If you want to protect your conversations, a complete messaging app that protects your privacy is Signal.The app is based on end-to-end encryption, as well as other apps such as iMessage, WhatsApp and Telegram.However, Signal offers users many more features, but above all being an open source app, developers have had the opportunity to improve it and make it even safer.
However, this app also has limits: if it is used to send messages to contacts that do not use Signal, your conversations will not be encrypted.The encryption technology works only for communications that take place from both sides through the app.
Furthermore, when you use the app for its desktop version, it always recalls that security is not always guaranteed if you do not pay attention and that the greater the number of devices on which you use it, the greater the risk that your messages are spied on orstolen.There are therefore tricks and advice that you can follow to make the most of all the functions offered by Signal's encryption and which we now offer you.
Signal, how to download it and start using it
Signal's app is available for both Android devices on the Google Play Store, and for iOS devices in the App Store.Once downloaded, simply open it and register by providing your phone number, on which an SMS will arrive with an activation code to be included in the app.For greater safety, the user can choose to activate Signal using a number of Google Voice, if he has one.
The procedure is this: when you open Signal for the first time, you will be asked to access or activate the phone number.To use Google Voice you will have to click on Register and follow the instructions until sending the verification SMS code.After receiving the code, just enter the Google Voice app and the generated number will in turn be the activation code of the encrypted messaging app.
Find the contacts that use Signal
After installing and configuring Signal, you can search who among your contacts is already using the app, which in any case sends you a notification when one of the contacts in the address book subscribe.If you do not want to receive this type of updates, you can deactivate them by touching the profile icon, select Settings, go to notifications and then deactivate the item "When a contact joins Signal".
Set Signal as the default app of your messages
If you want to use Signal and guarantee your privacy, you can set it as a default app for your Android device.To do this go to Settings, then on apps and notifications, scroll to advance, select Default Apps, then SMS apps and finally choose the Signal app.In this way, all your messages will be sent and received via the app.
The function is currently not available for iOS devices, given that it is not possible to set a default app other than iMessaggi on the iPhone.In order to change the default apps, iPhone users will have to wait for the arrival of the iOS 14 operating system.
Use a pin to protect your conversations
Another highly appreciated function of Signal to preserve your privacy is the use of a pin associated with your profile.Every time you open the app you will have to insert the PIN, which will be necessary to keep the information you use on the messaging app encounter.
In addition, the PIN can also be used for the registration block: every time you download the app and install it, you will have to insert it to record your associated phone number again.
Notifications, do not show the text
When you receive a message you want it to remain private, it is important that in the notification pop-ups the name of the sender do not appear or the content of its message.To keep your conversations always safe from prying eyes, you can set the notifications information to be viewed directly on the display directly in Signal.Going to settings, then on notifications, you will find the item shows and you can choose between the name and message options, only name or name, nor message.
Cryptic calls and video calls
Signal not only encrypts written conversations, but even your calls and video calls are encrypted (if they are made through the app).To activate the encryption of calls on Signal touches the pencil icon inside the app, as you would start a chat, choose a contact, click on the phone icon or video in the upper right corner and startyour call.
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One of the most appreciated functions of Signal concerns the impossibility of making screenshots of your conversations.If you are using the encrypted messaging app, you can set the screen safety option, which prevents screenshot from both the list of recent apps, and in the app itself.To activate this option go to profile, then settings, select privacy and activate screen safety.
Block the screen as in Android
Another very useful Signal function is the possibility of inserting a screen lock, just like the locking screen of Android and iOS devices.Whether it's a pin, a password, a sequence, the fingerprint or the faceid of the iPhones, the security system used to unlock your phone when reactivating it from the stand-by will be the same to be used to access your conversations insecurity.
To activate it go to Settings, then Privacy and select Light screen.The app also gives the possibility of defining an inactivity time to automatically set the screen blocking and protect your privacy.
Use retractable messages
Although by manually deleting your conversations these will be safe and impossible to trace, Signal offers the possibility of sending a "retractable message".This function allows you to set up a timer after which the messages in the conversation will disappear.
By selecting the option you can choose between different time intervals ranging from a few seconds, up to minutes, hours, days and at most a week.To activate the retractable messages, open the single conversation with your contact, tap at the top right on the three dots, select the option and set the desired time.
Photos and videos remain in the app
When you take a photo via WhatsApp or turn a video to send to friends, you will see the images automatically saved even in your gallery.Signal instead maintains photos and videos inside the app, leaving no trace of what I share.If you want to keep the image or video you have sent, you can save it manually from time to time.
In addition, you can choose how many times the contents can be displayed on the recipient's phone: they range from "infinite", that is, every time the chat is opened, to "1x", that is, the photo or video are automatically deleted after thefirst view.In the chat it will remain trace that an image has been shared, but you will not be able to know which one.
Another very useful function then allows you to automatically blur the faces in the photos, to be used simply by pressing a button.Otherwise, you can manually blur the details of the image you don't want to share with the recipient.
Block unwanted contacts
To close the conversations with unwanted contacts, simply block them, just like on WhatsApp.To do this, go to the name of the contact inside the chat, activate the option block this user.When you want to unlock a contact go on profile, then on settings, select Privacy and open the list of stuck contacts.By holding down on the name, a pop-up will open that allows you to unlock the contact.
Incognito keyboard
Often the third -party apps that we download to have keyboards with a more comfortable layout can actually record what we type and keep our information.To prevent this from happening, Signal introduced a special function called incognito keyboard.
By activating this app from the privacy section of your user profile, the keyboards will not be able to keep track of when you type.
Requests for messages, block who you don't know
The new function introduced recently allows you to select who can send us messages.When you receive a call or message from an Signal user that we do not know for the private time, we can approve or block the new contact without being notified of anything.The required function of messages is very useful, because it prevents strangers from adding unwanted group chats, as it happens on Facebook Messenger.