Signal is one of the most popular apps in Europe in recent days. The changes in WhatsApp’s terms of service have caused controversy among some users, leading some to decide to look for other alternatives to communicate with their contacts.
While Telegram is one of those that has benefited the most from this new situation, another application that has evolved a lot in recent days is Signal. This ultra-secure messaging app was known in its day to be the app used by Edward Snowden, but it also stood out for being recommended by the European Union and by figures like the famous Elon Musk.
Do you rate Signal as a messaging app to communicate with your contacts or are you curious about its possibilities? We tell you all the features you need to consider so that you know if this app meets your needs.
Privacy Comparison: Signal, Telegram, Whatsapp and Facebook
If you want to determine the privacy of messaging apps, we show a comparison of Signal, Telegram, WhatsApp and Facebook.
Encrypted messages, calls and video calls
Although it has grown in popularity in recent days, Signal is a veteran app in the messaging world. Since its creation, the objective of this application has been to offer the highest degree of communications security.
Unlike Telegram, where only secret chats are encrypted, here all communications are encrypted. Be it one-on-one, group chat, call or video call, all end-to-end encrypted with open source technology. In this sense, Signal is the most powerful application.
For mobile and PC
Signal works for both mobiles and PCs, but its operation is somewhat special. When we install the application on the desktop, the first thing that will appear is a QR code to link our mobile to the desktop application, having to point to this code from the mobile in which we have our active Signal account.
The method is similar to WhatsApp, but unlike this application, Signal will not depend on the activation of our mobile to work. The only similarity between Signal and WhatsApp is that both connect through the desktop app, but in Signal we can keep chatting even when our mobile phone is out of connection or has no battery.
When it comes to compatibility, the Signal desktop app gives us support for Windows, Mac, and Linux (in Debian-based distributions), so you’ll be covered in that regard.
Descargar Signal.
Messaging functions
In addition to being able to send messages, make calls and video calls, Signal has some key features in your messaging experience. The app hasn’t invented anything that we haven’t seen in other messaging apps, but that doesn’t mean it’s interesting knowing that we’ll have access to our favorite features:
- Emojis, GIFs and stickers: the basic communication functions of everyday life.
- In addition to the default sticker packs, from within Telegram for PC we can create our own custom packs.
- Send files up to 100MB.
- Shipping by location.
- Take photos, edit them and send them, with curious features like face blur.
- Messages that automatically disappear when read: You can turn off the feature or mark messages as self-destruct within a time interval between 5 seconds and one week after the recipient has read the message.
- Groups of up to 100 people.
- Use Signal as an app for SMS and MMS, in addition to Signal’s own messages.
Privacy options
With privacy being one of Signal’s key points, it is interesting to know the possibilities that this messaging app leaves us. These functions are di
- Screen lock: You can lock the access to Signal with the lock code or fingerprint.
- Block screenshots to prevent an app from stealing information.
- Incognito keyboard: If your keyboard supports it, turn off learning features that analyze what you type.
- Redirect calls: redirect calls through the Signal server to hide your IP address from the other party.
- Read the notifications.
- Input prompts: If you turn it off, you and the other party won’t be able to see when someone is typing.
- Generate link preview.
- Block users.
- Confidential Sender: Function that prevents the Signal server from knowing who is sending a message. The recipient of the message will know.
- Allow anyone using the confidential sender to contact us.
- Signal PIN: The PIN we create when using the app can be used to block our account. In case of forgetting, we will also have the possibility to ask us for the PIN code from time to time.
Signal for beginners: is ultra-secure messaging worth it?
We take a look at the basic functionality of Signal, the ultra-secure messaging app that’s becoming all the rage.
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