Briar is probably the best Tor/Whonix messaging app option…
- Private Messaging, Private Groups, Blogs, Forums, RSS Feeds, more
- Decentralized Peer-2-Peer Tor Hidden Onion Services (no central servers)
- Anonymous Identities (hides contact metadata)
- End-2-End Encryption with Forward Secrecy (including encrypted metadata)
- Secure Remote Contact Adding/Exchanging
- Anti-Censorship Capabilities (alternative no-internet network routing over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi)
- Free and Open Source
- Independent Security Audit in 2017
- Ongoing Active Development
- Ease of Setup / Ease of Use
- Android and Linux supported (Linux version in open beta release right now)
- Also useful for communicating to more mainstream non-Linux & non-Desktop based people
About Briar:
“Briar is a messaging app designed for activists, journalists, and anyone else who needs a safe, easy and robust way to communicate. Unlike traditional messaging tools such as email, Twitter or Telegram, Briar doesn’t rely on a central server - messages are synchronized directly between the users’ devices. If the internet’s down, Briar can sync via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, keeping the information flowing in a crisis. If the internet’s up, Briar can sync via the Tor network, protecting users and their relationships from surveillance.”
“Briar has received funding from Small Media, the Open Internet Tools Project, Access, the Open Technology Fund, the Prototype Fund, Internews, the NLnet Foundation, the Next Generation Internet programme and the ISC Project.”
Great article explaining Briar advantages over other messaging apps:
Briar homepage:
Briar how it works:
Briar features & how to use:
https://briarproject.org/manual
Briar wiki article:
Briar animated-gif screenshot of some features and interfaces:
Briar Linux Desktop version info and links:
Briar Linux Desktop developer announcements blog:
Briar Android download:
Briar News blog:
https://briarproject.org/news
Briar Twitter page:
https://nitter.net/BriarApp
https://twitter.com/BriarApp
The ability for widespread, uncompromising, open source, P2P anonymous & E2E encrypted direct messaging with fellow techies and mainstream people, on both desktop and mobile platforms, is an awesome benefit that is here with Briar.
It would be great to see Briar incorporated into Whonix by default! 