Signal Alternative: What a Good Private Chat App Needs
By the Lovele team
5 min read
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If you are searching for a signal alternative, you probably want the same thing most people want: chats that stay between you and the people in them. The real question is what to look for, and how to bring your friends along.
This guide covers why people look elsewhere, what a good replacement needs, how Lovele fits, and how to move your friends over. If you are leaving a different app, the WhatsApp alternative guide covers the wider picture.
Why do people look for a signal alternative?
People usually look for a second option because their friends are spread across apps, they want a different mix of features, or they want a feed and rewards alongside private chats. The reason matters, because it decides what you should look for.
Wanting an alternative does not mean something is wrong. Often it is a practical reason. Your friends may not all be in one place, or you want one app for chatting and sharing.
- Your friends and family are on different apps, so you juggle several.
- You want one place for chats, calls and sharing with close friends.
- You want to sign in without remembering a password.
- You want a browser option for your computer.
- You want a small extra, such as daily rewards, on top of private chat.
Write down your own reason first. It makes the rest of the choice much easier.
What does a good signal alternative need?
It needs end-to-end encryption for every chat, encrypted groups and calls, clear sign-in, and a way to use it on your phone and computer. It also needs to be easy enough that friends will switch.
| What to check | Why it matters | How Lovele does it |
|---|---|---|
| Encryption on every chat | Only the people in the chat can read it | Every message is encrypted before it leaves your device, and only your friend's device can decrypt it |
| Groups and calls | Private talk is not only one to one | Group messages are encrypted like a one-to-one chat, and audio and video calls are end-to-end encrypted |
| Keys stay with you | Nobody else holds a way in | Every phone and browser makes its own keys, and they never leave it |
| Easy sign-in | Friends join faster | Sign in with email, Google, Apple or your phone, with no password to remember |
| Computer access | You can chat at a desk | Lovele works in any modern browser at lovele.app |
Swipe sideways to see the whole table.
Is Lovele a good signal alternative?
Lovele is a private chat app where you talk with the people you already know. Chats are end-to-end encrypted, your posts reach only your mutual friends, and groups and calls are included.
How Lovele protects your messages
Every chat, one to one and in groups, uses MLS (RFC 9420), the open standard for encrypted messaging, with post-quantum hybrid keys. Messages, photos and voice notes are encrypted on your device and decrypted only on the devices of the people in the chat.
Keys keep changing as you talk, so a stolen key cannot open earlier messages, or later ones after the next update. The full encryption design is published at lovele.app/security.
What else you get
- Voice messages you can play back at 1.5x or 2x, encrypted like everything else.
- Photos, videos and voice messages deleted 24 hours after you send them, or sooner if you choose.
- A feed for photos, videos and links, seen only by your mutual friends.
- Friends added by phone number or your own invite link, and nobody else sees who your friends are.
Lovele is for people aged 16 and over.
Do I need a phone number or a password?
No. You sign in with a code sent to your email or by SMS, or with your Google or Apple account. A phone number is optional, and your email and number are never shown on your profile.
Fewer steps means fewer friends give up halfway. Lovele has no password to remember, so signing in takes a minute.
If you prefer a computer, open Lovele on the web and scan the QR code with your phone. The browser gets its own keys and the last 90 days of text, end-to-end encrypted.
How do I move my friends over?
Sign in, then invite friends by phone number or with your own invite link. Start with a small group of close friends so the switch feels natural.
- Sign in to Lovele with email, Google, Apple or your phone.
- Add people by their phone number, or share your own invite link.
- Start one group with your closest friends and send the first message.
- Try a call, a voice message and a post to the feed so everyone sees what works.
- Compare a security code with a friend whenever you want to be sure.
Android users can find Lovele on Google Play. On iPhone and iPad, Lovele works in the browser at lovele.app. Questions about setup are answered in the help center.
How is Lovele paid for, and what are points?
Advertising pays for Lovele. Points are a loyalty program, not money, and you can join the rewards program if you want to.
If you join the rewards program, you can collect points every day. Open the app once a day to grow your streak. Miss a day and it steps back one day, not to zero.
Points have no value until you redeem them, they are not transferable between users, and they do not expire. You can redeem them once you reach the minimum. Anti-fraud checks on points and redemptions are backed by a person reviewing anything unusual.
What about safety on Lovele?
Published photos and videos are checked for known CSAM. Private chat attachments are end-to-end encrypted and cannot be scanned by Lovele.
This is the honest trade of private chat: what is public can be checked, and what is private stays private. Nobody at Lovele can read your messages.
Questions people ask
Can Lovele read my messages?
No. Our servers deliver encrypted messages they cannot open and delete them after delivery, so nobody at Lovele can read your messages. Only the people in the conversation can.
Are group chats encrypted too?
Yes. From a few close friends to large groups, every group message is encrypted like a one-to-one chat. Audio and video calls, one to one or in a group, are end-to-end encrypted as well.
Can I use Lovele on my computer?
Yes. Lovele works in any modern browser at lovele.app. Scan the QR code with your phone, and the browser gets its own keys and the last 90 days of text, end-to-end encrypted.
What if I only use a browser and lose access?
An account used solely in a browser gets a 24-word recovery key. There is no chat passphrase, because keys are made on each device.
Who can see my posts in the feed?
Your posts reach your mutual friends and nobody else. Nobody else sees who your friends are either.
Talk privately with the people you know
End-to-end encrypted chats, groups and calls, on your phone or in your browser. Setting up takes a minute.
Sign in with email, Google, Apple or your phone. No password to remember.
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