“Private” is marketing until you can point to a business model that does not depend on harvesting attention.
Ask what data is collected, how long it is kept, and whether it is sold or shared. Read the privacy policy once—then compare with what the app actually requests on your device.
Encryption matters: end-to-end for messages is different from “encrypted in transit”.
Peyphone aims to be straightforward: a modern chat experience without stuffing your timeline with ads.