Semaphor

There is no shortage of specialized applications which enable you to keep in touch with large teams, but you still need to look carefully if you have specific needs. If privacy is more important than everything else, then Semaphor is the solution you should go for. It has a simple design and a straightforward functionality, so even novice users should be able to master its controls. However, the key feature you should expect from this piece of software is privacy protection. It gives you full control to decide who can join your channels, it encrypts your messages and it does much more to make you and your team mates feel safe.

The software has a monthly and an yearly billing plan, but you can also use it for free, with some limitations. The installation process is almost instantaneous and you don't have to do anything along the way. All you have to do is run the setup file and the application will be ready to go in just a few seconds. Furthermore, the hardware requirements are modest and you don't have to install any prerequisite tools or services.

Semaphor's user interface is laid out like that of most chat applications on the market. Teams and channels are listed in a column, on the left side of the window and you can chat in a selected channel in the larger area on the right. New teams and channels can be created instantly and it only involves typing a name. A second column can be brought up on the right side of the interface, where you can find options for editing your profile, viewing pending invitations, options for linking other devices and more.

You can't add contacts to a list, like in a traditional messaging application, but you can send a unique invitation ID to those whom you want to invite to a team, which is the only way a person can join a team. When you start using Semaphor for the first time, you will be provided with a long and complex key by email and you will have to paste it on the user interface to get started. Fortunately, you have to do this only once and it completely replaces the username and password system.

When communicating with Semaphor, worrying about privacy breaches or hacked passwords will be a thing of the past.