How to avoid Whatsapp

This is the fourth part of a four-parter. Part One on avoiding Whatsapp as a political act is here.  Part Two on what’s wrong with Meta is here. Part Three on how metadata really matters is here. 

The “why” of avoiding Whatsapp leads to the inevitable “how”.
The first thing is to make the decision. The dangers of bigtech have become overt since Twitter/X’s Musk became Trump’s right-hand man, but the problems are long standing. Although I wrote about Meta, there is a similar set of issues around Google, Amazon etc., all of whom have business models premised on data extraction and exploitation (as are many others).
But the decision is not straightforward, not only because of the great god of convenience but because of network effects, where the value of a tool increases the more people use or join it.
And yet, network tools can lose popularity. South Africans may remember locally- developed mobile instant messaging app, Mxit, a cultural phenomenon. And Americans may remember Myspace the pioneering, highly successful social media site. Both gone and a reminder that the tools of the present are not cast on stone.
As to what to do - the options are not mutually exclusive. Here goes.
Delete it
This is the most extreme option, and the most difficult. I do know people, in Brazil and in Germany, who have done just that. The more a tool such as Whatsapp gets integrated into business practices, the harder this is to do, but it is possible.
Dramatically reduce its use
It really is possible to find alternatives, but there may be times when something that is important to you genuinely is only available on Whatsapp. In my case, it is neighbourhood security groups; because I live in South Africa where safety concerns are an essential part of life, that is a non-negotiable for me. It is a matter of being judicious in your own situation.
I have disabled notifications, and only have Whatsapp on my phone, which makes long messages  cumbersome(I still write those on my computer 😊). It means I have to actively check in to see what I need to be aware of rather than being constantly prompted.
It is a slippery slope though, and friends who don’t know that I do have the app on my phone will be more irritated if they read this. (Which is another point, people may be irritated.)
Use alternative apps
The most common alternative messaging tools are Telegram and Signal.
Telegram is quite widely used but controversial. Most people you know have heard of Telegram, so it is an easier move. But as another friend asked me, do you prefer American or Russian oligarchs, what is the difference? (There is a longer answer but I am not going into that…)
Signal is my tool of choice. It is a non-profit organization and it simply does not collect metadata. It is robustly private, and although it is niche, it has been consistently growing. I like its president’s perspective; she used to work at Google where she grew disillusioned, and she genuinely believes in Signal’s vision. I do worry about its long-term sustainability but for now it is a safe bet.
Use alternative methods
SMS is still widely used and is a better option where internet availability and cost are a consideration. It is simple and universally compatible. People are used to using it even today given that institutions such as banks still use it. Some people I know prefer SMS and that is fine with me.
Email is still an option. Perhaps not as immediate, and that is surely not a bad thing, when there is much to be said for slowing down and being more considered in our communications.
Phone calls Remember those? Voice conversations. Commended.
Fix it
One of an array of activist and lawfare options is addressing problems head on. I was pleased to see on the excellent RightsCon 2025 programme a session on this topic.

Whatsapp is widely used as an organising tool, because it is so ubiquitous and because it is end-to-end encrypted, but of course, as I have described in the previous blog, access to metadata is also a serious risk for activists.
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Thank you to my friend for focusing my mind on these issues. The process of trying to answer her question has confirmed for me that these really are complicated matters and tricky choices.
Now it is time to stop. Enough. More than enough.
For those interested, I am providing a list of further resources .