Skip to content

5000+ Great Articles

Best Articles & Essays: Interesting Articles to Read Online

  • Print from iPhone/iPad to Any Printer Smartphones
  • What Is The Best File Manager For Android? We Look At 5 Android )
  • How to fix Bluetooth Not Turning on for Mac? macOS
  • Best battery calculator 2020

    Best battery calculator 2020. 1 - Sharp HO EL240SB 8 Digit Solar and Battery Powered Slant Display Calculator, White, 2 3/4 x 4 1/2 (EL240SAB)

  • Lost or Forgot Administrator Password in Windows? Computer Tips
  • Easily Find Full Length Movies on YouTube How-To
  • What is Xbox error code 0x97E107DF? And How To Fix it Gaming
  • 5 Ways To Secure Your WiFi Networking

The Features Which Make Signal The Most Secure Messaging App In Existence

Posted on October 5, 2020 By blog_786 No Comments on The Features Which Make Signal The Most Secure Messaging App In Existence

Signal The Most Secure Messaging App In Existence”/>

When I first started using the Internet almost 20 years ago, there were many instant messaging options available. I have used them all, from MSN Messenger to Yahoo Messenger to ICQ.

But the problem was that they weren’t safe. If a chat platform or government wants to eavesdrop on your conversations, they can very easily. But thanks to Edward Snowden, we eventually figured out how little privacy we have on the Internet.

Signal The Most Secure Messaging App In Existence”/>

Since then, tremendous progress has been made in making it harder for people to eavesdrop on our conversations. Among them is a highly encrypted application for smartphones and desktops called Signal, created by Moxie Marlinspike with a wonderful name.

Below, I’ll go over the features that make Signal so secure and how to enable them. Since I am using an iPhone, I will focus on this device, but the following applies equally to Android phones.

Be sure to also read my previous posts on this topic: Is your messaging app really safe? and Best Encrypted Messaging Apps, the latter of which talks about a couple of other secure messaging apps you can use.

Strong end-to-end encryption, no user records

Signal The Most Secure Messaging App In Existence”/>

The only weak point in the Signal chain is that you need to register a valid phone number in order to use the app. Until they figure out a way around this, Signal won’t be completely anonymous.

But you can balance this with very strong end-to-end encryption and no user records. This means Signal does not keep any logs of your calls, except for the last login to the service. This way, you can tell by your phone number that you are a Signal user, but no one will ever know who you are talking to or what you are talking about.

Set a Screen Lock PIN on the Signal app itself

If you have a mobile phone, you must have a screen lock PIN. It’s just a given. But you can also add an optional screen lock PIN to Signal for added security. You can also use Touch ID to open Signal, but this is not recommended.

To add a screen lock PIN to Signal, go to Settings Privacy. Scroll down to Screen Lock and slide the switch to enable it.

Signal The Most Secure Messaging App In Existence”/>

You will also be asked when you want to disable the screen lock. I recommend choosing Instant.

Hide messages from appearing on lock screen

Signal The Most Secure Messaging App In Existence”/>

If you have Signal locked, it gets a little ironic if messages from people start popping up on your phone’s lock screen. It gives out the game, doesn’t it?

So instead of seeing the full message on the screen, you can set up notifications so that you get either just the sender’s name (which, frankly, is still too much information), or my preferred option, which is a notification that only it says “New Message”.

In Settings, select “Notifications” and then “Notification Content”.

Signal The Most Secure Messaging App In Existence”/>

Now decide which one you need.

Signal The Most Secure Messaging App In Existence”/>

Make sure you are talking to the right person

Since end-to-end encryption exists, the chances of a man-in-the-middle attack are slim. Here, an attacker finds himself in the middle of a conversation between two people and intercepts messages, posing as one of the participants in the call or chat.

But in life nothing is guaranteed except death and taxes. This is why you should still take additional steps to make sure you are talking to the right person.

There are two verification methods. One for voice calls and one for text chats.

When making a voice call after establishing a connection, a two-word test phrase appears on the screen. Both sides see it on their screens.

Signal The Most Secure Messaging App In Existence”/>

So, one person says the first word and another says the second word (for example). Anyone who tries to interfere with the conversation and impersonate one of the callers will not know what the phrase is, because it will not be on the phone.

For text chats, this is a little tricky, but the plus is that you only need to do it once (or until they register a new device with Signal

First, when you send a message to someone, their identification key is downloaded to your device, and Signal automatically assumes that this key comes from the right person. But if you want to test a person’s good faith again, it’s easy.

Just click on his name at the top of the chat screen.

Signal The Most Secure Messaging App In Existence”/>

Now click on View Security Number.

Signal The Most Secure Messaging App In Existence”/>

He then presents you with an identification key along with a QR code. If the person is physically with you, you can scan the QR code and Signal will immediately confirm it (or not). Otherwise, ask the person via text chat to return the ID key to you.

Signal The Most Secure Messaging App In Existence”/>

When it is confirmed, you can click the “Mark as Confirmed” button.

Self-Destructing Messages

Finally, as any good criminal will tell you, if you don’t want to be caught, you need to get rid of the evidence.

You can of course delete messages, but as a human being it is very easy to forget them. That’s why Signal Fading Messages is really handy.

This is where you send a message to one of your Signal contacts, and after the message has been read, it is erased from your device and their devices – no way to get it back.

To enable “Disappearing Messages”, click on the contact’s name at the top of the chat window.

Now scroll down to “Disappearing Messages” and turn it on. Below it, you will see a slider where you can specify when the messages should disappear. Choose this as you see fit, although you should give the other person a reasonable amount of time to read the message.

Signal The Most Secure Messaging App In Existence”/>

Now, when you send a message, a timer appears on the screen, counting down until the message disappears.

Conclusion

There are several other cool features that make Signal a very secure application, such as registration blocking to prevent your phone number from being deregistered, and relaying your voice calls through Signal servers to hide your IP address.

But the ones I’ve looked at in more detail are the best and illustrate why you should ditch WhatsApp in favor of the Moxie alternative.

–

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
Software Reviews Tags:Conclusion

Post navigation

Previous Post: How to Change the Location of Spotify’s Local Storage in Windows
Next Post: 15 New Windows 10 Features You Need to Start Using

Related Posts

  • What Is BetterDiscord and How to Install It? Software Reviews
  • How To Fix Procrastination With 7 Simple Apps Software Reviews
  • What Is The Amazon Kindle Cloud Reader And How To Use It Software Reviews
  • How to Be the Next Hemingway: Three Editing Tools for Writers Software Reviews
  • Top Password Managers of 2022 to Keep Your Accounts Safe Software Reviews
  • Building the best visualization board app Software Reviews

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Archives

  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • November 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021
  • September 2021
  • August 2021
  • March 2021
  • October 2020
  • September 2020
  • August 2020
  • July 2020
  • June 2020
  • May 2020
  • April 2020
  • March 2020
  • December 2019
  • July 2019
  • May 2019
  • April 2019
  • January 2019
  • December 2018
  • November 2018
  • October 2018
  • September 2018
  • August 2018

Categories

  • AI Tools & Guides
  • Amazon Web Services
  • Apple Watch
  • Computer Tips
  • Cool Websites
  • Featured Posts
  • Free Software Downloads
  • Gadgets
  • Gaming
  • General Software
  • Google Software/Tips
  • Hardware
  • Help Desk
  • How-To
  • iOS
  • iPad
  • iPhone
  • islamic Books
  • Linux
  • Linux Tips
  • Mac OS X
  • macOS
  • MS Office Tips
  • Networking
  • Office Tips
  • OS X
  • Product Reviews
  • Reviews
  • Safari
  • Smart Home
  • Smartphones
  • Software Reviews
  • technology
  • text
  • Tools Review
  • Troubleshooting
  • Tutorials
  • Uncategorized
  • Urdu Books PDF
  • Web Site Tips
  • Windows
  • Windows 10
  • Windows 7
  • Windows XP Tips
  • Wordpress
  • How to go Back to the old YouTube Layout (2017)
  • A Simple Trick to Get 50% Discount on Audible for Three Months
  • What Is “Other” Storage on Android And How to Clean It Up ?
  • 7 Legal Websites to Get Free Music Downloads
  • Six Copyscape Alternatives That you can use
DMCA.com Protection Status

Recent Posts

  • How to go Back to the old YouTube Layout (2017)
  • A Simple Trick to Get 50% Discount on Audible for Three Months
  • 6 Best PayPal Alternatives (2017)
  • How to Fix the the “Invalid SIM Card” Error on Android
  • What Is “Other” Storage on Android And How to Clean It Up ?

Recent Comments

  1. A Simple Trick to Get 50% Discount on Audible for Three Months on Private Browsing: What is it and What it is not
  2. 6 Best PayPal Alternatives (2017) on How to Save Money While Shopping Online in India
  3. Automatically Transcribe YouTube Video/Audio with Google Docs on 5 Best Team Management Apps (For Small and Large Teams)
  4. 6 Things You Need Know About Email Encryption on Delete All Emails from Gmail With Once Click
  5. Looking For YouTube Alternative? Try These 7 Video Sharing Sites on Ten Best YouTube Video Editing Software 2023
  • Stream Apple Music on Fire TV Stick Computer Tips
  • Fix “Bootmgr is missing” in Windows Vista

    I recently installed a fresh copy of Windows Vista on a new computer in our office and everything went fine. During the installation, I had no error

  • How to Remove Saved Login Info on Instagram iOS App? How-To
  • 7 Google Home Mini Features You’ll Love Gadgets
  • Best calculator tape rolls 2020

    Best calculator tape rolls 2020. 1 - Brown/Tan Acrylic Packing Tape, 2 Inch Wide, 2.0mil Thickness, 110 Yard Per Roll [Pack of 6 Rolls] Top Re

  • Best kitchen calculator 2020

    Best kitchen calculator 2020. 1 - Calculated Industries 8300 KitchenCalc Recipe Conversion and Culinary Math Calculator with Digital Timer for Chefs

  • How to Completely Delete Personal Metadata from Microsoft Office Documents MS Office Tips
  • TripIt vs Google Trips Software Reviews

Copyright © 2023 How To Blog.

Powered by PressBook News WordPress theme

Go to mobile version