Threema. The Secure Messenger Reviews

If you want a pretty messenger, stick with the Messages app, Facebook, or maybe Signal - they’re all “secure”. If you want a secure messenger, get Threema. It sends messages securely from device to device, not user to user, so you need to think a bit differently about using it, but that difference in thinking is “this message is encrypted on my device and sent to that other device, which I’ve confirmed is the correct device by scanning its barcode”. This is handy (and one of my main uses) because you know that your snarky comment isn’t going to show up on your wife’s computer as she’s projecting her screen in the conference room at work. True device to device encryption, plus the company’s location in Switzerland with physical control over its servers, combines to make this a very secure messaging app. Even if you’re just using it to send snarky notes about employers, it’s worth the price.

This looks like a messaging app written by people who take security seriously. Well done.

I’m only taking off one star because the onboarding process was a mess. At one point, you’re asked to enter a password, and again to verify it. That’s all fine, but the password fields are so far down the page that the on-screen keyboard completely covers the second one — and the page doesn’t allow scrolling vertically!

Eventually I discovered a workaround (tap Passwords, then Cancel, then tap the second password field, then blindly type your password on the keyboard that appears). But this is really something that should have been caught in testing. This makes it impossible (AFAICT) to paste a password from the clipboard, which discourages the use of strong passwords from a password manager. And that’s not good for security.

Aside from that one major inconvenience, though, this looks like a great app.

While threema works overall, I’m less than impressed with the audio overrides and the disconnects. If I’m on a call and play a video, the call will completely disconnect. If I’m playing music and merely open ThreemaTheSecureMessenger , it will kill my audio for about 5 seconds, and then artificially lower the volume. Drives me bonkers. I’m constantly having to go into my settings and revoke (or grant) permission to the microphone depending on what-else I’m doing. Very annoying and detracts from the usefulness of ThreemaTheSecureMessenger itself. I’ve contacted support and the only thing they could tell me was to upgrade to the newest version of it. I’m already running the newest version.
It’s the only message app that has been incapable of handling audio in a competent way. Very disappointing to say the least.

Such an inconvenient communication app for voice-messages. It doesn’t support running in iOS-background, which means it can’t automatically download voice-messages or images you received. Every time you get a incoming-voice notification, you have to open ThreemaTheSecureMessenger and tap the voice-message you received and wait for a long while to download it. If you don’t live in Europe, I strongly suggest you not to using it, because downloading voices-messages from Threema’s sever takes really long time. Not even to mention that if you receive more than one voice-messages, you have to tap them each one by one to download, waiting and waiting for these downloading processes. Too annoying!! What an era do we live in? Almost every communication app is now having this feature downloading media automatically.

This could be the perfect secure messaging app if it were “fat-fingered perfectionist”-proof :D, as having to copy, delete, paste, edit, then resend just to “edit” a single sent message is so much hassle compared to just hitting an edit-button. For now I and my similarly fat-fingered perfectionist friends will be begrudgingly sticking with the less secure alternatives for now.

If this is ever implemented, I will start recommending Threema, as otherwise the UX feels solid, better than Wire’s and even Signal’s.

By the way, if the concern is with potentially allowing people to edit maliciously, maybe a mutual-consent-based “Allow editing of sent messages in chats” switch is an appropriate solution. Or perhaps just an “Edit history” list.

I’ve been using Threema for years

It is by far the most safe and secure messaging app out there

Once you pay for the original app, there are never any additional charges for any messages, pictures, videos, or texts sent... ever!!

I used to pay a lot of money to send even just one text message to family members in Europe.
Not anymore..

I hear ThreemaTheSecureMessenger is very popular in Europe, but somehow I don’t think it will ever catch on in the United States.

But if you do purchase it, it is definitely worth it.

You will need to tell your friends and your family members about ThreemaTheSecureMessenger because they need to have ThreemaTheSecureMessenger as well in order to communicate with you.

Once anyone else has ThreemaTheSecureMessenger it’s the only way I communicate with them.

They begin to use it too and it becomes your normal way of sending messages back and forth.

Almost all of my text messages to people I know, go through Threema.

Get ThreemaTheSecureMessenger and spread the word.

Remember freedom means “No Big Brother!”

No need to give your phone number out to anyone. THREEMA gives you an ID which you use instead of your phone number. No other secure messaging application allows you to protect your phone number in this way. Also, because you pay for THREEMA you know exactly why they’re doing what they’re doing. For money from you. You’re paying and this your data isn’t the price. I’ve been with THREEMA since the start and their developers come with constant improvements and updates. I love ThreemaTheSecureMessenger because it means freedom.

I’m giving Threema 5 STARS after it becomes open source but, what’s the point of all these features that added recently and Threema still blocked in many countries, what’s the point if I can’t call, text or send photos to anyone in my list. they can’t use Threema without a VPN 90% of my friends switched to another IM app because it’s available in their country’s that’s why Threema is not popular so until you find a way to use it without a VPN then we can enjoy all features otherwise it’s useless.

Is it normal on iOS when recording a voice message, for voiceover iOS is built-in screen reader, to switch to the earpiece? I ask, because it makes it almost impossible to here, and determine where they stop/send button is, also the problem there, if you put the phone too close to your ear, the screenshots off. I'm running iOS 15.0.1.

Your app revelaed the biggest political scandal in the Slovak Republic history. All you need is to break inside (it took police some months to do it - you might work on more secure standards) of one of the biggest influential oligarchs who used it for long time. Now all Slovakia could read the messages and reveal the biggest political and economical thefts made by politicians, oligarchs, mobs. So big thank you for liberating our country. (all in the news last two weeks)

Don’t have to use a phone number to setup an account. That’s so massively important. They actually charge for ThreemaTheSecureMessenger which is a major positive if you care about what their motivations should be.

Privacy first and then they basically try to copy WhatsApp on features. Always a little behind on the feature list but you’re choosing privacy over minor functionality bonuses.

My favorite app and I couldn’t support this company or their vision more.

Threema offers the best security of any encrypted messaging app available!

Not only is it based in the pro-privacy country of Switzerland, but it has also been comprehensively audited by a reputable Swiss security firm and found to have no vulnerabilities.

The other great thing that makes it unique is that only you have access to your private key and you can exchange public keys directly with friends and family, which proves the identity of your contacts. This robust authentication protects your communications to a greater degree than similar apps.

For more confirmation, check out past Security Now podcasts for why Threema is the best and most secure messenger you can use.

If you are looking for a messaging app that gets security right, look no further than Threema.

ThreemaTheSecureMessenger overall isn’t terrible, but it is so buggy whenever I’m messaging anyone. Also the interface is weird and not placed weird. For example I’m constantly hitting the record button on keyboard while typing, but I have small fingers and it doesn’t happen texting on any other app or messaging. Anyway, it’s secure and it does what it has to do, that’s the only reason I’m not upset I spent money on ThreemaTheSecureMessenger.

We are calling half away around the world with very limited internet connection speeds, I mean very limited. We are amazed each time how clear and immediate the conversation can be. The stability is outstanding as well, calls are only dropped if I accidentally touch the wrong button!

ThreemaTheSecureMessenger is great for secure messaging and anonymity.

I wish ThreemaTheSecureMessenger used a in-app purchase model so it could be downloaded for free to increase the user base. They could then charge an in-app purchase for features like voice calling, group chat, or other features that could be limited but allow for basic secure messaging for new users.

However, for being a paid app, it seems to lag in features compared to competing products. I hope they add or fix some of these items:

- Perfect Forward Secrecy on the end to end layer
- self destructing and deleting messages
- video calling
- allow the user to do other messaging while a call is in progress.

Couple of touches are missing, such as video call support and if developer can enable sent message edit function for short period of time i.e you can edit your sent message within first 20 seconds, then would be awesome. Another thing, instead of tap and select, slide right/left would be much easier.

On the security side the application is very well executed. On the messaging side there are a few features that would be desirable to have;

The ability to quote a picture.

Read receipts on messages in group chats (who in the group has seen your message).

SELF DESTRUCTIVE MESSAGES IS A MUST. Other than that ThreemaTheSecureMessenger still deserves five stars because it is by in large the most trustworthy secure messaging app. Signal makes you linke phone number, Not Threema! You can use it totally anonymously. Clear pay for play profit motive. Still deserves 5 stars but please integrate Self destructive messages!

This is almost a deal breaker, and certainly keeps from being able to use it for anything but messages that need to be secure. It’s one thing to deal with it for just your account, but when you tell that to other contacts and family it becomes impossible as most people just expect sync no a day's on iOS.

The last few updates have made it even better. Please add stickers though. It’s the only feature I and my family still want from WhatsApp. Thank you

I love Threema and the spirit of the developers' vision. I really trust this company. They just need a few additions. Needs a delete for everyone feature. This is very necessary for a number of reasons: error in typing, privacy, etc. Needs to make indicating bubbles of phone calls less intrusive, as they take up the same or more space as actual messages. Need conference calling. Near perfect app. Thank you.

The ability to quote a picture...any message to or from. Also read receipts in group chats. Actually, this might catch on in the USA. I've got people looking at it. But still need to differentiate calls from actual messages in appearance.