Signal Private Messenger

Signal Foundation

About this app

Signal is a messaging app with privacy at its core. It is free and easy to use, with strong end-to-end encryption that keeps your communication completely private.


• Send texts, voice messages, photos, videos, GIFs, and files for free. Signal uses your phone’s data connection, so you avoid SMS and MMS fees.


• Call your friends with crystal-clear encrypted voice and video calls. Group calls supported for up to 40 people.


• Stay connected with group chats up to 1,000 people. Control who can post and manage group members with admin permission settings.


• Share image, text, and video Stories that disappear after 24 hours. Privacy settings keep you in charge of exactly who can see each Story.


• Signal is built for your privacy. We know nothing about you or who you’re talking to. Our open source Signal Protocol means that we can’t read your messages or listen to your calls. Neither can anyone else. No back doors, no data collection, no compromises.


• Signal is independent and not for profit; a different kind of tech from a different kind of organization. As a 501c3 nonprofit we are supported by your donations, not by advertisers or investors.


• For support, questions, or more information please visit https://support.signal.org/


To check out our source code, visit https://github.com/signalapp


Follow us on Twitter @signalapp and Instagram @signal_app

Ratings and reviews

It's good at what it does and is reasonably simple to use for one-to-one calls, messaging, video calls, and group messaging. I haven't used the group calling feature recently so I can't comment on it. In the past I sometimes missed calls because my phone didn't ring but I don't think it's happened recently. I'm also using more of the features now.

Mobile app is great. Media quality seems better than WhatsApp and ability to emoji and edit individual posts is great. Knowing that your data isn't being sold is priceless. Only negative is no browser integration because browsers aren't secure enough, but desktop app is good. Would be nice if the desktop app could be minimised to system tray to avoid needing it open at all times

Pros: Great, albeit basic, privacy messaging app Cons: Extremely inflexible. Installing Signal on my phone as a primary device and using my tablet as a linked device is not supported. My tablet has a better screen, better camera, better connectivity and is generally a more pleasant device to use for audio & video chats, so not being able to use it means Signal is virtually redundant nowadays, as I prefer to talk to people.

What's new

★ We've added a new way to keep your Signal contacts nice and tidy. This Halloween season, remove the ghost of an old contact by long-pressing on their name in the contact list on the New Chat screen and selecting the "Remove" option.