How to Use the Signal App: Tips & Tricks

If you want to keep your conversations safe, you can’t do better than secure messaging app Signal. Thanks to Signal’s end-to-end encryption, no one – not even Signal – can eavesdrop on your calls or read your messages.

You don’t need to adjust any settings to get a high level of security from Signal – these features are built in. However, you can make a few changes to get even more out of the app. We’ll show you how to use Signal and offer some tips and tricks to try.

Why signal?

Signal has a lot to offer.

• The Signal Foundation is a non-profit organization.
• The private messenger app is free.
• It is not affiliated with any technology company.
• Signal runs on donations from backers that fund development and operations.
• Signal protects free speech by enabling secure global communications through its open-source privacy technology.

With Signal you can make voice calls, video calls, group calls and SMS/text messages with end-to-end encryption. People like Edward Snowden and Elon Musk rely on Signal (instead of other messaging services like WhatsApp, Telegram or Facebook Messenger) to protect their messages from hackers.

Install Signal Messenger

Get Signal for Android devices from the Google Play Store. iPhone or iPad users should visit the Apple App Store to install Signal. Or visit signal.org/install in your phone’s browser.

Once you’ve installed the Signal app, you’ll be prompted to register with your phone number. You verify yourself via an SMS confirmation code, create a PIN and fill out your profile. Feel free to use a nickname!

Use Signal on your desktop too

After installing the encrypted messaging app on your phone, you should also use Signal’s desktop app. Signal desktop apps are available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. If you choose to use the desktop or iPad apps, you will link to them from your phone app.

In the top right corner of Signal on Android, tap – or by tapping your profile icon in the top left corner settings > Linked Devices. On iOS, tap signal settings > Link new device. Then use your app of choice to scan the QR code in the desktop app.

Additional security and privacy settings

Beat settings > privacy to access options including:

• Allow or forbid read receipts.
• Screen Security where you can block screenshots in the recent list and within Signal
• Incognito keyboard to disable personalized keyboard learning
• Under Progressivedecide Always forward calls Route calls through the Signal server so you don’t reveal your IP address to your contacts.
• Sealed Sender Options help you prevent Signal service from knowing the sender of messages you send.

Make your signal messages disappear

Disappearing message options are below settings > privacy, also. If you activate it Default timer for new chatsall new chats you start disappear after the recipient sees them.

screen lock signal

Go to Android settings > privacyand under App securitySwitch screen lock to apply Android screen lock or fingerprint to open Signal app.

Check the security of your signal session

Verify the session with a security number to confirm that no third party is intercepting your conversation. Open a conversation and tap the name of the person you’re communicating with. Tap there Show security number. Ask your contact to do the same.

You can either compare the security numbers you see to make sure they match the numbers your contact sees or, if you’re in the same location as your conversation partner, you can scan the QR code on their phone.

Turn off iPhone call history syncing with iCloud

Signal users on iPhones who use Signal for voice calls may wish to turn off their call history syncing with iCloud. Make sure sync is off by going to signal settings > privacy > Show calls in Recents and make sure you have selected those Disabled Possibility.

Group chats on Signal

To create a group chat, tap the pencil icon and then tap New group. Select group members from your contact list. Then tap the arrow icon to continue. Give the group a name and tap Create. Invite more friends to the group by tapping to invite friends. You can choose an admin to approve new members and enable and share a link to group chat. Share the link via Signal, another messaging app, or a QR code.

Chat backgrounds and themes

Choose a background image or theme for a chat by tapping More (3 points) > conversation/group settings > Chat color and background image. From there you can choose a chat color and background image. For wallpaper, you can select a signal preset or a photo.

Use GIFs and stickers

Android users can add GIFs and stickers to chats by tapping the GIF button to the left of the message field.

iPhone users can add a sticker by tapping the button to the right of the message field. To add a GIF, iPhone users should tap the plus icon and then tap gif.

Create your own encrypted sticker pack

Select in the Signal desktop application file > Create/upload sticker pack. You can add up to 200 stickers to create a custom sticker pack. Then anyone you send a sticker from the pack you create (or anyone you share the link with) can view the sticker pack.

Send files on Signal

Select a conversation and tap the plus icon next to the message field. Tap there gallery to select an image from your camera roll. To send a different type of file, tap file and navigate to the file you want to send. Tap the Send icon to send the file. You can also send a contact or a location.

Signal allows you to blur parts of the image when sending photos or videos, e.g. B. faces or other sensitive areas.

Create a note to yourself

Sending a note to yourself is like sending a message to someone else. First tap the pencil icon to start a new message. Then scroll to or search for note to myself in the contact list. When you turn on linked devices, your notes sync across all of them.

Make in-app payments

You can use Signal to make in-app payments to a contact, but you must first enable the payments feature. Go to settings > payments and tap the Activate payments Button. This feature uses MobileCoin, which Signal describes as “a new privacy-focused digital currency.” Learn more about Signal and MobileCoin in-app payments.

Proxy support

Some countries have blocked Signal. If you have an Android phone, you can use a proxy. Go to settings > data and storage > use proxy. Then turn on the feature and enter a proxy address.

Signal recommends finding proxy addresses using one of the following methods:

1. Search for the hashtag #IRanASignalProxy on Twitter.
2. Get a QR code or link from family or friends.
3. Set up a proxy address yourself. Signal has a great blog post that explains how to do this.

These basic tips should help you get up and running with Signal quickly. Do you use Signal every day? What are your impressions?