Navigating the privacy minefield that is today’s internet can be a challenge.
With cybersecurity incidents like the Equifax hack and state-sponsored targeting of U.S. companies appearing so frequently in the news, you should actively monitor your digital footprint.
To protect our phones and other personal devices, the following app recommendations should help you sleep easier at night, comfortable knowing your privacy is guarded.
Jump to…
Signal
DuckDuckGo
ExpressVPN
2ndLine
ProtonMail
LastPass
Bouncer
Bitwarden Password Manager
Privacy Bee
Hushed
Smart AppLock
Glasswire
Telegram
Notesnook
Authy Authenticator
Tips for protecting your privacy on apps
FAQ: About apps for privacy
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1. Signal
| Type | Messaging |
| Price | Free |
| Supported devices | Android, iOS, macOS, Linux, Windows |
| Website | https://signal.org/ |
| Rating in App Store | 4.5/5 |
| Rating in Google Play Store | 4.8/5 |
Signal’s surged to the top of the app store rankings lately, thanks to WhatsApp’s privacy policy update stipulating that user data is shared with its parent company, Facebook.
So if you’ve ever needed a reason to switch to a more secure messaging app, this is probably it.
Signal uses its own protocol for end-to-end encryption across voice calls, video calls, and instant messages. The technology is open source, meaning the code can be audited by cybersecurity professionals. What’s more, Signal uses a unique device safety number to ensure that your messages and calls are actually reaching their intended recipient.
Users also have the option to secure the app with a PIN code and send self-destructing messages.
Download Signal for all your devices
2. DuckDuckGo
| Type | Internet search engine |
| Price | Free |
| Supported devices | Chrome extension, Android, and iOS |
| Website | https://duckduckgo.com/ |
| Rating in App Store | 4.9/5 |
| Rating in Google Play Store | 4.7/5 |
Google is worth hundreds of billions of dollars mostly because it holds a vast trove of data. It tracks your every move: what sites you click on, what things you buy online, and where you log on to the internet from.
DuckDuckGo is a privacy-focused alternative. It doesn’t store any user data, IP addresses, or personal information. And there’s no advertising. Moreover, it forces websites to use an encrypted connection.
You can download the DuckDuckGo browser (as an alternative to Chrome) or navigate to duckduckgo.com for search queries.
Download DuckDuckGo for all your devices
3. ExpressVPN
| Type | Virtual private network |
| Supported devices | Android, iOS, macOS, Linux, Windows, browser extensions |
| Website | https://www.expressvpn.com/ |
| Rating in App Store | 4.7/5 |
| Rating in Google Play Store | 4.2/5 |
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) should be your go-to app to encrypt all internet traffic flowing to and from your device. It’s necessary when you consider that you might connect to poorly secured Wi-Fi networks or fork over financial information through unsecured sites.
VPNs are an excellent method to cover your digital footprint and port your location to different parts of the world for streaming sports and unblocking streaming media sites.
Download ExpressVPN for all your devices
4. 2ndLine
| Type | Telecommunications |
| Price | 5.99 USD a week |
| Supported devices | Android |
| Website | https://www.2ndline.co/ |
| Rating in Google Play Store | 3.5/5 |
If you’re self-employed or freelancing, you need to build out your network. However, handing out your personal cell phone number can leave you inundated by follow-up calls.
2ndLine gives you an alternate phone number for business calls or when you want to keep your personal number private.
Download 2ndLine for Android
5. ProtonMail
| Type | |
| Price | Free with up to 1GB total storage, 150 messages a day, and access to Proton Calendar Drive, and VPN. |
| Supported devices | Android, iOS, browser extensions |
| Website | https://proton.me/ |
| Rating in App Store | 4/5 |
| Rating in Google Play Store | 4.3/5 |
Google’s data mining doesn’t just extend to search. Gmail also has algorithms at work, establishing a metadata profile to serve you more targeted advertisements.
If you aren’t a fan of metadata profiles, then it’s worthwhile to shift to ProtonMail, a far more secure alternative to Gmail.
Like Gmail, ProtonMail is free to use. But that’s where the similarities end. You don’t need any personal information to sign up. All email is end-to-end encrypted, which means the company can’t decipher the content of your messages.
ProtonMail is incorporated in Switzerland and therefore has to operate within the confines of the country’s rigid privacy laws.
Founded in 2013 by scientists at CERN, ProtonMail offers password-protected emails and a self-destruct option. It’s also open source, so anyone can audit the code if they wish.
Download ProtonMail
6. LastPass
| Type | Password manager |
| Price | Free with premium plans available |
| Supported devices | Android, iOS, Windows, MacOS, browser extensions |
| Website | https://www.lastpass.com/ |
| Rating in App Store | 4.5/5 |
| Rating in Google Play Store | 3.8/5 |
We tend to use the same password or similar ones, across all the apps and sites we access—it’s just easier. But this habit puts you just one hack away from identity theft.
With password manager LastPass you can use long, random passwords that are all different while keeping them safely squirreled away in one place. You can also use it to save other data points such as driver’s license information, social security numbers, credit cards, and bank account details.
It also doubles up as a password generator, meaning you don’t have to come up with new ones on your own frequently.
Download Lastpass
7. Bouncer
| Type | Permissions |
| Price | 2.98 USD |
| Supported devices | Android |
| Rating in Google Play Store | 4.3/5 |
We’re so used to automatically granting all app permissions that we tend to forget how comprehensive some of these can be.
Bouncer helps mitigate this potential privacy oversight: The app can toggle permissions on your behalf, preventing apps from accessing more data than they need.
Let’s say you want to tweet a picture of your beach vacation, but you’ve disabled camera settings on the Twitter app. Bouncer will help you access it and automatically turn it off after a predetermined time.
And you can use it on a wide range of apps.
Download Bouncer for all your devices
8. Bitwarden Password Manager
| Type | Password manager |
| Price | Free |
| Supported devices | Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Website | https://bitwarden.com/ |
| Rating in App Store | 4.7/5 |
| Rating in Google Play Store | 4.6/5 |
When LastPass announced that it was going to be limiting the number of devices users were allowed to sync their passwords on with a free account, Bitwarden became the de facto free password manager. Unlike LastPass, Bitwarden lets users sync passwords across unlimited devices for free. There’s also a premium option if users want more features like 1 GB of encrypted file attachments and secure login via Yubikey, U2F, and Duo.
Download Bitwarden Password Manager for all your devices
9. Privacy Bee
| Type | Data removal software |
| Price | 197 USD/a year |
| Website | https://privacybee.com/ |
Privacy Bee is a browser extension that lets users run risk assessments for different types of online accounts, removing a user’s data from data aggregators. Privacy Bee also blocks trackers, monitors for data breaches, and removes you from marketing databases. According to its CEO, this app is popular with politicians, A-list celebrities, and top athletes.
10. Hushed
| Type | Telecommunications |
| Price | Starts at 1.99 USD |
| Supported devices | Android and iOS |
| Website | https://hushed.com/ |
| Rating in App Store | 4.6/5 |
| Rating in Google Play Store | 3.9/5 |
Hushed is a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) that allows users to make Wi-Fi and data calls and send text messages using a temporary secondary number. Starting at just 1.99 USD for a prepaid plan that allows you to make calls and send text messages, Hushed is an affordable option for those looking for a secondary number.
Download Hushed
11. Smart AppLock
| Type | App lock |
| Price | Free |
| Supported devices | Android |
| Rating in Google Play Store | 4.7/5 |
Smart AppLock enables Android users to lock apps like their photo gallery, call logs and social media apps that they usually can’t do from the prying eyes of others. The app will also take screenshots of anyone who tries to unlock their phone with the wrong passcode. Its simple and easy-to-use interface makes it a hit with Android users.
Download Smart AppLock for Android
12. Glasswire
| Type | Firewall |
| Price | From 39 USD |
| Supported devices | Android and Windows |
| Website | https://www.glasswire.com/ |
| Rating in Google Play Store | 4.5/5 |
While most devices these days have in-built firewall protection, Glasswire gives Android and Windows users an added security layer. Glasswire also detects spyware and malware and monitors bandwidth hogs by apps and other software. Through the Glasswire dashboard, users can see their PC and smartphone’s activity and view how different apps are using internet data with beautiful data visualization graphs. Currently, Glasswire is available only for Android and Windows, but a macOS version is on the way.
Download Glassware for all your devices
13. Telegram
| Type | Telecommunications |
| Price | Free with a premium model |
| Supported devices | Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux |
| Website | https://telegram.org/ |
| Rating in App Store | 4.2/5 |
| Rating in Google Play Store | 4.4/5 |
Similar to Signal, Telegram is a messaging app that encrypts chats and calls. Built by brothers Nikolai and Pavel Durov, who built VK, Telegram gained popularity for its ability to create huge chat groups. Protestors in Ukraine and other countries have been using the app to organize events. Telegram also has a ‘Secret Chat’ function that allows users to create self-destructing messages and securely send photos and videos.
Download Telegram for all your devices
14. Notesnook
| Type | Notes app |
| Price | Free with basic features and a premium plan |
| Supported devices | Android, iOS, macOS, Windows, Linux, browser extensions |
| Website | https://notesnook.com/ |
| Rating in App Store | 4.7/5 |
| Rating in Google Play Store | 4.4/5 |
Notesnook is a note-taking app that offers end-to-end encryption across multiple devices. While default apps like Notes on iOS and macOS are great, they don’t offer the same security and protection level as Notesnook. There’s also a premium version of the app that lets you store images on the app.
Download Notesnook for all your devices
15. Authy Authenticator
| Type | Authentication |
| Price | Free for the Starter tier with plans starting at 0.99 USD a month |
| Supported devices | Android, iOS, Mac, Windows, and Linux |
| Website | https://authy.com/ |
| Rating in App Store | 4.7/5 |
| Rating in Google Play Store | 4.6/5 |
Authy is a two-factor authentication app that helps add an additional layer of protection to the login process. The service was acquired by San Francisco-based communications tech company Twilio. Authy has been used by over 6,000 websites such as Coinbase, CloudFlare, and MercadoLibre to make the login process of these websites more secure.
Download Authy for all your devices
Tips for protecting your privacy on apps
While downloading privacy-friendly apps is a great idea, there are ways to protect your privacy while using other apps:
Before You Install an App
- Always download apps from the official app stores. Official app stores like the Google Play Store and Apple’s App Store have stringent requirements that protect users from potentially malicious apps.
- Find out what sort of information the app will be able to access. Before downloading an app, read the reviews and see if you can spot anything suspicious about the app.
- Check out the permissions. Ensure that the permissions requested by the app make sense and check if it might share information with external parties.
Your Privacy on Apps You Already Have
- Review the app’s permissions. With each new update, have a look at the app’s permissions and see if it makes sense for the app to require access to certain features on your device.
- Limit location permissions. Where possible, try to limit the sort of information apps can collect from you, this includes location data, photos, and calendar information.
- Don’t automatically sign up for apps with a social network account. This helps to limit the sort of information that an app can collect about you.
- Always keep apps updated. Outdated apps could possess security flaws that give hackers loopholes to install and distribute malicious software.
- Delete apps you don’t need. Create space on your phone by removing certain apps you no longer use.
FAQ: About apps for privacy
What apps should not be on my phone?
Outdated apps, bloatware, and apps you no longer use should not be on your phone. These apps take up precious memory space on your phone and, if left outdated, might subject your device to unfixed vulnerabilities.
Who can see what I do on my phone?
Your ISP, the government, Wi-Fi administrators, and certain search engines might be able to see what you do on your phone. Spyware apps too can track what you’re doing. Using a VPN can help reduce the visibility of your network activity.
Can I tell if my phone is being monitored?
Common ways to tell if your phone is being monitored are overheating of your device, sudden battery drains, and random reboots of your phone.
What is an app privacy report?
Created by Apple, the App Privacy Report gives iPhone and iPad users better visibility of how apps use privacy permissions and network activity on their devices.
To enable App Privacy Report, head to Settings > Privacy > App Privacy Report and click on turn on.
Where are privacy settings on iPhone?
Privacy settings on your iPhone can be found through Settings > Privacy.
Do apps collect personal data?
Yes, if you’ve downloaded an app and provided personal information like your name, email, and contact details, it’s likely that this data is stored in the app’s servers.
How to change microphone privacy settings for apps?
On your Android device:
Tap on Apps > Permissions
Look for Microphone permissions and tap Allow or Don’t allow
On your iPhone or iPad:
Open Settings > Privacy
Tap on Microphone and toggle access per app
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Comments
I have read your blog which was on how to protect data in an android app. As an Android app developer, it is essential to prioritize the security of user data. Here are some security measures you can take to protect user data in your Android app:
1.Data encryption
2.Secure network communication
3.Use authentication and authorization mechanisms
4.Implement proper session management
5.Store user data securely
These are some points which I thought to include in your article. Readers, If you want to develop your mobile app you can take free consultation from companies like Alakmalak technology. They will never let you down.
I like the posts about what apps permissions to watch out for and what apps to steer clear of altogether, and especially those that give you specific instructions to turn off what and where. But, I’ve yet to come across posts that tell you what to do in the case of those apps that block you from turning off those aforementioned permissions! I’ve assumed by mental default to opt for deletion and or uninstallation, but what then of the typically biggest offenders, bloatware and preinstalled carrier apps? These are historically the most egregious and typically the ones with Big-Corp connections and so purposely meant to be impossible to get rid of or limit their violations of basic privacy? I’ve always said and don’t understand why it’s not a “thing”, but if they are using our data and our actions and our locations, why pray tell cannot we get in on the profiteering from such, it “is” our information after all. I can’t see any judge or attorney of clerk not wanting a decent paycheck each month! Sure it would be madness to track every single usage of said persons info, but in reality it’s what computers do best. But you know this is where they are going to whine and lament the courts for the impossible and costly task, so simply have at the ready a aggregate (Like they so love to throw at us) means of averaging each users level of usage and so level of pay! They’ve had this free ride way too long and it’s time for some “pay-back”! Who couldn’t use a nice little bump per month in the bill-paying area, where they all to often jack us right out of our hard-earned money yet again?
It just lately feels like, with every god-forsaken company jacking prices for no other reason than they can with impunity, it’s time for some “What comes around, goes around”! And who knows with a sizable threat like this on the table, maybe just maybe we might get a little privacy entree tossed our way in some sort of back-room legal-shmeegle shenanigans that seems to strip more of our rights every year! Closed mouths don’t get fed, as the saying goes…
Hi Osman. Your list should include an email forwarding service like ManyMe.com that makes it simple to use aliases to protect the privacy of one’s personal address and disaggregate one’s online activity, while also adding significant security advantages.
Kaspersky!? Number 1 in the list ? We laughed all day! This kgb #itch or $lut (doesn’t matter in our context), he laying under you know who and which hands he is licking , seriously?
Not recommend, standard windows antivirus is enough. To check the system Dr. web once in 10 years. That’s all!
Strange position.
Recently, the CEO of Duck Duck Go stated that even though they don’t store any user’s data, they do pass it on to other companies (which he did not state who those companies were.
It would be helpful if there was an article listing apps to stay away from or apps that are not very private.
Since Signal has announced that they are dropping SMS/MMS support on Android, which app would you recommend for SMS/MMS? Signal is good for encrypted messages within Signal but most people do not use Signal. For those who understand the limitations of SMS/MMS what would you recommend in addition to Signal?
What about ProtonVPN ?
You recommend ProtonMail , but why not ProtonVPN?
Because it’s competition. Both are very good and secure, I’m switching between them both and the upside of ExpressVPN is the speed but seems like ProtonVPN is doing its job well too.
Was on TikTok watching Live broadcasts without getting noticed of using VPN etc. Both are good VPN’s.
“If you use Gmail, rest assured that algorithms are at work, establishing a metadata profile to serve you more targeted advertisements.”
That is IF you haven’t accessed your Google online account and “paused” all of your activities, location, etc. I did that four years ago and I don’t get ANY ads. Also, I turned off
on both my PC and smartphone since 2014.
Brave internet browser does an excellent job of blocking ads, trackers, AND fingerprinting too.
LOVE my ExprexxVPN!
Have you noticed with the rise of more folks doing just this, myself included religiously, they have now instituted this new harassing you for your back-up email and phone number and to verify this data and enter that info with every sign-in. Shameless feeding of the Goliath they have all become enslaved to for creating! I just know somewhere in those anti-trust monopolistic thing-a-ma-bobs, they didn’t intend Google to be in competition with a 5th-grader’s cataloging his classmates by name and address without a privacy violation in sight!
Anyone remember “how” google got the green light to rape us our info with impunity? The court case about the criminal’s personal info on company letterhead being enough to say it isn’t “his” info because it was acquired “on the clock”? It’s a far cry from a company demanding you pen your acceptance to every evil under the sun in order to “use” said companies offerings! Now they’ve gone and embedded these damn things into a necessity for life to move forward and hasn’t it just gotten to be really too much? Has the age old promise of “Computers are going to make our lives so much easier” been proven to be the “lie of all ages”
sufficiently to call “foul” and get rid of the whole bunch of it from everyday life so we can all just breath again? Sure it has it’s uses and place for it’s insanely restricting hell to pay if violated, but not in everyone’s everyday life! Isn’t it just gone on and to such extremes long enough to call it what it is, pure and unadulterated slavery of the newest and most insidious kind? I think so, I’m old enough to remember how life used to be, how much nicer, calmer and actually social it once was! People used to actually know and talk to their neighbors, one parent was sufficient to support a family and their was another to actually tend to raising young people to resemble older ones in some recognizable way! TV and Radio were completely free and so competing whatever had a level playing field for the most part! I can’t help but wonder what companies like Google have in mind when they think of their own end result in relation to people of the world? If you take their track record into consideration, and in-context, it’s very clear they’re running the “Pinky & The Brain” gambit and looking to “take over the world” by hook or crook and they don’t really care which, only that we agree to their terms and they make insane profits from doing so!
Pardon my “rant-disguised-as-answer” but is it just me? I’m of the mind it’s seriously not, and so what’s to be done? How long are we to put up with this enforced “agreed-to” abuse? I could be perfectly happy if every cell phone and computer were eliminated and we got back to actually living our lives as intended! This little financial side-road has gone just a bit off the rails and needs some serious re-aligning with reality. I mean, double-digit trillions in debt and these digital monsters pay zero in taxes each year? While the masses are driven into poverty and yet expected to pay for it all? Oh yeah , that’s sustainable, lol!
What do they do once they have all the money and all the power? The greed is infinite, yet the money and power are so very finite! Where are they going to pull the rabbits out of when they have it all?
Okay, done…