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(Pocket-lint) - There are galore messaging apps retired determination from Facebook Messenger to WhatsApp, but if you attraction astir privateness and security, it's Signal you privation to beryllium downloading.
Signal mightiness not beryllium arsenic good known arsenic the likes of the Facebook-owned WhatsApp - yet - but it has immoderate superb features, large privateness options and it collects precise minimal idiosyncratic data.
This is everything you request to cognize astir Signal, however it works, however you acceptable it up, what features it offers and immoderate tips and tricks to get you started.
How does Signal work?
Signal uses end-to-end encryption that is powered by the unfastened root Signal Protocol to support each your conversations secure. In different words, the institution can't work your messages oregon perceive to your calls and it says nary 1 other tin either.
There are nary adverts and nary trackers, and the institution isn't tied to immoderate different company, nor tin it beryllium ever beryllium acquired by 1 - WhatsApp is owned by Facebook but Signal tin ne'er be, it says. Instead, it is an autarkic non-profit with improvement supported by grants and donations.
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What features does Signal offer?
Signal allows you to bash astir of what you would expect from a messaging app, on with plentifulness more. You tin usage the app to nonstop substance messages, dependable messages, photos, videos, GIFs, contacts, determination and files for free, conscionable similar you tin with rival apps similar WhatsApp.
It's besides imaginable to audio telephone and video telephone done the Signal app, commencement a radical chat with different contacts who person Signal and nonstop encrypted stickers. Yes, not conscionable stickers, encrypted stickers.
There are immoderate different large features too the emblematic ones though. You tin crook work receipts connected oregon off, crook typing indicators connected oregon off, take whether oregon not you privation calls to look successful your recents database and take to each relay calls done a Signal server successful bid to debar revealing your IP address, for example.
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There's besides the enactment to forestall the Signal chat surface appearing connected the app switcher connected iOS, crook connected Screen Lock truthful you request Touch ID, Face ID oregon your passcode connected iOS to unlock Signal's surface and crook connected Registration Lock that volition necessitate the Signal PIN you acceptable up erstwhile you registry to usage your telephone fig with Signal again.
And that's not adjacent each the options. Signal besides has a circumstantial diagnostic acceptable for each chat too.
You tin presumption the information fig to verify the information of your end-to-end encryption with a circumstantial interaction for example, arsenic good arsenic crook connected a diagnostic called Disappearing Messages and take the clip you privation the messages to enactment disposable aft being read. WhatsApp has Disappearing Messages excessively but the clip options are much limited.
It's besides imaginable to prime antithetic connection sounds for each chat and mute circumstantial chats - some of which you tin bash connected apps similar WhatsApp too.
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How bash you acceptable up Signal?
Signal is disposable for Android and iOS devices. It tin besides beryllium utilized connected iPad and Mac, arsenic good arsenic Windows and Linux.
Once you've downloaded Signal onto your iOS oregon Android device, you'll request to participate your telephone fig to get started, similar you would connected WhatsApp. You'll past person a codification to corroborate your fig successful a message, which you'll request to participate into the Signal app.
Once confirmed, you'll request to acceptable up your Signal Profile - lone a archetypal sanction is required, with a past sanction being optional. Following this, you'll acceptable up a PIN of astatine slightest 4 digits - alphanumeric PINs are disposable arsenic an enactment too.
This PIN keeps accusation stored with Signal encrypted truthful lone you tin entree it. Your illustration settings and contacts volition reconstruct erstwhile you reinstall Signal. After you've acceptable up your PIN, you tin commencement a caller connection successful the apical close and get chatting.
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How bash you usage Signal? 17 tips and tricks to get you started
Signal's interface is plain and simple, making it beauteous straightforward to use. You commencement a caller chat by tapping connected the pencil icon successful the apical close country and prime the interaction from the list. Here are immoderate different useful tips to get you started connected Signal.
Turn connected Disappearing Messages
If you privation the messages sent and received successful a chat to vanish erstwhile they person been seen, crook the Disappearing Messages features on.
Open the chat > Tap connected the interaction sanction astatine the apical to entree settings > Toggle Disappearing Messages connected > Use the slider to take the clip you privation the messages to vanish after.
Time options are: 30 seconds, 5 minute, 1 hour, 8 hours, 1 day, 1 week, 4 weeks oregon Custom.
Turn disconnected Read Receipts
Turning disconnected Read Receipts volition crook them disconnected for each chats and you won't spot them for messages sent either.
Open Signal > Tap connected your Account icon successful the apical near country > Privacy > Toggle connected Read Receipts.
Turn disconnected Typing Indicators
Turning disconnected Typing Indicators volition crook them disconnected for each chats and arsenic with work receipts, you won't spot them erstwhile messages are being typed either.
Open Signal > Tap connected your Account icon successful the apical near country > Privacy > Toggle connected Typing Indicators.
Delete a message
You tin delete a connection aft it's been sent, similar you tin connected WhatsApp. Open the chat > Press and clasp connected the connection you privation to delete > Tap connected the bin icon supra the keyboard connected iOS, oregon the bin icon successful the apical close connected Android.
Turn connected Registration Lock
Turning connected Registration Lock volition mean your Signal PIN is required to registry your telephone fig with Signal again. If you hide your Signal PIN, you'll beryllium locked retired of your relationship for 7 days.
Open Signal > Tap connected your Account icon successful the apical near country > Privacy > Toggle connected Registration Lock.
Link/Unlink an iPad oregon Laptop
If you privation to spot your Signal chats connected different device, specified arsenic your iPad oregon your laptop, you'll request to download Signal to the level and travel the instructions below.
Open Signal connected some devices > Click connected your Account icon successful the apical near country of your telephone app > Linked Devices > Link New Device > Scan the QR code.
To unlink a Linked Device: Open Signal > Click connected your Account icon successful the apical near country of your telephone app > Linked Devices > Tap connected Edit successful the apical close country > Delete the instrumentality you privation to Unlink.
Turn connected Dark Mode
There are a fig of quality options for Signal, 1 of the which is simply a acheronian mode.
To crook acheronian mode on: Open Signal > Click connected your Account icon successful the apical near country of your telephone app > Appearance > Theme > Dark.
Change the chat wallpaper
You tin alteration the chat wallpaper successful Signal, either choosing a coagulated colour oregon choosing from your photos.
To alteration the chat wallpaper: Open Signal > Click connected your Account icon successful the apical near country of your telephone app > Appearance > Chat Color & Wallpaper > Set Wallpaper > Choose from Photos oregon prime a preset.
Change the chat colour
It's besides imaginable to alteration the chat colour successful Signal, but the colour is lone disposable to you. The default is the Signal blue, oregon if you person changed the wallpaper, it volition automatically alteration the chat colour to lucifer if you prime auto, but you tin besides usage your ain colour.
To alteration the chat colour: Open Signal > Click connected your Account icon successful the apical near country of your telephone app > Appearance > Chat Color & Wallpaper > Chat Color.
Change what is shown connected a notification
Call and connection notifications tin look erstwhile your telephone is locked but you mightiness privation lone circumstantial accusation to appear, oregon hardly immoderate information.
Open Signal > Click connected your Account icon successful the apical near country of your telephone app > Notifications > Show > Choose betwixt 'Name, Content and Actions', 'Name Only' and 'No Name oregon Content'.
Send a presumption erstwhile lone picture
You mightiness privation to nonstop a representation but lone let the recipient to presumption it once. Maybe a truly atrocious selfie. Careful though arsenic the recipient tin inactive screenshot the representation and Signal doesn't archer you if they do.
Open Signal > Open the chat > Tap connected the "+" icon successful the bottommost near country adjacent to the connection input tract > Select the Gallery icon oregon scroll done your photos > Select the representation > Tap connected the ellipse icon with the nexus successful the bottommost near country to power it to a ellipse with a '1x' successful the mediate > Press bluish arrow successful the bottommost close to send.
If you privation to nonstop a caller representation taken with the camera successful the Signal app: Open Signal > Open the chat > Tap connected the camera icon to the close of the connection input tract > Take the representation > Tap connected the ellipse icon with the nexus successful the mediate to alteration to the ellipse with '1x' > Press the bluish arrow successful the bottommost close to send.
Remove Signal calls from telephone lists
You mightiness not privation your Signal calls to look successful your telephone logs. If you don't, you tin toggle connected a diagnostic truthful they don't.
Open Signal > Click connected your Account icon successful the apical near country of your telephone app > Privacy > Toggle connected Show Calls successful Recents.
Stop Signal appearing successful the app switcher
It's imaginable to marque it truthful lone Signal's bluish surface appears successful the app switcher connected iOS, stopping you being capable to spot the chat screen.
Open Signal > Click connected your Account icon successful the apical near country of your telephone app > Privacy > Toggle connected Enable Screen Security.
Turn connected Screen Lock
Turning connected Screen Lock allows you to necessitate Touch ID, Face ID oregon your iOS password to unlock Signal's screen. It's an added furniture of security.
Open Signal > Click connected your Account icon successful the apical near country of your telephone app > Privacy > Toggle connected Screen Lock.
Add an emoji absorption to a message
To adhd an emoji absorption to a message, each you person to bash is clasp down connected the message. You'll get 7 emoji options including a heart, thumbs up, thumbs down, a crying laughing face, a shocked face, a crying look and an aggravated face.
Directly reply to a circumstantial message
To straight reply to a circumstantial connection truthful your reply appears with the connection you are replying to supra it, swipe close to near connected the connection and benignant your reply.
Make a video telephone with Signal
To marque a video telephone to idiosyncratic connected Signal, unfastened the chat of the idiosyncratic you privation to call, deed the video icon successful the apical close corner.
Blur faces oregon accusation successful images
Signal allows you to automatically blur the faces of anyone that mightiness beryllium successful a photograph you share, oregon manually blur immoderate accusation you don't privation to stock from a photo. It tin beryllium a photograph you instrumentality utilizing the camera successful Signal, oregon a photograph from your gallery.
The Blur instrumentality appears successful the representation exertion astatine the apical of an representation you person taken oregon uploaded erstwhile you get to the nonstop screen. It's a ellipse with a transverse of tiny grey and achromatic squares wrong it.
Once you pat connected it, you tin toggle connected Blur faces astatine the bottommost of your screen, which volition automatically observe faces and enactment a grey quadrate implicit them. You tin past manually blur thing other by drafting with your finger. Undo is successful the apical left, on with the finished button. Once you're done, you tin property the bluish arrow to nonstop arsenic normal.
Writing by Britta O'Boyle. Originally published connected 26 May 2020.
English (US) ·