Want to keep your text messages away from prying eyes? There’s a free app for your Android phone that not only protects your messages from anyone who might try to intercept them, but also from sneaky friends who might just pick up your phone when you aren’t looking.
It’s called TextSecure and you can download it for your Android SmartPhone for free in the Google Play Store.
TextSecure will encrypt your messages to ensure that they stay private. It can fully replace the default text messaging app on your phone. The app even allows you to create special encrypted groups, so that you can have have secure conversations with a group of friends.
The app is Open Source and created and reviewed by volunteers dedicated to keeping communications safe. The developers promise that their server never has any access to the data from the groups you create such as a membership list.
The messages are encrypted on your phone, so if it lost or stolen, no one else will be able to read them.
The developers like to call their app “high privacy, low fricton.” That means that it’s completely secure, but doesn’t slow down the user and make him or her go through extra steps. There are two configurations for the app. When you communicate with users who are not using SecureText it acts like a regular messaging app, when you communicate with fellow SecureText users, the communications are encrypted.
As an open-source app, questions are answered by the community of users and you can ask questions and look for assistance in the Support Center.
If privacy is a concern for you, you’ll want to check it out.
~ Cynthia
I read about the lady up above that wasn’t reading your emails; I’ve been wanting to THANK WORLD START and ALL of its staff for the outstanding information you’ve been giving me for YEARS!!!!! For the days I don’t have time to read a tech tip, I put them in a folder and read them when I have more time as not only are your prices nice, I don’t think people realize the amount of information and help you give people. I ALWAYS read your emails and have finally realized the incredible tips Cynthia gives us also. Just about anything you want, you can find in World Start. To me it definitely deserves a 5-star rating for many reasons which is hard to do for any company on the Internet now. Thank you for the great job all of you do for us.
Warmly,
Corinne Larimore