Secretly vs Ekko Chat

Secretly is a private messenger that needs no phone number and no email. Your account is a cryptographic key created on your device, and you get a random Secretly ID — nothing that ties your account to your name or your SIM card. NO PHONE NUMBER. NO EMAIL. • Create an account in seconds — no SIM card, no email, no personal details • Add contacts by Secretly ID, QR code or profile link • Your address book is never uploaded • Messages from people you don't know arrive as requests — you decide who can reach you END-TO-END ENCRYPTION • Messages, voice messages and files in private and group chats are end-to-end encrypted with the Double Ratchet algorithm, which provides forward secrecy • One-to-one voice and video calls are end-to-end encrypted • Verify a contact in person by scanning their QR code or comparing security codes; Secretly warns you when a contact's keys change • Your chat database is encrypted on your device YOU DECIDE WHO SEES WHAT • Choose who can see your last-seen time, profile photo and forwarded messages, and who can call you: everyone, your contacts or nobody • Auto-delete messages in any chat after 24 hours, 7 days or 30 days • Lock Secretly with a password, a pattern or Face ID / Touch ID • Keep private conversations in a separately locked "Personal" section • Hide chat content in the app switcher • Delete your account at any time, or let it delete itself after a period of inactivity you choose EVERYTHING YOU EXPECT FROM A MESSENGER • Groups with admins and moderators, invite links, @mentions and pinned messages • Group voice and video calls • Replies, reactions, editing, delete for everyone, forwarding and search • Scheduled and silent messages, chat folders • Voice messages, photos, videos and files • Stickers, including a sticker maker that cuts the subject out of your photo on the device (iOS 17 or later) • Link previews are created by the sender, so your device doesn't fetch links you receive • On-device message translation • Encrypted backups protected by your password, plus a recovery kit to restore your account • A Mac app, linked to your iPhone with a QR code OPEN AND HONEST • No ads, no analytics or advertising SDKs • Open source under AGPL-3.0 — anyone can review the code on GitHub • We publish a threat model listing what Secretly protects against and its known limitations • An independent security audit has not been completed yet — we'd rather tell you than let you assume SECRETLY PREMIUM Secretly is free. Premium is optional and adds voice-message transcription on your device, larger files, bigger groups and group calls, premium sticker packs, and personalisation: themes, accent colours, animated wallpapers, avatar frames, profile covers, app icons and ringtones. Security features are never part of Premium. Premium is available as a monthly or yearly auto-renewing subscription, or as a one-time lifetime purchase. Payment is charged to your Apple Account when you confirm the purchase. A subscription renews automatically unless it is cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, and your account is charged for renewal within 24 hours before the period ends. You can manage or cancel subscriptions in your App Store account settings. Any unused part of a free trial is forfeited when you buy a subscription. Secretly works only between Secretly users. It does not send SMS or MMS and does not call phone numbers. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/ Privacy Policy: https://www.secretlyapp.com/privacy-policy

Ekko is a chat messenger that delivers your messages through six independent transport paths. If one is blocked, your message finds another way. No phone number. No email. No account. Your identity is a cryptographic key pair generated on your device and never shared with anyone — not even us. Add contacts by scanning QR codes when you meet in person. This is how trust should work. ENCRYPTED BY DEFAULT Every message is end-to-end encrypted before it leaves your device. Text, photos, documents, GIFs, and files are all protected. Not even Ekko can read your conversations. WORKS WITHOUT INTERNET Ekko uses Bluetooth Low Energy to exchange messages with nearby contacts automatically. Walk past someone at a coffee shop and pending messages deliver silently — no cell tower, no Wi-Fi required. When contacts aren't nearby, messages route through the internet via five other transport methods. SIX TRANSPORT PATHS - Bluetooth: Nearby offline delivery within 100 meters - Mesh Gossip: Messages forwarded by nearby peers - Distributed Hash Table: Decentralized serverless routing - Tor Onion: High-privacy delivery - Peer Link: Fast QUIC-based direct connections - Private Relay: Always-on encrypted push delivery Each message automatically finds the best available path. The transport dashboard shows you exactly how every message traveled. GROUP CONVERSATIONS Create encrypted group chats, invite contacts, share files, and set disappearing message timers for the entire group. Member management lets you add or remove participants at any time. DISAPPEARING MESSAGES Set messages to self-destruct after 5 minutes, 1 hour, 1 day, or 1 week. Once gone, they cannot be recovered. SHARE MEDIA SECURELY Send photos from your camera or gallery, browse and send animated GIFs, attach documents and files of any type — all encrypted end-to-end. An inline attachment menu gives you quick access to Files, Photos, Camera, and GIF search without leaving the conversation. PRIVATE RELAY SERVER Subscribe to a dedicated relay server for instant push delivery when you and your contacts aren't nearby. Messages are stored encrypted on the relay — it cannot read them. Invite contacts to share your relay for mutual always-on delivery. VERIFY CONTACTS Compare cryptographic fingerprints in person or through a trusted channel to verify that your contact is who they claim to be. No certificate authorities, no central trust — just mathematics. TRANSPARENT NETWORKING The transport dashboard gives you full visibility into how your messages travel. See which transports are active, how many network peers you're connected to, and which path delivered each individual message. An in-chat legend explains every transport and status icon. YOUR DATA, YOUR DEVICE All data stays on your device. There is no cloud sync, no analytics, no tracking, and no telemetry. Export an encrypted backup anytime for device transfers. Delete everything with a single tap. BIOMETRIC UNLOCK Secure the app with Face ID or fingerprint authentication on supported devices for fast, convenient access. BUILT FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED PRIVACY Ekko is designed for journalists, activists, travelers, and anyone who believes private communication is a fundamental right. Whether you're in a restrictive environment where traditional messengers are monitored, or you simply want conversations that stay between you and your contacts, Ekko ensures your messages always find a way. Terms of Use (EULA): https://www.apple.com/legal/internet-services/itunes/dev/stdeula/