Whatsapp is the king of instant messaging with over 2,000 million monthly active users. It is followed by Facebook Messenger, with 1.3 billion, Asians WeChat (1,225) and QQ (595) and beyond, Telegram (550) and Snapchat (528). But there is another player who wants to make a name for himself. This is Signal. At the start of the year, it had only 40 million users, but it will gain followers.
Already in 2014, it had the public support of Edward Snowden and the Electronic Frontier Foundation. But the big leap to popularity came since 2019 thanks to the fact that the European Union decided to adopt Signal as secure messaging tool instead of WhatsApp. This includes all employees of all European institutions, including the European Commission. In addition, even the press dedicated to European news coverage has been invited to switch to Signal.
If you are happy with WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook Messenger or Apple Messages, good for you. But if you’re curious and want to give Signal a try, we’ve got you covered with a series of tasks and tips for you to start in this messaging app a security and confidentiality approach.
What makes Signal more secure?
But let’s go in parts. Why should I pay attention to Signal if my friends and contacts are on WhatsApp? The conversations you have there may not seem important to you, but the information you share it may be available to others.
For professional reasons or to be sure to discuss any subject with your contacts, Signal offers several features. privacy oriented. On its official page you will get more information.
- End-to-end encryption.
- Clean and open source security protocol.
- Without advertising.
- Non-profit.
All of these security features would be of no use if you cannot do the same with Signal than with WhatsApp or Telegram. In this sense, here is what this application gives of itself:
- Send messages, voice notes, photos, videos, GIFs, files …
- Calls and video calls.
- Encrypted stickers.
- Group discussions and individual conversations.
- Block annoying users.
- Available for Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, iPhone and iPad.
Check Signal’s security numbers
Each individual Signal chat has a security number that allows you to check the security of your messages and calls. You can verify this figure by entering an individual chat. Then we click on the header of the chat and select See the security figures.
To verify these security digits with your contact, you can use a QR code, compare the digital code visually or audibly, or use the icon. Share to copy it to the clipboard.
If a chat has been verified, a check mark will appear in the chat header. We can check the individual conversations by pressing the corresponding button in See the security figures.
Messages that disappear
Although this is not a perfect security measure, since a capture or photograph can be taken, Signal has the ability to send messages that disappear overtime. Messages that expire. These messages differ in that they include a countdown clock. The time interval you can set changed from 5 seconds to 1 week.
To activate the messages that disappear you must enter an individual chat, click on the contact name or the chat settings then on Disappearance of messages. You can choose the expiration interval and start sending messages which will disappear after this interval.
You can disable this option when you want. Of course, you cannot intersperse normal messages with messages that disappear. That is, this option will be more useful for maintaining a conversation than for sending a simple message.
Screen Lock for Signal
Besides blocking your iPhone or Android screen, you can block the Signal app itself. An additional security measure for prevent someone from watching your conversations. Telegram, for example, also incorporates this option.
So when you access your phone, you will need to unlock it. But, you will also need to unlock when you open Signal. To activate this option, you must go to Signal parameters and activate the screen lock. You will also need to configure the lockout interval.
The lock “uses your phone’s PIN, password, or biometric authentication (for example, your fingerprint, TouchID, or FaceID).”
Prevent screenshots
An interesting curiosity so that your Signal conversations do not leave Signal. Prevent your contacts take a screenshot chat without your permission.
You can enable this security feature from the Signal settings, in the Security section. confidentiality. There you will see the option Screen protector. Once activated, if someone takes a screenshot, a blue screen will appear above the texts.
Clear history in case of emergency
Like any messaging app worth its salt, Signal allows delete content that we generated: messages, calls, attachments… Come on, this is called the story.
If you are very jealous of your privacy and Signal’s security measures are not enough, you may choose to delete history from time to time not to record your conversations. At least on your device.
In Signal, we go to the profile. Then we enter Data and Storage> Manage Storage. Finally, we click on Delete message history. You will need to confirm by clicking on To get rid of.
Either way you can delete single messages and discussions, one by one. This is a less drastic measure and will allow you to see what you are erasing. Just touch and hold the message or chat and you will see the option To get rid of corresponding.
Blur of faces in photos
A curious feature of Signal is blurring the faces of people who appear in photos you share. A way of protect identity of these people.
To use this option, we select the image to send, click on the corresponding icon, which you will find at the top of the screen, and you will see the change instantly. The process is automatic. And if it doesn’t detect faces well, you can do it manually.
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