Privnote is an online service for users to send private, encrypted messages that self-destruct after being read. Compared to standard text messaging, Privnote offers more privacy, security, and control over your communications. Text messages are not private by default. Your mobile carrier stores copies of all the texts you send and receive, and may share that data with authorities if compelled. Apps like iMessage offer encryption, but your messages are still visible on your phone and your contact’s phone indefinitely. With Privnote, messages are end-to-end encrypted and are not stored anywhere after being read. The contents of your note are never logged or retained by Privnote’s servers. Once the intended recipient views the note, it’s automatically and permanently deleted from Privnote’s servers. This prevents third parties from accessing your private conversations later on.
Added security
Beyond encryption, Privnote has other security advantages over standard texts. With Privnote, you generate a unique, one-time link to access the private note. Only those you share the link with view the message. And if someone gets unauthorized access to your phone, they scroll back through your Privnotes history because past notes don’t remain accessible. Privnote also lets you set an expiration time for how long the note remains viewable, from 1 minute up to 7 days. After the set time limit passes, is automatically deleted and the link becomes inactive. It prevents the message from floating around indefinitely where it could be compromised.
More Control
- Texting allows little control over what happens to your messages after you hit send. Your contacts screenshot or forward your texts to anyone. Privnote gives you more command over your private communications.
- When you create a Privnote, you disable the options for downloading, copying, or printing the note. It prevents recipients from replicating your message. Privnote also notifies you if a recipient takes screenshots while viewing a note.
- The service also utilizes browser fingerprinting to discourage note-sharing. If a recipient copies and sends a Privnote link to someone else, that third party will be blocked from accessing the private message.
SMS limitations
Standard text messaging has some technical limitations that Privnote avoids. how to protect text messages SMS message length is limited to 160 characters, forcing you to break longer communications into multiple texts. Texting also only supports basic text characters, not other media like images, PDFs, or documents. With Privnote, you include formatted text, links, images, and files up to 25MB in size in a single private note. You’re not restricted by texting constraints.
Cost savings
The most people, sending and receiving individual text messages doesn’t incur extra charges these days. But if you don’t have an unlimited messaging plan, heavy texting adds up to your phone bill. Each sent and received text ads to the tally. With Privnote, there are no per-message fees. You send and receive as many privates as needed each month without racking up incremental SMS costs. The free Privnote service places no limits on how frequently you use their platform.