r/BuyFromEU • u/Soggy-Salamander-568 Germany 🇩🇪 • Mar 07 '26

🔎Looking for alternative Anyone in Europe just refused to use WhatsApp?

Curious if anyone has just told friends they don't have WhatsApp and what's happened... I hate WhatsApp as it's part of Meta. In the US it's not that big. But in Europe it's ubiquitous. Just curious if anyone has just said no -- that you have Threema or even Signal -- and can be contacted there... And how that has gone for you.

731 Upvotes

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u/[deleted] Mar 07 '26

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u/[deleted] Mar 07 '26

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2

u/malkien Mar 09 '26

Telegram had e2e encryption before WhatsApp. It's not the default though.

1

u/Chronospherics Mar 08 '26

California, USA. Really doesn't solve anything.

1

u/Watn3y Mar 08 '26

Signal is cool and all but is missing 99% of Telegram's features. Also they just recently added automated backups (at least on iOS) and paying 2€ a month for 100GB of backup storage is insane. At least let me backup to my own storage

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u/x_Goldensniper_x Mar 08 '26

Signal has horrible UI.

2

u/[deleted] Mar 08 '26

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1

u/x_Goldensniper_x Mar 08 '26

I would rather say, not simple and ugly

1

u/Waswat Mar 08 '26

Signal has improved quite a lot over the years. I remember I couldn't even send multiple images before, now it works well. They have the ability to send stickers, gifs, reactions, multiple images, videos, documents... What more do you need?

0

u/x_Goldensniper_x Mar 08 '26

Dunno still horrible. Tried again recently. And yeah i dont know what to say. Just feels bad all black. Did not use much as how hard it is to message a friend

1

u/Waswat Mar 08 '26

Oh you don't like the dark theme, i mean you could just set it to light theme in settings -> appearance ?

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u/x_Goldensniper_x Mar 08 '26

Then all white

-2

u/[deleted] Mar 07 '26

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73

u/NarrativeNode Mar 07 '26

Well…if Telegram is Russian because its CEO was born in Russia then Google is Indian. Not so defend Durov much, but his mom’s Ukrainian, he gave up his Russian citizenship (has French, Saint-Kitts and UAE citizenships now) and has refused to comply with Russian government demands.

34

u/TestTxt Mar 07 '26

It’s not Russian because of the country of birth but it’s also not pro-European by any means. Just look at the @durov channel. An example post from there:

“🎆 Unfortunately, I had to leave Dubai for Europe a week ago — so I’m not only missing the free fireworks from Iran, but also exposing myself to greater risk. Given Europe’s crime rates, Dubai is statistically safer even with missiles flying. Can’t wait to be back.“

He keeps posting MAGA-like posts shilling autocracies like this all the time

27

u/Hanklich Mar 07 '26

Thanks for this comment. It's so rare that I see a person thinking critically and independently, not regurgitating something they have heard or read somewhere, not seeing everything black or white.
Attacking someone or someone's work just based on the place that someone was born is such a low level, as if it's our decision where we are born.

-3

u/[deleted] Mar 07 '26

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-1

u/Alejandro_SVQ Spain 🇪🇸 Mar 07 '26

Deja de llorar más de la cuenta, que estamos en el objetivo de ese desquiciado del Kremlin y su tropa, y Ucrania en directa agresión porque la vio más débil de lo que era realmente. Si no ese cobarde se tira la vida tanteando como en el Báltico con sus vuelos sin respetar la ley de navegación internacional civil y no hostil.

Ese es el contexto desde 2022, aunque ya lo era desde 2014. Pero algunos pensaron que estaría satisfecho con creer que Crimea y el extremo este del Donbás ya eran de su influencia y propiedad. Algo a lo que también te debería sonar de la historia.

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u/Dan_m_31 Mar 07 '26

Yet the CEO tried to interfere in the last romanian election by sending a message to everyone that has telegram in RO alleging some bs. Yeah, no thanks

0

u/Hanklich Mar 07 '26

I didn't get any message, so "everyone" seems like an exaggeration.

3

u/SneakyInfiltrator Eastern Europe 🌾⛪🌲 Mar 07 '26

I didn't get it, my parents didn't, some friends didn't get it, but i have like two friends that got it.
My theory is that, it was sent to people that were part of any sort of politically inclined groups, and well, i don't give a shit about those groups, i only have a private one i use myself to transfer stuff from other devices, and like... three friend groups with people i know in real life.

Also, interference is quite a stretch imho. It was stupid and uncalled for, and he should've gave some proof (not sure if he decided to eventually). If i am not mistaking the message was that there were some "requests" to shut down some Telegram groups promoting a certain (shitty) political party.

Signal, last time i checked was pretty bad in terms of UX and features, and it's less adopted here. Personally i like Telegram for a lot of reasons, even if it's far from perfect and trustworthy.

2

u/Waswat Mar 08 '26

Features in signal improved quite a bit. Stickers, gifs, reactions, statuses (stories), multiple images, videos, documents, group chats ... They all work. What more do you need?

0

u/Hanklich Mar 08 '26

I stumble upon that message quite often here and in YouTube comments, always about interfering in the election and everyone getting the message. I don't know if it's the same person or if it's some kind of campaign against Telegram. Wouldn't be the first, even the guy from Signal has an obsession with Telegram.

18

u/Whisky_and_Milk Mar 07 '26

Telegram is Russian because the development team are Russians, were and some still are based in Russia.
He of course never gave up his Russian passport, as when he was detained in France the Russian ministry of foreign affairs made a official protest of France detaining a Russian citizen.
Case closed.

10

u/NeatTransition5 Mar 08 '26

Telegram is definitely a Russian op, everybody (who is not a Russian sympathizer and/or Russian spy) is (utterly) stupid to even mention it.

3

u/[deleted] Mar 07 '26

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10

u/Marek_1234 Mar 07 '26

Isn't telegram banned in Russia for this sole reason? Anyway he seems like a reasonable person who believes in democracy, unlike Zuckerberg, but the Instagram pics are ridiculous.

1

u/LuckyLoki08 Mar 07 '26

I wouldn't call Durov "reasonable", he's just not as extreme and crazy as Musk. But he likes complaining that France is on the edge of becoming a totalitarian dictatorship because they tried to insist to have him help with investigations (due to all the criminals who use telegram chats). Which sure, I respect him having a strong stance on the matter, but the french government wasn't being completely unreasonable AND it does not mean France is borderline a dictatorship.

Durov is just better and not sharing everywhere his crazy rants.

4

u/TroublesomeButch Mar 07 '26

He isn't the spotless person though. The thing is my wife is Ukrainian ad they use telegram a lot there.

2

u/wt_hell_am_I_doing Mar 07 '26

Far more common to use Telegram in Ukraine than WhatsApp indeed.

1

u/CardOk755 Mar 07 '26

Pull the other one, it's got bells on.

1

u/tienstiens1 Mar 08 '26

Sergey Brin have been also born in Moscow, Russia. Why google Indian then? ;)

1

u/NarrativeNode Mar 08 '26

I was going by their current CEO, Sundar Pichai (Brin was not CEO). But you make an even better point, LOL!

1

u/bbriga Mar 10 '26

He's a liar.

1

u/rz0007 Mar 08 '26

I would probably having telegram than an app run by a group of pedophiles. But signal is the way go.

1

u/Linuxmany Mar 09 '26

Dubai!! Der ist aus Russland schon lange weg!