Briar is the most privacy-focused private messaging app we've tested, but its stringent policies also make it less functional for most users. Briar is open source and intended for use by activists, journalists, political figures, and anyone else concerned about surveillance. It doesn't need a central server to sync messages between users, which is great, but it also doesn't offer many entertaining features or opportunities to find new or old friends to chat with. Briar is an excellent option for the specific use case described above, but Signal is still our Editors' Choice winner because it blends privacy with social media features.

Should You Trust Briar?

Briar is a messaging platform that doesn't rely on a central server. Instead, messages are sent and received online using direct, encrypted connections between users' devices. Briar uses the Tor network for user-to-user communication, and if the internet is down, the app also works using Bluetooth or local Wi-Fi. This policy is more secure than a service that relies on central, cloud-based servers to sync and store messages between users' devices because snoops and other malcontents can potentially intercept your data if it is all stored on one server or goes through a central server, as it is with Signal, Telegram, or WhatsApp.

If you're offline when you receive a message, it's sent to your Briar Mailbox app on another device. When you're back online, your Briar app loads your missed messages. It's not the most convenient way to send or receive messages, but it keeps your data off a central server, which is helpful.

(Credit: Briar Project/PCMag)

Like Session, Briar does not require personal data at sign-up and disables screenshots. We think permanently disabling in-app screenshotting and screen recording (though it means we cannot provide custom screenshots for this review) is an excellent choice for a privacy-first app like Briar.

Unlike Telegram and WhatsApp, Briar doesn't ask to access your phone's contact list. In fact, finding people to chat with is the hardest part about using Briar, but that's by design. Briar is intended for people who need maximum privacy and are worried about high-level surveillance. It's assumed that you not only already know everyone you're going to chat with but can also connect with them in person. That way, you know you can trust the people you're speaking to and that Briar isn't selling or even storing your data.

(Credit: Briar Project/PCMag)

In our reviews of private messenger apps and other privacy products, we urge you to "follow the money" and look into who is financing them. A board of volunteer contributors governs the Briar Project: self-described hackers, free software enthusiasts, designers, developers, and free speech activists. In the past, the project received financial support from organizations such as the Small Media Foundation and the Open Internet Tools Project.

Private Messaging

Briar is unusual because it is limited to just one platform: Android. On the website, the app's creators state that a similar app for iOS users is unlikely because Apple places tight restrictions on background processes. I found that all the background activity required turning off the battery optimization settings on my testing device, which is not ideal. With that in mind, I tested Briar using a Samsung A71 5G.

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Session

4.0 Excellent

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WhatsApp

4.0 Excellent

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Briar

3.5 Good

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Telegram

3.5 Good

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As mentioned, you don't need to give up any personal data to start using Briar. Choose a nickname (you can't change it later, so choose carefully) and create a password. You can't create multiple accounts or identities on Briar, and your account is limited to just one device. You can start chatting by adding contacts to your in-app contact list. Send your friends a custom link via email or Bluetooth. Both users must add each other's links to start chatting. It's much easier to add a person who is physically near you. Just scan each other's QR codes generated by the app and start chatting.

(Credit: Briar Project/PCMag)

The app's interface is quite spartan, but it worked as expected after establishing a connection with a friend and chatting over the same Wi-Fi network. Messages received and sent on Briar appear similar to instant messages on platforms such as WhatsApp or Session.

If you aren't online at the same time as your contacts, they can leave you messages in your Briar Mailbox. The Mailbox is accessible via a separate app in the Google Play store, and the Briar app retrieves your messages from the Mailbox and delivers them to your device the next time you're online.

Keep in mind that Briar will run in the background on your device at all times, so it can chew up a lot of battery life. That's probably why the instructions on the Briar website recommend setting up your Mailbox by installing the app on a separate Android device and leaving the device connected to power and Wi-Fi to receive messages at all times.

Special Features

Briar does not support video or voice chat. You can add people from your in-app contact list to group chats and create discussion forums for organizing or blog posts to broadcast your longer thoughts to your contacts.

These features require multiple contacts to download and adopt the app, which may be a difficult task because Briar is not a "fun" app. There are no opportunities to discover new people to chat with, like on Telegram and WhatsApp, and the app isn't built to support traditional social media activity like broadcasting messages to an audience of followers you don't personally know. Briar is designed for journalists who need to communicate via an incredibly secure, ultra-private app, so unless you and your contacts are doing political organizing or chatting about highly sensitive information, the app may be too locked down for your purposes.

So, Briar isn't the most entertaining app, but it has some features that interest people who worry about their conversations being monitored. For one, Briar allows users to create a "panic button" procedure. This means you can designate a panic button on your phone that signs you out of Briar, or you can download the Panic Button app; whenever you press and hold it, it deletes Briar from your phone. Check out our guide for preparing your phone for a protest to learn why you should designate a panic button.