Messengers for staying in touch: how to pick the right one
The right messenger is not necessarily the one that tops someone else's ranking. What matters more is that the people you need are already there or can easily be invited, and that chats, calls and files work equally well on your devices.
We build Solovo for talking to family, friends and small groups. There is no goal of displacing every familiar app at once. Start with one conversation, a family chat or a call and see whether this calmer format suits your circle.
What matters when choosing
Before installing anything, answer a few questions:
- who you will be talking to and whether those people are willing to install a new app;
- whether you need only private messages or also groups, voice and video calls;
- what attachments you send: photos, videos, voice messages or documents;
- whether you want to continue conversations in a browser or a separate desktop app;
- what privacy model the service describes and what permissions it requests on your phone.
One messenger may be convenient for a large audience and public channels, another for closed conversations, a third for family. So it is more useful to compare your daily scenario than the number of features.
Popular options
Telegram
Telegram is convenient if you need large groups, channels, files and sync between phone, computer and the web version. Ordinary cloud chats are stored in the cloud and do not use end-to-end encryption. It applies to secret chats, which are tied to a device.
WhatsApp is often already installed for relatives and friends. Private messages and calls are protected by end-to-end encryption, and conversations can continue on linked devices and a computer.
Signal
Signal suits people for whom privacy is the main criterion. Messages and calls between Signal users use end-to-end encryption. There are mobile and desktop apps, but no separate browser version.
MAX
MAX supports chats, files, calls and works on mobile devices, a computer and in a browser. If protecting your conversations is critical, read the current privacy description separately before moving important conversations there.
In Solovo we focused on a different scale: the people close to you, small groups and clear actions without an overloaded interface. Below we show how that works in everyday communication.
A place for your close circle
Family conversation is rarely limited to text. Someone sends a photo, someone answers by voice, and then everyone needs a quick call to settle the weekend. In Solovo, private and group chats, messages, attachments and calls are gathered in one conversation.
We do not suggest moving your whole history and every contact on day one. Create a separate chat with the people you want to reach without a stream of channels and stray notifications. That makes it easier to tell whether the app suits you.
Private chats
In a private chat you can send text, voice messages, round video messages, photos, videos and documents. A message can be answered with a quote, your own text can be edited, and a reaction can show that you have read a request or agree with a suggestion.
This set means you do not have to switch apps in the middle of one conversation. A photo can be paired with a spoken explanation, a long story recorded as a round video, and the document you need sent into the same chat.
The conversation history keeps messages, attachments and call details. Incoming, outgoing and missed calls are visible next to the thread, so you do not have to remember where exactly you reached the person.
Unread messages are marked in the chat list, and search helps you get back to the conversation you need. That is especially useful when one chat holds family news, a trip and household questions at the same time.
Family groups
Create a shared chat for family, friends or a small team. The group owner can change the name, photo and description, and add or remove members. That helps when the membership or the purpose of the group changes over time.
Members can be invited with a link. It is easy to send through a channel everyone already uses, and it can be revoked and reissued if needed. Following the invitation is all it takes for someone to land in the right group after signing in to Solovo.
Do not move an important family chat straight away. First invite two or three people, send a message and a photo, check notifications and make a short call. After a test like that, the decision rests on everyone's real experience.
A group works well as a shared place for arrangements. In the morning you can clarify the shopping list, in the afternoon send a document, and in the evening call and record the plan in the thread. Everyone sees one context and loses fewer important details between different apps.
Calls
For a one-to-one conversation there are voice and video calls. Mobile versions support group voice and video calls, screen sharing, camera switching, reactions and a raised hand. A speaker indicator helps follow the conversation when several people are on the call.
You can join an active group call from the chat. That suits family discussions and small teams: arrangements stay next to the messages and files, and nobody has to hunt for a separate meeting link.
Connection quality depends on the internet, the device and the app version. Before an important conversation, test sound, video and screen sharing on the network you will actually use.
Voice messages, round videos and files
A voice message helps explain a detail quickly when typing is awkward. A round video suits a short personal clip, and a photo or document adds specifics to the conversation.
In a chat you can forward messages and send music, photos, videos and files. Upload progress is visible while sending, and a failed attempt can be retried. For a quick reaction there are static and animated stickers.
Links open with a preview, and a draft keeps an unfinished message from being lost. If a conversation is interrupted, you can come back later and continue from the same place without a separate note.
If you are sending a large file or a long video, test the upload on your own devices and network first. That is more reliable than any general promise about speed.
Shared tasks
The Android version has built-in shared task lists. Add purchases, household chores, trip preparation or a small work plan, then tick off completed items together.
Start with one simple task and ask another participant to change its status. If the list is available in your version and both of you see the update, it can replace the chain of "don't forget" and "already done" messages.
Some family and work tools are still evolving and may not appear on all platforms at the same time. Judge by the features you can see in your installed version right now.
Contacts and invitations
Solovo can find people you know from your phone book if you allow access to contacts. The permission stays under your control: you can check and change it in your phone settings.
You can give a contact your own name for them. It will be visible to you in the chat list and the conversation, even if the person uses a different name in their profile. For a new acquaintance or a client you can send a personal link, and for a group of people an invite link.
Nobody has to search for you by hand in advance. The link leads straight to the profile or conversation you mean and shortens the path to the first message.
Phone and the web version
Solovo works on iPhone, iPad and Android. When it is easier to type on a keyboard or send files from a computer, open the web version at app.solovo.ru/.
Separate apps for each desktop system are not currently offered. If you specifically need a standalone client for Windows, macOS or Linux, take that into account before moving your everyday conversations.
Before an important call, open Solovo on the device you will use ahead of time. Check sign-in, notifications, the microphone, the camera and file access — these settings depend not only on the messenger but on the operating system.
The web version is useful as a continuation of mobile conversation rather than a separate product. Start the conversation on your phone, then open it at your computer when you need a long reply or a document from a work folder.
Privacy
Messages and calls are protected by encryption, and data is encrypted in transit. In the mobile app you can turn on a passcode lock, biometric unlock, auto-lock after the app goes to the background and manual locking.
We do not describe all ordinary chats as end-to-end encrypted: there is no public technical description of such a model at the moment, and secret chats are still in development. If you discuss sensitive data and need documented end-to-end encryption for every conversation, choose a service that explicitly confirms it for the type of chat you need.
Signing up requires a phone number. Access to the phone book is granted separately, and the list of processed data depends on the platform and the features you use. Before you start, read the privacy policy and check the app's permissions on your device.
After the first sign-in, turn on the passcode lock and biometrics if they are available. These settings do not change the encryption model, but they protect your conversations from anyone who gets hold of an unlocked phone.
How to sign up
The first sign-in is easier in the mobile app:
- Install Solovo from the App Store or Google Play.
- Enter your phone number.
- Confirm with the SMS code.
- Set your profile name.
- Decide whether the app needs access to your contacts.
Once signed in, find someone you know, send a personal link or create a group and share the invitation. The web version can be opened at app.solovo.ru after your account is set up.
How to start talking
Do not judge a new messenger by its sign-up screen alone. Run a short practical test:
- Start a private chat and exchange a few messages.
- Send a photo, a voice message and a small file.
- Create a group and invite a few people with a link.
- Make a voice or video call.
- Check notifications and signing in to the web version.
- Turn on the app lock if it is available on your device.
That immediately shows whether Solovo suits your family or small team. If notifications, calls or file handling are awkward for someone, it is better to find out before moving important conversations.
What to keep in mind
Solovo is a young messenger. It has a smaller ready-made audience than long-familiar apps, so some people will have to be invited. That does not stop you creating a separate space for family or friends, but the move should be comfortable for everyone involved.
Some features may differ between iOS, Android and the web version. Shared task lists are offered on Android, there is no separate desktop client, and secret chats are still in development. Check the capabilities you need on the devices your circle actually uses.
If public channels, very large communities or an established network of contacts matter more to you, the messenger you are used to can remain your main one. Solovo can be used alongside it — for a separate close circle, without changing everything at once.
Start with one conversation
Install Solovo together with one person close to you, create a chat and try the different formats. Then add a small group or make a call. A start like that requires no migration of your entire history and gives a clear answer to the main question: is this a comfortable place for you to stay in touch.
We keep developing the app and adding features. But the decision is better based on what already works in your version: messages, groups, calls, files, invitations, web sign-in and the protection settings.
