Black SMS vs Cryptic Send
Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.
Black SMS
Securely protect your private conversations with a fingerprint or passcode. This app encrypts messages, including those within iMessage, ensuring only authorized individuals can access them. It's ideal for safeguarding sensitive work, medical, or personal communications.
- Fingerprint lock for messages
- Passcode protection
- iMessage integration
- Military-grade encryption
- Securely encrypt all messages
Read full descriptionHide full description
Keep messages private by protecting them with your fingerprint or a passcode (now built directly into iMessage!). 170,000 people already use Black SMS for confidential work-material, private medical communication, photos, group chats, and relationship advice. Download now to protect your messages with Touch ID fingerprint lock, so only the intended people can read, even if someone else has their phone. Black SMS uses military grade 256-bit encryption Download now to securely encrypt all your messages. Compatible with iOS 10 software on iMessage
Cryptic Send
Encrypt your text messages within iMessage for enhanced privacy. Share sensitive information securely using a secret key, with options for messages to expire. Ideal for private conversations and situations requiring extra message control.
- Encrypt messages within iMessage
- Use a secret key for decryption
- Set messages to expire
- Auto-load and decrypt messages
- Add privacy to personal conversations
Read full descriptionHide full description
Send private messages inside iMessage with an extra layer of protection. Cryptic Send helps you encrypt messages before you send them, so only someone with the same secret key can read them. It is built for private conversations, sensitive details, and moments when you want more control over who can see your message. Why people use Cryptic Send • Add privacy to messages sent through iMessage • Encrypt messages with your own secret key • Auto-load and decrypt messages when opened in the extension • Set messages to expire for extra privacy • Keep message content out of plain view if someone else accesses the device How it works 1. Write your message 2. Enter your secret key 3. Send through iMessage 4. The recipient opens the message and uses the same key to decrypt it Built for privacy Cryptic Send is designed to protect message content before it is sent. Only the correct key can unlock the original text. For even more control, you can choose message expiration for conversations that should not stay readable forever. Great for • Personal conversations • Sensitive information • Extra privacy on shared or accessible devices • Anyone who wants more control over message visibility Important Both people need the same secret key to decrypt the message. If you want a simple way to send more private messages inside iMessage, Cryptic Send gives you that extra layer without leaving your normal messaging flow.
Screenshots
Verdict
The clearest difference is review sentiment: Cryptic Send at 100% against Black SMS's 52%. Cryptic Send also leads on rating (5.0 vs 3.1). Black SMS's advantage is update cadence (every 2 weeks vs every 5 months) and ratings volume (11 vs 3). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them.
Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS
Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay.
Cryptic Send holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 3.1. Both are backed by a comparable volume of ratings — 11 and 3 respectively. Written reviews point the same way: 52% of Black SMS's written reviews are positive against 100% of Cryptic Send's.
Black SMS ships an update every 2 weeks, Cryptic Send every 5 months. The most recent releases landed on September 21, 2026 and September 15, 2026 respectively.
| Parameter | Black SMS | Cryptic Send |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Free | Free |
| Rating | 3.1 (11 ratings) | 5.0 (3 ratings) — better |
| Positive reviews | 51.8% of reviews | 100.0% of reviews — better |
| Number of ratings | 11 — better | 3 |
| Update frequency | Every 2 weeks — better | Every 5 months |
| Ads | No | No |
| In-app purchases | No | No |
| Monetization | Free | Free |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, iPod — better | iPhone, iPod |
| Requires iOS | 10.0 — better | 15.6 |
| Further details — not scored | ||
| Size | 60 MB | 1 MB |
| Age rating | 4+ | 4+ |
| Developer | Hadar Weitzman Group Inc. | Cryptific LLC |
Customer experience
Black SMS
Cryptic Send
Bugs and requests
Black SMS
Reported bugs
10 issues- Messages sometimes empty
- App becomes unresponsive
- Recipient needs to open message twice
- Password not working
- Cannot send pics from library
Show 5 moreShow fewer
- Message expires right when sent
- App crashes on startup
- Lemon text feature not working
- Cannot decrypt messages
- Photo stays displayed after leaving app
Requested features
7 requests- Support for sending videos
- Update for newer phones/iOS
- Dark mode
- Option to black out recipient name
- Add texting capabilities within the app
Show 2 moreShow fewer
- Encrypt photos
- Improve UI and fix blurry text
Cryptic Send
Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.
In-app purchases
Black SMS
No in-app purchases
Cryptic Send
No in-app purchases
Questions
Is Black SMS free?
Is Cryptic Send free?
Which has better reviews, Black SMS or Cryptic Send?
Do Black SMS or Cryptic Send have ads?
Which is updated more often, Black SMS or Cryptic Send?
Other comparisons















