Top 10 Secure Messengers for Eastern Europe

2026. Discord enabled video call end-to-end encryption by default



Discord has enabled end-to-end encryption of voice and video calls for all users. End-to-end encryption means Discord users can now communicate privately, and no one, not even Discord, can eavesdrop on their conversations. Discord launched end-to-end encryption for voice and video calls in 2024, but it had to be enabled separately, and many users forgot to do it. This news contrasts sharply with a general trend this year. Recently, social media giant Meta disabled end-to-end encryption for Instagram messages. TikTok also announced it would no longer use end-to-end encryption for user messages after becoming a US company. Discord is often used by project teams for quick collaboration, so this news is also important for business users.


2025. Viber improved chats between businesses and clients



Viber has launched new free features to help small businesses communicate with customers and promote their services more effectively. All customer chats will now be stored in a separate folder, allowing businesses to easily track inquiries and respond promptly. Chats initiated through QR codes, links, or business searches will automatically appear in the "Clients" folder. Businesses can also now allow customers to call them directly on Viber, even if the owner's phone number is not listed. During a call, only the company name and logo are displayed. Additionally, businesses can select two categories for their profile that best describe their products or services. This makes it easier for customers to find businesses in Viber search. Search results are adapted to the user's location, showing only businesses located in the same country and city. And with the "Local Search" feature, results are refined to a specific area or locality.


2025. Elon Musk launched secure messenger XChat.



Elon Musk has unveiled XChat - messenger, which is essentially an additional feature for messaging between X/Twitter users. It is already available to paid users. The messenger's interface and functionality are similar to apps like WhatsApp or Telegram. Key features include disappearing messages, Bitcoin-style end-to-end encryption, file transfers, and phone-free video calls. According to Musk, the messenger is the most secure because it uses "Bitcoin-style encryption." However, no one yet understands what this means, apparently including Musk himself.

2025. WhatsApp now offers super-private chats protected from forwarding, downloading and AI



WhatsApp has added a new feature to protect sensitive conversations: "Enhanced Chat Privacy." Typically, when a user shares media files via WhatsApp, they can automatically be saved to the other person's phone gallery if the appropriate setting is enabled. The update will give senders the ability to disable this feature for their messages. This means that when sending a personal photo, users can be confident that the photo will not be saved to someone else's device without their explicit consent. This option can be activated by enabling "Enhanced Privacy" mode in the conversation settings. Additionally, this feature blocks automatic downloading of media files to the device's memory, chat export, and the use of artificial intelligence (AI) features for messages.


2024. Discord added end-to-end encryption to voice and video chats



Discord, one of the world's most popular group chat platforms (also frequently used by IT companies), announced that audio and video calls on the platform will now be protected by end-to-end encryption (E2EE). This means that even Discord won't be able to see what users are saying in these calls. However, while audio and video calls will be end-to-end encrypted, regular messages in Discord chats will still be subject to moderation and will not be protected. Discord spokesperson Kellyn Sloan said the company currently has no plans to implement encryption in other channels, such as private messages or group chats.


2024. WhatsApp gets major redesign for iPhone and Android



WhatsApp has rolled out a major redesign of its messenger for Android and iPhone (the desktop version remains unchanged). Now, the iOS and Android versions of the messenger look identical. The search icon at the top of the home screen has been replaced by a full header. It allows you to search for messages and files in chats. New animations have been added, and the icons in the "Settings" section have been updated. The dark theme on Android now has more contrast. A new navigation bar has been added to Android. On iOS, the interface for sending photos, videos, and documents has been updated.


2024. Signal now allows to hide your phone number



Signal is introducing a new privacy option. You can now hide your phone number so that strangers won't see it in chats, private messages, and calls. Only your photo (if available) and @name are visible. Only people who have it saved in their contacts will be able to see your number, but this can be restricted in the settings. To make your number invisible, you need to create a unique username. This is not your profile name; others won't see it. It's necessary so that people can contact your account with a hidden number. You can change your unique username multiple times. You can also generate a QR code or link that will direct people to your account. However, your phone number will still be required to register in the app.


2023. Facebook Messenger is finally adding default end-to-end encryption



In a move that feels almost as overdue as a towel in space, Facebook Messenger is flipping the switch on end-to-end encryption as the default for all personal messages and calls, which is, frankly, quite a big deal for anyone who’s fond of a little privacy in the wild digital universe. Messenger originally toyed with this feature back in 2016, but only for those who could be bothered to opt in. Fast forward to today, after some thoroughly tested tinkering, Meta (the great and mysterious entity behind it all) is ready to roll this out to everyone, ensuring that your conversations—whether typed or uttered—are tucked safely out of sight, even from Meta itself. But don't get too cozy with large group chats just yet, as conversations with more than two people will have to wait their turn for this extra bit of cosmic privacy.


2021. Zadarma implemented integration with Microsoft Teams



Zadarma telephony service has introduced official and free integration with the popular Microsoft Teams platform. Microsoft Teams offers a comprehensive suite of tools, including chat, video conferencing, and the ability to create notes and attachments. One of the system's key advantages is that participants can be divided into departments and groups, and meetings and calls can be held with the click of a button. The integration will combine Zadarma telephony with the convenience of Teams into a single ecosystem, meaning you can call clients directly from the MS Teams interface, configure call routing for your organization in Teams, customize voice menus and additional features in MS Teams, receive recordings of your calls by email or listen to them in the Zadarma interface, transcribe all conversations into text, and analyze calls using 50+ parameters.


2021. Facebook Messenger Adds Encryption for Audio and Video Calls



Facebook Messenger has expanded its E2EE encryption option to audio and video calls. E2EE (End-to-end encryption) is end-to-end encryption, meaning only users participating in the conversation have access to messages. This encryption has been available in Messenger for text chats since 2016. The company faced pressure from US law enforcement agencies not to encrypt calls. However, call encryption has gradually become the standard and is already available in the company's other messenger, WhatsApp, so progress has not been stopped. However, there is one detail: encryption will not work until both users tick the appropriate box in the settings. Encryption will not be enabled automatically for everyone.


2021. Microsoft is shutting down Skype for Business



Microsoft has shut down the online version of its corporate instant messaging app, Skype for Business (formerly Lync). It has been replaced by Microsoft Teams. The shutdown of the corporate version won't affect regular Skype for now, but Microsoft released a completely free consumer version of Teams back in April 2021. There's also a server (on-premises) version, Skype for Business Server, a unified communications system that continues to be used by many companies. It's already known that Microsoft will stop supporting/updating it in 2025, although there have been no announcements yet about a server version of Teams.


2021. Amazon acquired secure enterprise messaging app Wickr



Amazon Web Services, has acquired Wickr, a startup developing a secure messaging app for businesses. It is said to be the only messenger that meets the NSA's security criteria. It supports video calling, video conferencing, file transfer, and integration with corporate systems. Installation on a private server on a local network or use as a SaaS service are possible. Amazon has had its own messenger, Chime, for several years, but it failed to gain much popularity in competition with Slack and Microsoft Teams. Amazon is likely now focusing on increased security.


2020. Slack now allows calls to Microsoft Teams



People once believed that all messaging apps would merge into a single network, allowing their users to communicate with each other. But messaging providers have always carefully guarded their boundaries. Therefore, it's surprising that Slack (perhaps riding the wave of global unity against the coronavirus) added the ability to make audio calls to its rival system, Microsoft Teams. During a call, you can see the names of Teams participants. Slack users also now have the ability to use IP telephony services such as Zoom, Cisco Jabber, RingCentral, and Dialpad to call mobile numbers from the app.


2019. Microsoft Teams adapted for out-of-office workers



Group messaging apps like Slack and Microsoft Teams are typically used by office workers. But Microsoft thought it would be great to bring their messaging app to frontline workers (e.g., salespeople, doctors, technicians, and drivers). They've added several useful features: the ability to share their current location, take photos within Teams and send them over a secure connection, and record audio. For example, after a customer visit, a service technician can map the visit and record the results as an audio report. The system also now includes an API for integration with corporate HR systems.


2018. MyChat 7.0 - interface redesign and screen sharing over the network



The new version of the local network chat server, MyChat 7.0, has received a complete redesign. The program features a flat interface "à la Windows 10," flat icons in a unified style, larger fonts, and simplifications for a more comfortable and simple user experience. Version 7.0 also introduces a cool new tool: "Screen Sharing." It functions like a regular voice call plus screen sharing of your desktop, similar to Skype. It works on both local networks and the internet, on Windows, Mac, and Linux. Access to this tool is flexibly configured through a system of user group permissions and restrictions on the server.


2018. Cisco Jabber now supports multi-line architecture



Cisco has added multi-line support to Cisco Jabber 12, its unified communications client for instant messaging and presence. Users can now switch between up to eight phone lines on their softphone and access contact lists even when instant messaging is disabled. Cisco has also integrated Jabber with Android Auto devices, allowing Android users to listen to instant messages in the car and respond to them using voice-to-text input. The release of Jabber 12 underscores the company's continued commitment to supporting client solutions for on-premises deployments, even as it advances its cloud-based team collaboration platform, Cisco Spark. Currently, more than 50 million users use Cisco Jabber, primarily in conjunction with on-premises deployments of Cisco Unified Communications Manager.


2016. Facebook Messenger adds end-to-end encryption



Facebook Messenger chats can now be secure with the help of new feature - "secret conversations". Once you have enabled Secret Conversations, Messenger will encrypt conversations, preventing any unauthorized party from decoding your chats.  In addition to texts and photos, Facebook has put the encryption layer on stickers as well, but videos and GIFs are not included. Furthermore, the feature doesn't work for group chats, and it needs to be turned on for each individual conversation.  Facebook is also offering users Snapchat-like ability to have their messages self-destruct after a specified duration. To get these features, you need to ensure Messenger app is updated on your Android phone or iPhone. There's no word on what happens to Windows Phone (or Windows 10 Mobile, as they like to call it now) users.


2014. Blackberry added disappearing messages to its messenger


You're probably familiar with Snapchat, a very popular messaging app that gained popularity thanks to its disappearing messages feature (users can send each other messages or photos that disappear a few seconds after viewing). Well, Blackberry thought this feature would be useful for business users too, so they added it to their BBM messenger. Why? So you can send messages that can't be used against you later—like offers of kickbacks. Another new feature is "recall message." If you accidentally sent a kissing photo to your coworker instead of your wife, you can now delete the message on the recipient's phone with one tap.