# Use These Apps to Encrypt Your Calls, Because Your Phone Won't
Your standard phone calls travel through your carrier's network without encryption. This means that in theory, someone with the right access could listen in on your conversations. If you value privacy, encryption apps offer a straightforward fix.
End-to-end encryption scrambles your conversation so only you and the person you're calling can hear it. Your carrier, hackers, and government agencies cannot access the audio. Signal and WhatsApp both offer free encrypted calling. Signal, developed by the Signal Foundation, is open-source and has no ads or data collection. WhatsApp, owned by Meta, encrypts calls by default using Signal's protocol, though the app collects some metadata like contact lists.
Other options include Telegram (though its calls require users to enable encryption separately), Viber, and Wickr Me. Each has different strengths. Telegram emphasizes speed and group messaging. Wickr focuses on security features like message expiration and screenshot detection.
Setting up encrypted calling takes minutes. Download the app, create an account, and add contacts already using that app. Both people need the same app for calls to work. This is the main limitation. If your family or friends don't use Signal, you can't call them securely through it.
For parents, encrypted apps also protect children's privacy during video calls with grandparents or trusted contacts. They prevent carriers from selling location data tied to call patterns. Teachers and coaches can use these apps for confidential student conversations.
The trade-off is convenience. You'll need to manage multiple apps if your contacts use different platforms. You also need to convince contacts to download the same app, which adds friction.
If privacy matters to your family, Signal offers the cleanest option. No account ties to your phone number beyond verification. WhatsApp works if your contacts already use it. Either choice