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Signal tests nicknames and notes to better organize your contacts
It's not the flashiest feature but it does give users a bit more freedom to customize their contacts
Signal is one of the best encrypted messaging apps that you can use in 2024. While it isn't the most robust app on the market, it keeps things simple and secure by offering end-to-end encryption for chats and voice calls. Of course, if you're the type that's a bit of a skeptic, you can always do a little snooping yourself, since the source code for the app and the server are available openly on GitHub.
Signal and Threema want nothing to do with WhatsApp
WhatsApp will have to offer interoperability in the EU, but other messengers don't seem interested
As part of the wide-reaching Digital Markets Act, many big tech companies have to change the way they work and process data in the EU. One of the targeted businesses is Meta, with WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger deemed to be gatekeepers that may prevent smaller competitors from reaching relevant market share. That’s why Meta has to offer interoperability with other messengers in March 2024, but it looks like two promising competitors aren’t interested at all.
Signal finally lets you keep your phone number secret, but there's still a catch
Signal rolls out usernames, but you still need to sign up with your phone number
Signal used to make users sign up with their phone numbers, which they then had to share to message others. It wasn't the smartest move, considering the privacy and hacking nightmares it stirred up. In response, Signal started testing usernames late last year as a more secure way to communicate. Now, the service is rolling out this feature to provide a private way to connect without plastering your digits all over the place.
It should come to no one’s surprise that tech companies copy each other all the time. Even if ideas are being worked on simultaneously without the other’s influence, if one brand introduces a specific feature first, then everyone will feel like that brand solely came up with the feature. That might ring true in the case of usernames on both Signal and WhatsApp. Just days ago, Signal introduced to the world public usernames for individuals to enhance anonymity. Today, WhatsApp's developers showed that they are working on something similar, but it’ll work a bit differently.
Signal is now testing public usernames to help users maintain chat privacy
Aliases would allow users to send messages without using their full name
While Signal may not be as widely known as instant messengers like WhatsApp, the end-to-end encrypted messenger remains one of the most secure in its class. Additionally, it’s operated by a non-profit, and the open-source software is still entirely free to use. That being said, some of Signal’s features have been questioned by users who want anonymity while using the messenger. One of these is the use of full names and phone numbers across the platform, rather than usernames — but Signal might be close to resolving this long-standing issue.
Signal is now safeguarding against future computers that can surpass encryption
The PQXDH specification is designed as an added layer of protection
Many people have caught onto the benefits of end-to-end encryption for instant messaging. As it grows in popularity, companies are beginning to integrate it into their products to provide the option. For example, Meta's WhatsApp is known for its end-to-end encryption, and the feature is slowly being rolled out for Instagram as well. However, not everyone is sold on end-to-end encryption features developed by tech giants like Apple and Meta. If you prefer to use Signal, the independent encrypted messaging service, you may have a bit more peace of mind. Now, Signal is expanding upon the security it offers its users with the development of a protective measure for the future.
Signal is finally getting a major feature Telegram launched four years ago
Message scheduling is now rolling out to all users
Consistently ranked among the best encrypted messaging apps out there, Signal has changed with the times and added dozens of nifty new features — some visual and some focusing on security and privacy. Now it's time for the latest to arrive, as Signal finally picks up the ability to schedule messages scheduling — which has been
Signal will let you send all the right signals with properly formatted text
Beta users can send messages in bold, italics, and strikethrough
Although the instant messaging space is dominated by the likes of Telegram and WhatsApp, Signal has built up a dedicated fanbase thanks to its focus on privacy. Its developers are almost constantly updating the app with new utilities like icons for disguise, and today, we're getting another patch with new tools. The latest beta build now includes the ability to format text to make messages more expressive and clearer than every before.
Weekend poll: Do you prefer messaging apps that also support SMS?
Your group chats and your OTP texts, living side-by-side
Messaging on Android is better than ever, as Google finally got its act together by focusing on RCS. Of course, in the decade it took to build a platform worthy of rivaling iMessage, plenty of third-party clients have burst onto the scene. When it comes to privacy and security, it's hard to beat Signal, but the app found itself in some hot water with fans this week after suddenly dropping SMS support. To some, that might seem like the loss of a much-have feature. For others, you might not even notice.
Signal is dropping SMS support — and that's a good thing
Users are understandably enraged, but ultimately, Signal made the right move
Signal's privacy-first focus is perhaps its biggest selling point, and it's probably the best end-to-end encrypted messaging app out there. But while messages between Signal users are as private as it gets, the app also supports SMS, which is not a secure standard. Signal has announced that it's removing support for the dated, ancient standard from its app — so if you were using Signal as your main SMS app, you should start looking for a switch or go back to the default SMS app on your phone.
Signal is testing stories, because every app on our phone needs disappearing posts
You can upload 24-hour photos and videos for all your Signal contacts to see
Signal is one of the best messaging apps you can have on your phone. It's particularly great because it's not associated with a big tech company, features end-to-end encryption, and includes a host of features focusing on security and privacy — ensuring messages are read only by the sending and receiving parties and not by anyone else. So, of course, it needs to have stories, like almost every other social media service. And this feature is now rolling out to beta users.
Some Signal users’ phone numbers were exposed in Twilio breach
You're (probably) not affected by this Signal breach
Signal is, more often than not, synonymous with privacy and security. After all, its encryption protocol not only protects its own chats with end-to-end encryption, but it's also featured on messaging apps like WhatsApp, which are used by billions of people worldwide. Despite its chat app being made with a focus on security from the ground up, this is the internet, which means nothing is truly foolproof. Case in point, a breach that saw attackers gain access to Twilio's customer support console through phishing has affected some Signal users, exposing their phone numbers.
Signal pulls a Slack, introduces proper thread view on Android
Replies to messages are now bundled in neat threads
Signal may be the best alternative to WhatsApp and text messaging when you want to stay as private as possible while communicating online. However, security isn’t the chat service’s only focus. It also regularly enhances its app with new quality-of-life features. The latest addition to the Signal Android app comes in the form of a thread view, which allows you to see all replies to a given message in a single place.
WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton has been appointed as interim CEO of Signal
While the company looks for a new CEO externally
When we're talking about messaging apps, you'll often hear WhatsApp and Signal mentioned in the same breath, and for good reason: they're both instant messengers with end-to-end encryption support (with the same protocol, even) and a very similar set of features. They've also both had involvement from the same guy, Brian Acton, and now the WhatsApp co-founder has been appointed interim CEO of Signal.
Signal's cryptocurrency P2P payments have quietly gone global
Regulatory scrutiny may still prove problematic in the United States
It seems like the latest, hottest thing in messaging apps is support for sending money. You've been able to pay people through WhatsApp for some time in certain markets, and Meta recently started testing payments in the US. Signal has been planning for some time to get into the action, and the privacy-focused messaging app began testing a payments feature last year for users in the UK (before rolling a beta out to other countries later), allowing them to send payments to their contacts via a cryptocurrency called MobileCoin. Now we're learning that the feature has made a low-key global expansion.
Signal significantly ups its video group call limit, surpassing WhatsApp
Up to 40 people can now join an end-to-end encrypted video call
While WhatsApp and most other messengers support end-to-end encryption, Signal is probably still your best choice when you want your conversations and calls to stay private. Given that all communication on Signal is encrypted, including group video calls, the company is running into some unique challenges that need to be addressed when scaling its service. As such, Signal has only supported group calls with up to five participants until now, but it has finally managed to significantly up the limit to 40 people at a time.
Following Signal, WhatsApp lets users turn on disappearing messages by default
Set everything to vanish
Meta-owned (remember, that's Mark Zuckerberg!) WhatsApp is passing on a couple of feature tweaks related to disappearing messages that have been in the works for months — the most important of them being the ability to set messages in new chats to disappear by default.
Signal is taking the fight to spammers with new message request features
It will blur your profile photo if you get a message from outside your contacts
Signal is probably the best option available for Android users who want a secure personal messaging app. Since the beginning of 2021, the app has increased its user base substantially and hit 50 million installs on Play Store earlier this year. Even though it's private and secure, users still get annoying spam messages which can be extremely irritating. In its fight against spammers, Signal has made some modifications to its message requests and link handling.
Telegram was the big winner of Facebook's massive, multi-hour outage
The platform got a massive uptick in users while WhatsApp was dead
It almost felt as society plunged into chaos as Facebook's servers went out on Tuesday, October 4 and didn't come back up until several hours later, bringing down Instagram and WhatsApp along with it. The outage affected billions of people and made them scramble to look for an alternative to reach their friends and acquaintances. The result? The competing messaging app Telegram saw a massive increase in users during those downtime hours.
Signal beta gets some neat design tweaks and opens up payments to more users
MobileCoin payments are now available in Switzerland, France, and Germany
The latest beta version of the Signal Android app brings a few incremental design changes as well as an expansion to the privacy-focused payments it introduced back in April. MobileCoin transactions were only available to beta testers in the UK before, but they're now being rolled out to three more countries.