Are you tired of feeling like your private conversations are being snooped on? Signal is here to rescue you! This secure messaging app is designed to keep your communications private, even from the company that runs it. But here's where it gets controversial... While Signal is a great option for safeguarding your privacy, no messaging app is perfectly secure. So, let's dive into the details and explore how Signal can help protect your digital conversations, along with some tips on setting up and using its most important features.
Why Signal Is Safer
Signal is often touted as the gold standard for secure messaging apps. It offers end-to-end encrypted messaging, calling, and videochatting, which means that only the sender and receiver can read a message's content. Not even Signal itself can access your messages. This is in contrast to standard SMS texting or apps that offer encryption but retain encryption keys that allow companies to read messages and hand them over to law enforcement, if requested.
How to Use Signal's Strongest Protections
Here are some tips on how to set up a Signal account and use its most important settings and features:
Turn On Disappeating Messages: This is a distinguishing feature of Signal. Once the timer you set runs out, any new messages in conversations you started will disappear from both your device and the recipient's. This helps reduce the likelihood of messages being compromised down the road.
Opt for a Username: Usernames work a bit differently on Signal than on other platforms. The username is not visible on your profile. Instead, usernames are just a way to initiate contact with other users without sharing your number, upping privacy.
Hide Message Previews: You can turn off message previews that appear on your phone's lock screen as notifications. This helps prevent someone from catching a glimpse of your messages over your shoulder while you’re navigating on your phone.
Require a Password to Open Signal: You can require that your phone password be entered again to open the Signal app. This adds an extra layer of protection to your messages.
Hide Your Phone Number: To set up a new Signal account, you need to use a verified phone number. By default, your number isn't displayed on your profile to other Signal users, unless they already have it saved in their contacts.
Confirm That Sensitive Convos Aren’t Compromised: If you're discussing especially sensitive information or have reason to think your communications are at particular risk, you can verify that a Signal conversation isn't being compromised by a third party.
Be Cautious in Group Chats: Signal is a particularly useful tool for community organizing. However, group chats come with more risk. Be aware of the potential for someone to be unintentionally added to a chat and go unnoticed.
Pick a Strong Phone Passcode: The most secure password for your phone is random, long, and unique. This helps protect your device from being accessed by law enforcement.
No Messaging App Is Perfectly Secure
Even when using Signal, someone can screenshot or take a picture of your conversation on another person’s phone—or simply read it over your shoulder or another person’s shoulder. When you’re on a call or videochat, someone can eavesdrop in person. In a group message, a participant you didn’t expect can be added to the chat. Phones can also be compromised by malware or surveillance technology, which you can better defend against by promptly downloading the latest software and security updates.
For more help protecting your data, consult the free CR Security Planner.
