Calls
Voice and video calls can be as sensitive as anything you type, yet many services treat them as ordinary data. End-to-end encrypted calling is now mainstream and free. These guides show which apps protect calls by default, what your phone number and carrier can still reveal, and how to keep sensitive conversations off systems that log them.
Tools compared
Is the conversation itself encrypted end to end?
- Cellular & landline calls
Routed through carriers and legacy networks (SS7) that can intercept or log them.
- Google MeetVisitmeet.google.com
Encrypted in transit, but Google can access the media. Fine for convenience, not for confidentiality.
- ZoomVisitzoom.us
Encrypted in transit by default (Zoom can access content); optional end-to-end encryption exists but is off by default and disables some features.
- FaceTime
End-to-end encrypted, but Apple-to-Apple only and tied to your Apple ID.
- WhatsApp / Telegram 1-to-1 calls
One-to-one voice and video calls are end-to-end encrypted; Telegram group calls are not, and metadata still applies.
- SignalVisitsignal.org
End-to-end encrypted voice and video, including group calls, with minimal metadata.
- Jitsi MeetVisitmeet.jit.si
Open-source video calling you can self-host, with end-to-end encryption available for smaller calls.
Verified July 2026 and not exhaustive. “Readable by the provider” means the content can, in principle, be scanned or handed over. We take no money from any product listed here; where a tool sits can change, so check its current documentation.
Guides
- Make end-to-end encrypted voice and video calls A clear look at which everyday apps encrypt your calls by default, which ones do not, and how to check that a call is really private.
- What your phone number reveals about you Your phone number is a lifelong identifier that ties together your identity, location, and accounts. Here is what it exposes and how to share it more carefully.