Hoccer
| Hoccer | |
|---|---|
| Basic data
|
|
| developer | Hoccer Betriebs GmbH |
| Publishing year | 2009 |
| Current version | 3.2.16 ( Android ) September 4, 2018 3.4.8 ( iOS ) |
| operating system | Android , iOS |
| category | Instant messaging |
| German speaking | Yes |
| www.hoccer.com | |
Hoccer was an instant messaging - service for smartphones and tablet computers . The full proper name was "Hoccer - the safe messenger". It was free for private users. The operating systems Android (from version 4.0) and iOS (from version 7.1) were supported. Since it is in the software not to free software acted manufacturer's instructions were not checked at the behavior of the software, in particular the safety-related parts by an independent body.
history
The messaging app was developed by Hoccer Betriebs GmbH. The company emerged from the ART + COM design agency with a group of software developers . Hoccer was developed in the lead by the hardware and software developer and politician Pavel Mayer . In March 2014, media entrepreneur Dirk Ströer took over a total of 51% of the shares in Hoccer Betriebs GmbH for 50 million euros. Ströer only paid part of it in cash, the rest of the money was received by the Hoccer owners in the form of advertising.
Since August and November 2009, the developers have been offering two different apps for Android and iOS: the messenger Hoccer XO and the former Hoccer with file sharing function. The latter included a self-developed geographic coordinate query and data exchange through gesture control. After converging the features of both apps, they were merged into one in November 2014. The service was unexpectedly discontinued in mid-May 2020.
Functions
The application could send unlimited text messages, photos, videos, voice messages, address book entries, location data and other file formats in individual and group chats. As with other secure messenger services, all messages and other attachments are encrypted directly on the device and can only be decrypted by the recipient. For encryption, Hoccer used a hybrid encryption, consisting of a combination of AES-256 with 4096-bit RSA .
In contrast to other messaging apps , Hoccer was a pseudonymous service that was data-sparing and without a telephone number or other personal data. Unique was the geo-location service "Nearby", which enables users to exchange messages and attachments regardless of size within a radius of 100 m without exchanging any user-related data.
The high level of data protection (according to the manufacturer) comes at the expense of user friendliness. The setup was more tedious compared to WhatsApp . A comparison of the contact list does not take place.
safety
According to the manufacturer, every user had a private key that was only stored on the end device and not stored by the service provider. The encryption used is asymmetrical, consisting of private and public keys, and should offer a high level of security when chatting. In principle, communication between client and server and between the Hoccer servers only works via encrypted HTTPS connections ( SSL / TLS encryption). So-called "pinned certificates" would be used to avoid having to trust certification authorities.
The manufacturer also stated that the user himself does not save any access data. For Hoccer it is just a randomly generated number. All of the user's credentials would be stored on the user's device. The app has neither insight into file formats nor into the content of the messages that are sent. As little data as possible would be stored on the servers used by Hoccer. They should be located exclusively in Germany and are therefore subject to German data protection law . Once messages have been completely transmitted, they are immediately removed from the server.
reception
According to Stiftung Warentest , Hoccer was the German test winner for messenger apps in 2015. They praised Hoccer's exemplary handling of personal data.
See also
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Download page for Android. In: Google Play . Retrieved February 16, 2019 .
- ↑ Preview page for iOS. In: App Store (iOS) . Retrieved December 23, 2017 .
- ↑ Virginia Kirst: There are better messengers than WhatsApp. See at the end of the article. In: welt.de . August 8, 2015, accessed December 3, 2015 .
- ^ Company: About - History. In: hoccer.com. Retrieved January 15, 2016 .
- ↑ Christof Kerkmann: Ströer takes over WhatsApp alternative Hoccer. In: handelsblatt.com . March 24, 2014, accessed December 3, 2015 .
- ^ Daniel Albrecht (dal): Hoccer XO: WhatsApp alternative from Germany. (No longer available online.) In: Chip Online . February 24, 2014, archived from the original on December 11, 2015 ; Retrieved December 10, 2015 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Martin Gresse: Hoccer: Simple data transfer between Android, iPhone and PC. In: Chip Online. May 25, 2012, accessed December 10, 2015 .
- ↑ Hoccer - the secure messenger. In: hoccer.com. November 11, 2014, accessed January 15, 2016 .
- ↑ Hoccer - the secure messenger. In: hoccer.com. May 15, 2020, accessed May 18, 2020 .
- ↑ Secure Messenger: Hoccer gives up. In: heise.de. May 19, 2020, accessed May 24, 2020 .
- ↑ FAQ. Compilation of information on particularly frequently asked questions. In: hoccer.com. Retrieved February 10, 2016 .
- ↑ Malte Mansholt: Test winner Hoccer: What good is the data protection messenger? In: curved.de, an initiative of the E-Plus Group. August 6, 2015, accessed December 3, 2015 .
- ↑ Data protection and security declaration. In: hoccer.com. Retrieved January 15, 2016 .
- ↑ Chatting with Hoccer - the first steps. In: hoccer.com. April 24, 2014, accessed January 15, 2016 .
- ↑ Messenger apps: German test winner Hoccer, WhatsApp hardly protects private items from Stiftung Warentest
