app has faced criticism for moving many features, including unlimited storage and transcripts, behind a paid subscription, and for a poor notification system that alerts users when contacts are online rather than just when messages are received R79R81R82.

Better for: Marco Polo is better for users who prefer asynchronous video messaging to stay in touch with family and friends, particularly those who have moved away R80. It suits individuals who are willing to pay for premium features, as many previously free functionalities are now subscription-based R82.

Head-to-head: Signal vs Marco Polo
Rakuten Viber Messenger
4.6★ · 831,882 ratings · Free

Rakuten Viber Messenger offers excellent messaging and calling features, with good security and reliability, and users have reported using it for many years without issues R97. However, recent updates have introduced an unremovable ChatGPT integration, which many users dislike and consider a privacy concern, leading some to delete the app R93R95R96.

Better for: Rakuten Viber Messenger is better for users seeking a long-standing, reliable messaging and calling app with good security, especially for communicating with loved ones abroad R97. It suits those who are not bothered by the forced ChatGPT integration, or who value its core communication features highly enough to overlook it R96.

Head-to-head: Signal vs Rakuten Viber Messenger
Telegram Messenger
4.0★ · 274,244 ratings · Free

Telegram Messenger is praised as an amazing app, with some users considering it better than WhatsApp R111. However, it has issues with a non-functional 'Delete Account' feature, which users find disrespectful, and some report bugs like a black screen after updates or the phone heating up during use R107R109R112.

Better for: Telegram Messenger is better for users who appreciate a feature-rich messaging app that some consider superior to competitors R111. It suits those who are comfortable with potential bugs like app heating or display issues after updates, and who may not rely heavily on account deletion features R112.

Head-to-head: Signal vs Telegram Messenger
Stick with Signal if

You should stick with Signal if you prioritize strong privacy and security features above all else, as users consistently praise it for being secure and safe . It's also a good choice if you appreciate its ease of use for private messaging and its new backup feature R44.

Evidence note: No alternative had too few reviews to judge.

Frequently asked

Why do people switch from Signal?
People switch from Signal due to persistent bugs, such as messages not delivering and app crashes R4R22, issues with account recovery and login after changing devices R6, unreliable calling features R9R25, and a lack of advanced group management tools R10R15.
Is Signal good for group chats?
Signal is considered okay for general group collaboration, with some users finding it a go-to app for this purpose R41. However, many users desire better group messaging features, specifically mentioning the need for @everyone or @all tags to minimize notifications and better admin tools for managing members R10R15.
Does Signal have video calls?
Yes, Signal has video calling features, and some users find the audio and video quality to be pretty good R44. However, some users report that the app can be glitchy in terms of receiving messages, which could impact the overall calling experience R21.
What are common Signal bugs?
Common Signal bugs include the app constantly asking for a PIN R3, persistent requests for contacts R4, issues with video recording requiring the button to be held down R7, calls being spotty or not connecting R9R25, messages not delivering or being delayed R22, and problems with account transfer keys not working on new phones .

What reviewers actually said

Built only from these 120 real reviews (foreign ones translated). Superscripts jump to the quote here. Apple has no per-review links, so [ref] opens that app's reviews on the App Store.

  1. [R4] Signal 2/5 · US Stop asking for my contacts. Also bugs.: “Privacy minded” yet won’t stop asking for my contacts. What do you need my contacts for huh? Why are you so insistent on me handing over my contacts huh? Huh? Huh? Huh? Huh? Huh? Huuuuuuuuuuuuuh? Why do you keep asking huh? I said no. Do you know what “no” means? It means no for now and no forever. New update is buggy and makes the app cumbersome to use. S
  2. [R21] Signal 3/5 · US I use for video calling with people from dating apps before dates: It’s nice because you can video call people from dating apps like hinge to get to know them better, without having to exchange numbers with a complete stranger. That’s what I use it for. But it is a very glitchy app in terms of receiving messages. Sometimes I won’t get them.
  3. [R22] Signal 1/5 · US Pronto desinstalaré: No me a gustado. Esperaré unas apruebas más mando mensaje y no las entrega 2 a 3. Horas después mando otro mensaje y veo que aún no a entregado el primer msaje también llamo y llamo no entrega el msaje ni llamada asta que la otra persona se conecte a signal de ahí llegan los msaje y llamadas perdidas. Está app no va a funcionar Esto lo desinstalo más después si sigue sin fu
  4. [R25] Signal 1/5 · US Report: You need to help make a steady call without the connection cutting out.
  5. [R3] Signal 3/5 · US Constant Asking for pin: the asking for pin dropdown never goes away.
  6. [R6] Signal 3/5 · US Outrageous!!!!: I think it’s stupid that in the app after you get a new number they just want you to reconfirm your old number like it’s gonna work or something. Like dude obviously I’m not gonna be able to access my old number due to it being a old number that a no longer have so why would you try to confirm that and then give no way out every time I open the app I’m literally loosing messages t
  7. [R16] Signal 2/5 · US Unable to log in via SMS where Signal is blocked / Request for email authentication: Dear Developers, Please consider adding an email login option. In countries where Signal is blocked, it is impossible to log in via SMS because the verification codes simply do not arrive. As a result, users cannot access their accounts after switching to a new device. Right now, I am locked out of my account, whi
  8. [R9] Signal 3/5 · US Good for messaging bad for calls: I love the privacy features overall for the app and it works great if you’re messaging others but the calling is spotty. Sometimes the calls go through and sometimes it acts like they are going through but the other person isn’t actually being contacted at all. This happens a little too often.
  9. [R44] Signal 5/5 · US Review: I am not what you call technologically savvy, but this is fun and easy. The audio and video are pretty good too. Our friend recommended it to me and I’m glad he did. Thank you.
  10. [R10] Signal 1/5 · US Really need better group messaging: Please add @everyone or @all tags to group chat. Many want to minimize notifications unless it’s important! Tagging every member isn’t feasible/possible.
  11. [R15] Signal 3/5 · US More tools please!: Need more tools, need to be better than WhatsApp! More group ADMIN tools, I’m not able to cleanup my groups when people are no longer working with us.
  12. [R1] Signal 1/5 · US Fake and good to scam people: Fake as hell fake people fake everything
  13. [R12] Signal 3/5 · US Signal: This is an okay app but all people literally do is ask you for money on here is is absolutely ridiculous
  14. [R19] Signal 1/5 · US To much scammers: Lots of scammers here
  15. [R30] Signal 3/5 · GB Please get this sorted: I have signal but it’s completely unusable I’ve been added to 300+ groups by randoms -I can’t turn this off- and also I tried leaving groups but my phone was bugging out from the amount of texts from All the groups please add a button that just deletes any group you didn’t join
  16. [R18] Signal 3/5 · US Attachment limits still for 5 chats only?: All other app functions work extremely well; however, how, after being available and in service this whole time with improvements and updates, is the chat limit for attachments still restricted to only five chats? If I want to send to nine people, have to send to five then separately to the other four. Hoping the next update rectifies this longstanding di
  17. [R24] Signal 3/5 · US Good: But one must tell whether someone is online or not.
  18. [R53] WhatsApp Messenger 3/5 · US WhatsApp: WhatsApp keep logging me out and when they add me back it repeats…
  19. [R54] WhatsApp Messenger 1/5 · US The login methods are not comprehensive. The first time, it limits your verification code attempts, making it easy to get banned. Also, even if you pass the review today, they'll review it again tomorrow. It's like an asexual cycle of needing reviews. Their customer service is like a bot; they can't give you any solutions. It's trash. · translated
  20. [R58] WhatsApp Messenger 5/5 · US Globally useful app: With good internet, communication can be done everywhere. Clear video, clear voice, no latency, no choppy audio.
  21. [R61] WhatsApp Messenger 1/5 · US Whatsapp calls: I keep receiving whatsapp calls even if i turned off notifications in my iphone 16 pro max
  22. [R65] Messenger 1/5 · US NOT RECEIVING NOTIFICATIONS: Since the most recent update, I’m not getting notified of new messages. I’ve turned off my notifications in the app in the Settings app and turn them back on. I’ve restarted my phone deleted the app and reinstalled it and still I’m not getting notified when I get new messages. I have to open the app and check manually This is caused me to miss out on potential sales on
  23. [R66] Messenger 4/5 · US good: i like the games you can play while on call. I dont like that you cant play the games unless you’re on the call.
  24. [R67] Messenger 3/5 · US Couldn’t have access bruh: I mean the app is useful but one time I had to restart the app for something and kept getting error messages like the page isn’t available we are trying to fix it or a weird error message. I haven’t called my cousins in days and I still have the same error :( Can you please fix this?
  25. [R70] Messenger 3/5 · US What happened to the messenger? It constantly kicks me out of the app and I can't log back in. It suggests logging in, logging out, or switching to another profile. Why? I can't log in or out! The buttons are inactive, and I can't log in or out. Not on my phone, not on my tablet. I can only get in after waiting an hour or two. This never used to happen. · translated
  26. [R79] Marco Polo 2/5 · US Terrible notification system: No, I don’t want to be notified in the middle of the day that I’m all caught up. No, I don’t want to know when my contact is online. I just want to know when I receive a message. Thanks to Marco Polo’s extremely limited notification settings, that’s not a possibility.
  27. [R80] Marco Polo 5/5 · US Communicating: It’s so nice to send these back and forth to family
  28. [R81] Marco Polo 3/5 · US Notifications needs attention: The app will notify you anytime your friends are online. This is way too often, and there’s not a specific setting to turn it off. It’s miserable. So I’ve had to just disable notifications entirely - I review polos whenever now. My friends are adjusting lol
  29. [R82] Marco Polo 1/5 · US Buns: Will literally delete everything if you don’t pay for it
  30. [R93] Rakuten Viber Messenger 1/5 · US stop chatgpt: stop chatgpt . if you dont stop i will law suit viber company on usa.
  31. [R95] Rakuten Viber Messenger 3/5 · US Deleted Viber just now: With the new update it would not open anymore without agreeing to all terms and entering new info. I deleted it. Not a big loss. There are other apps that do better.
  32. [R96] Rakuten Viber Messenger 1/5 · US Pushes ChatGPT in users' faces: As long as an unremovable chat with a synthetic text extruding machine will be in my chat list, this app will be getting one star from me. Developers have the gall to respond to other users who also don't want ChatGPT shoved in their faces by highlighting an incredible "feature", that using this is optional. Apparently, the baseline is that we should be grateful it
  33. [R97] Rakuten Viber Messenger 5/5 · US Best Messaging App: Have been using Viber app for many years and still no errors no issues ever encountered using it
  34. [R107] Telegram Messenger 2/5 · US Bug: Dear Telegram Team, I would like to suggest a feature that I believe would significantly improve Telegram’s usability. Currently, when selecting messages in a chat, there is no “Select All” option. As a result, users who want to forward an entire conversation to Saved Messages or another chat must manually select every message, which becomes nearly impossible for long conversations containi
  35. [R109] Telegram Messenger 3/5 · US Payment: Why can’t I get into my account after logging out? It’s asking for payment why?
  36. [R111] Telegram Messenger 5/5 · US Better then whatsapp: This app is amazing. 5 star is less
  37. [R112] Telegram Messenger 3/5 · US Black screen after update: App is decent but since the latest update whenever I open the app it’s a black screen. On the rare occasion it actually doesn’t go black screen
  38. [R41] Signal 5/5 · US Collaboration Solution!: Signal is my go-to app for group collaboration. The features make it superior to all the others I’ve used.
  39. [R7] Signal 2/5 · US Video recording?: So from what I can figure out, I need to hold the button down for the video to record? That’s not helpful.

Synthesized from 120 recent App Store reviews · updated July 2026 · View on the App Store