Can the company read it?
End-to-end encryption means it can't, even if its policy changes.
Better alternatives
You have more options than they want you to think.
Here's what to use instead of the defaults, what it costs and what you give up. Start with one swap.
The swaps
What to use instead.
Checked November 7, 2026. Prices change, so confirm before you pay. I don't earn anything from these links, and each one says whether I've tested it.
I switched to this and really like it. It's end-to-end encrypted, open source and audited, and its face recognition and search run on your device.
Cost: 10 GB free. Paid from $2.49 a month.
Tradeoff: You hold the keys, so keep your password and recovery key safe.
Encrypted mailboxes from companies whose business is selling privacy instead of ads.
Cost: Both have a free plan with about 1 GB.
Tradeoff: Free accounts can be deleted if you stop using them: after a year at Proton, six months at Tuta.
An open-source password manager that works on every device.
Cost: Free. Premium is $19.80 a year.
Tradeoff: One master password protects everything, so make it strong and don't lose it.
Private messaging run by a nonprofit, funded by grants and donations.
Cost: Free.
Tradeoff: You still need a phone number to sign up, and your friends need it too.
A strong alternative to Chromium browsers with tracking protection built in.
Cost: Free.
Tradeoff: Strict tracking protection can break the odd site.
End-to-end encrypted file storage from the same company as Proton Mail.
Cost: 2 GB free, up to 5 GB.
Tradeoff: The free space is small, so it suits important files more than everything you own.
Notes that are end-to-end encrypted and not tied to one company's ecosystem.
Cost: Both can be used for free.
Tradeoff: You'll miss some of the convenience of notes built into your phone.
A free, open-source system you control. I run an Arch-based setup, and Privacy Guides suggests Fedora for beginners.
Cost: Free.
Tradeoff: Some programs and games don't run on it, so check the ones you depend on first.
Privacy Guides calls it the best choice for privacy and security on a phone.
Cost: Free, but you need a Google Pixel.
Tradeoff: It's a bigger project than the rest of this list, so check your must-have apps first.
How I judge them
Four questions for any service.
Can anyone check the code?
Open source means you don't have to take the company's word for it.
Has someone audited it?
An outside security firm is worth more than a marketing page.
Can you leave?
If you can export everything, no company can hold your life hostage.
Straight talk
Nothing here is magic.
Every one of these is run by people, and any of them could change or disappoint you. That's why the last question matters most: keep your own copy and make sure you can leave.
The recommendations start from Privacy Guides, a nonprofit community that takes no affiliate money. Read the tradeoffs before you switch, and start with 5-Minute Wins if you're new to this.