KiK is shutting down, what is the best alternative app for private communication

[c627627]

EDIT: KiK was bought by someone else at the last moment (as if) and did not shut down.


Rumor was that KiK will shut down today.
Spokesperson for KiK said:
"We can confirm that KiK will be shutting down but the timing and details of the user experience has not yet been shared - that will be released in the coming days." They said KiK will NOT shut down today but at some point in the near future.

So what is the best alternative for private cell phone communication that
A.) Is not Russian / does not use Russian servers
B.) Does not ask to harvest your phone number

Quick search yields an app called Discord, used by Gamers.

Opinions/Alternatives?

 

[Alaric]

The name "Discord" would send me running for the hills. LOL

 

[sobe]

Pretty much everyone uses Discord these days in place of other VoIP apps like Teamspeak, Vent, etc.

If you want to kick it old school, you can still use IRC.

 

[c627627]

So to review, most people on the forums reading this now would say Discord is the only one that you would recommend that meets this criteria for cell phones:
- Not Russian
- Registration does not require to harvest your phone number

 

[Alaric]

- Not Russian

I wouldn't be real crazy about Chinese owned, either.

 

[sobe]

I wouldn't be real crazy about Chinese owned, either.

Tencent funded it, but so did WarnerMedia. AFAIK it's still USA owned and headquartered in Cali, though I could be wrong on that.

 

[Alaric]

My comment was a generalization, I know nothing about any of these apps.

 

[Janus67]

are you looking for one on one conversations or group chat/chat room type things? Discord is good for group chat (like IRC) and can do some one on one and VoIP stuff. We use Slack for work stuff for our team to communicate, can also do one on one, but is designed for a team to join and have rooms for different purposes.

For a texting alternative, what about Telegram? I've heard that is supposed to be private, but have never used it otherwise.

 

[c627627]

Telegram is Russian so that's a hard no. telegram is who I meant when posting "not Russian".
KiK allows both individual and group chat and people used it mostly so they did NOT not have to use their personal phone number or give out their personal phone number, to do the same through regular text.
It boggles the mind that there is no second alternative to KiK, an app that could protect you from the risk of giving out your phone number. That app could have now taken over now easily....

 

[c627627]

UPDATE: Shut down date is October 19, 2019, for KiK's 300 million users.

EDIT: KiK was bought by someone else at the last moment (as if) and did not shut down.