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Messaging applications that focus on privacy and security are not new. Nevertheless, they are still not widely used, because we all know what advantages other more mainstream platforms bring.

The problem is that all these advantages usually come at a huge price in the form of our privacy and personal data.

Nowadays, there are several good options for highly secure messaging applications, but there may not be any more popular than this Signal.

What is a signal?

Signal is a secure and open source messaging, strongly inclined to privacy protection, it is enforced by an encryption algorithm (if not the best encryption algorithm) called Signal Protocol.

The platform was founded in 2013 by Matthew Rosenfeld, the founder of Open Whisper Systems. Everything was founded by the Signal Foundation, which is a completely independent non-profit organization, and, we can add, there is no connection with major technology companies.

Start using signals

Signal provides customized, secure and cross-platform clients for the most popular mobile platforms (such as iOS and Android, as well as Windows, macOS, and Linux).

First, you must install Signal on your iOS or Android device. Next, follow the instructions on the screen to complete the registration process, which involves you having to enter your phone number (in the past, you had to enter a unique access code in the app, nothing more.

Please note that the phone number is used to link your contacts, and the entire service uses the Internet. In addition, you can only contact and chat with people who have Signal installed in your address book.

With just a few clicks, you can install Signal Desktop on a Windows device or macOS. Since your phone number is the only way for the application to identify you, you need to link your account (from your phone) to Signal Desktop. Don’t worry, this process is very simple, because it only requires you to scan the QR code displayed by Signal Desktop when you start the application for the first time.

What makes Signal worthy of your attention?

Signals brings many benefits. In terms of security, the signal protocol is generally considered the most secure protocol. So much so that other messaging platforms have recently implemented it. Some well-known personalities include Facebook Messenger, Skype, and WhatsApp.

However, when it comes to privacy trust as an important factor, there is also a discussion about the data collected. Fortunately, compared to other messaging platforms, Signal only records a small amount of information (we will discuss this in a later comment).

The main benefit of Signal is of course related to the fact that it uses end-to-end encryption. The message will be encrypted on your phone, tablet or computer (Take Signal Desktop as an example) before being sent, and only the recipient can decrypt it.

Another great benefit of Signal is that everything is open source. This means that the code can be independently reviewed by anyone (including the competent party).

What about data collection?

If you are worried about potential data being collected, don’t worry. As mentioned earlier, data is stored on your device in encrypted form.

The only relevant information stored on the Signal server for each account is the phone number you need to register, the specific date and time you joined Signal, and the last login date.

If you are really worried about your phone number being used for this purpose, then please rest assured that even so, there are solutions. Just look at the online tutorials.

If you are the type who is passionate about research, know that the service is fully GDPR compliant, and you can find many published Signal transparency reports, all of which are publicly available on the Internet.

Privacy is great, but what about features?

Although Signal’s main mission is to provide a secure messaging experience that can be said to be sealed, you can rest assured that it will not compromise on functionality.

You can share texts, voice messages, photos, videos, GIFs, emojis, stickers and files for free. You can make audio or video calls, create chat groups, and connect with friends, family, and colleagues as easily as any modern messaging application.

Signal also has disappearing messages (messages that will self-destruct). You can set the message to disappear from your device and the recipient’s device after a custom time.

The interface of mobile and desktop apps is not compelling in terms of appearance (not that it should be shiny and eye-catching), but everything should be there.

Both mobile and desktop clients are very user-friendly and very suitable for a wide range of people.

in conclusion

The only real question you should ask yourself is: How much do I value my privacy? If the answer is “a lot”, then you should try Signal.

Currently, Signal is clearly one of the best and most secure messaging platforms. Signal has actually completely changed the idea of ​​private chat and introduced their signal protocol, which turned out to be very reliable

In short, Signal provides you with almost all the messaging platform you want without compromising your sensitive data and privacy. It is free, open source, cross-platform, it has a thoroughly tested protocol, and things are as transparent as possible.