Anonymity and security is the latest trend that the world is currently going through. With IP leaks and various other forms of data breaches, people are highly under threat with their consequences. Thus, the best privacy protection apps come into the scene with their immense capabilities.

In this article, we will talk about the best apps that protect privacy in various ways. These apps make you completely anonymous while hiding your communication and files additionally preventing the government and the third-parties from spying on you.

Best Privacy Protection Apps You Could Have Ever Imagined This Year

While talking about the privacy protection of these apps, we refer to those apps or the companies that are actually “privacy-protected” in all means. That said, these are not those apps that we kind of assume to be privacy protected.

So, let us dive right in into the list and discover privacy protection app variants.

1. VPN

VPN stands for Virtual Private Network and is considered one of the most used best privacy protection apps. All thanks to the simple yet effective user interface where most VPNs operate on a single click after a successful VPN setup. Additionally, it also does the most protection.

So, what exactly is a VPN?

Well, a VPN, as the name goes, is a software acting as a mediator between you (the user) and the other half of the internet. This means that when you are using a VPN, it offers a new IP address to your device while encrypting your connection.

Thus, after connecting to a VPN anything you do will have your new IP address and not the original one.

Now, you may ask how that is beneficial. Well, when not connected to a VPN, anything you search for, anywhere you roam about in the internet will have your IP address. Even people and the government will know who you are and what you did on the internet. With the change in the IP address you become invisible to them.

Talking about the VPNs, there are a lot of them in the current market scenario. However, not all of them are trustworthy. Here is a list of Top VPN Services that you can completely rely on

2. Tor Browser & Other Privacy Focussed Browsers

Tor browser is a voluntary, open-source privacy protection application that primarily changes IP addresses by sending requests to various “nodes”. These nodes are not regulated by any government, nor are they controlled by Tor itself. These nodes know only your previously and successfully executed requests, not the entire network. Each node knows only its previously and successfully executed request, making it anonymous.

What is Tor browser used for? Tor is primarily used for browsing .onion sites and dark web sites, making it safer than your ordinary browser.

That said, here is a quick tip!

Tor browser when operated alone can be risky and is considered “not enough” on its own. Once, it was hijacked by the FBI and thus, it is already in the radar. So, to have a bulletproof experience you must use the Tor bundle with a reliable VPN.

Since Google, Yahoo and other similar browsers do not offer anonymity and security as they are not encrypted, you would need privacy browsers that will help you in this matter.

3. Skiff Mail

Gmail is one of the most widely used email services in the world. However, it has also been found to be unsecured and has been caught on multiple occasions reading user emails.

In order to keep your emails safe, you need a fully encrypted solution, such as Skiff Mail. Unlike Gmail, Skiff Mail does not ask you for personal information when you sign up. This is because Google has control over the internet.

You may also choose to use other anonymous email service providers if you find that skiff mail is not your jam.

4. Telegram

What is the difference between WhatsApp and Telegram?

Unlike WhatsApp, Telegram is a fully encrypted instant messaging app. You can use an “user name” instead of a phone number, which allows you to share it with others without them knowing your phone number.

Telegram also has a “secret chat” feature and a “delete anything anytime” feature. This feature allows you to delete messages from both your phone and tablet without leaving any trace. There is no “message deleted” prompt. You can even send “self-destruct” messages.

5. Cloud Storage Apps

If you want to keep your data private, think about using an encrypted E2E cloud storage solution, such as Sync, pCloud, etc. These solutions provide powerful collaboration and sharing capabilities, including:

• Versioning
• User-based Permissions
• Remote Wipe

These cloud storage solutions are based in one of the most privacy-friendly countries in the world and are not managed by big tech firms.

Sync provides advanced features such as versioning,user-based permissions and remote wipe. pCloud provides features such as:

• Branding
• Multi-Server Storage
• Remote Upload

6. Proxy Apps

Like VPNs, proxy apps change IP addresses, but they don’t encrypt the connection or protect the device. They also crash more often than VPNs. VPNs have 99%+ uptime. The best proxy apps are Oxylabs, SmartProxy, etc.

7. Search Engines

Unlike other search engines such as Google Chrome, Yahoo, or Bing, which store your browsing history, link it to your accounts, and collect your personal information, DuckDuckGo offers a massive database and privacy-friendly approach.

DuckDuckGo is a privacy search engine and not so surprisingly it is the default search engine for the Tor Browser.

This is not the only option you have while considering the best privacy search engines. There are a couple more so that you can easily choose one that fits you the most.

Features That Influence Anonymity And Security Of The Best Privacy Protection Apps

The following are some of the most important features all the best privacy protection apps offer:

• Open Source: It is recommended to always opt for open-source applications to prevent companies from introducing backdoors and other vulnerabilities into their code.
• End-To-End Encryption: Use E2E encrypted apps for communication tools to prevent third-party intrusion by companies, governments, or other entities.
• Freemium Or Premium: It’s acceptable to spend a few dollars on privacy measures, rather than letting your “data” be the sole cost. Some apps come with Freemium membership which means that you can use those apps for free for a limited time after which you need to pay for their premium subscription in order to continue using the features you enjoyed.
• Jurisdiction: Ensure the app’s control is known, especially if it’s encrypted, anonymous, and meets privacy conditions, as a five-eye jurisdiction may not be the best choice.

These are also some of the key features you must look for if you are looking forward to opting for best privacy protection apps