VIPole Secure Messenger is an app for Android and Desktop for Windows, Linux and Mac OS (desktop apps can be downloaded here). You can send and receive encrypted messages, photos and files plus make calls with video using the app. It of course requires registration for a VIPole account. You’ll also have to create a secret key password in addition to normal password that cannot be forgotten or retrieved if you do (so remember it!)
Once signed in you can search other VIPole contacts and start a singe or group message thread. Within these chats you can send and receive secure text messages, files or even start a video call (video quality is dependent on strong Internet connection). Additionally, you can edit and delete sent messages, change voice during the call, view other self-connections to the server from the online dashboard, close the application remotely, lock or close the application when idle. It’s a very fast instant messenger but has a few quirks that need to be ironed out.
The user interface on both the desktop and mobile apps look great but ironically I found them unintuitive in areas. For example, in the screenshot above on the desktop app- I was able to spark a text conversation without the user officially accepting the chat invite. In other messenger apps you usually cannot start a chat prior to first time acceptance but I could in this instance. This allowed messages and even calls to go through but calls could not be answered by the party shown as “offline”… weird. Upon accepting the invitation the app functioned as normal, meaning calls and video chats went through.
The other aspect I found disturbing and again ironic- is that the app’s description boasts so much about secure military grade encryption, yet it’s only encrypted in transmission from devices and through the servers yet communication history on the local device(s) are not encrypted. You have to upgrade to the pro subscription version for that.
I like that VIPole is a fast instant messenger for text, images, files, and it is also considered secure but I dislike that I have to label it with an asterisk disclaimer. Meaning total end to end encryption is only available in the paid subscription plan and not complete in the freebie. By default it’s secure in transmission plus you can make calls with video making for a well rounded communications tool.