Although WhatsApp is the most popular instant messaging application in the world, with more than 2,000 million users, there are other platforms that offer their own advantages and characteristics that can be very interesting as an alternatives to traditional text messages or WhatsApp. One of them is the signal.
It is a platform which, since its creation, ten years ago, has focused on the offer more than any other: Absolute intimacy. If you are looking for an alternative to talk to your loved ones or to have confidential conversations related to your work, your studies or your research, we explain what you need to know about this platform.
What is the signal, the messaging application that promises the greatest security and confidentiality
Signal is a messaging platform whose original launch took place in July 2014. Since then, the company has devoted itself to the addition All the functions we expect in a modern messaging applicationBut by emphasizing the confidentiality of users. The signal protocol is so sure that it promises to be protected from attacks via quantum computers.
This means that the signal uses the extreme to extremeo (end -to -endor E2E) for all messages and all cats. The photos we send, text messages and in general all information and files in a cat are only available for people who participate, neither the signal nor no one can access this data.
And the signal has no advertisements or trackers. East completely freeAnd the platform is based on open source.
The platform is so sure that it is chosen by members of the United States to communicate, in addition to their own systems. In fact, according to John Ratcliffe, director of the CIA, the signal is installed in the mobiles of most of the American Intelligence Agency agents. Recently, filtration has revealed confidential government information through a signal group cat, however, the filtration blame is that they have mistakenly added an unknown person to the cat, The platform has always remained safe, the problem was a human error.
The signal is so sure that it has many CIA agents among its users, according to the director of the American Intelligence Agency
According to 2022 data, Signal has more than 40 million active users. More recent data guarantee that at least 7 million people in the United States use the application.
What can the signal do, what are its main functions
Originally, the signal was limited to sending SMS between two people, and many journalists and researchers used the application to communicate safely and in certain anonymous cases of people who could offer information for reports and research work.
But these limits belong to the past, the signal can currently do many things, fundamentally, You can do whatever we expect from an instant messaging application complete:
- Send SMS between one or more people (groups)
- Make vocal calls
- Make video calls with one or more people (group video calls)
- Send and receive voice messages
- Send and receive images and files
- Send stickers
All this, through the safe signal protocol, which means that even the stickers you send are completely private, no one can see these stickers “the thing” that do you so much.
Tips and tips to get the most out of the signal
In addition to the most basic and important functions of the signal, such as capacity and make video calls or send and receive vocal notes, the application has a series of tools and functions that allow the most of this powerful communication tool.
- More privacy, part 1: We will first protect our phone number, because it is directly linked to the signal account. In the application settings menu, we go to “confidentiality” then to “phone number” and we can select who can see it (our recommendation is that we configure it as “person”), and which can reach the phone number.
- More organized cats: We can organize our conversations in personalized files, which even allow us to completely silence all the cats that are part of the file, which can be very useful in the case of groups. To create a folder, we continue to press a cat and choose to create a folder or add the cat to an existing folder.
- More intimacy, part 2: “AKA” in Signal is our username, how users can find us. The application will assign us a default alias, but we can create a entirely personalized, combining letters and numbers.
- Use temporary messages: Individual and group cats allow the sending of messages that disappear over time. We can configure from the Settings menu, in the “Privacy” section, while we want to last these messages.
- Use the signal on more devices: As applications such as WhatsApp and Telegram, Signal also has an official application for the office, which we can download from its official website and, after having installed it on the computer, we can scan the QR code with the mobile to link the device to our account. From the mobile, which is our main device, we can manage the connection to the computer and other devices.
- Reading confirmation: If you wish, you can deactivate the possibility that people confirm if you have already seen or read a message. Of course, you cannot see if the people you have read with your own messages. You can configure this from the Settings menu in the “Confidentiality” section.
- Create calls: One of the best signal functions is that it allows not only to start a call or a video call, but we can create a link to invite other people, and send the invitation via the application or create a link that we can share in another application. In addition, we can configure that even if someone receives this link, he will not be able to access the call if the administrator does not approve of it. We can create a call link from the “calls” tab in the application.
- Configure screen locking: In the Settings menu, in the “Privacy” section, we can configure the application blocking. This means that although the mobile is unlocked, when you try to access the signal, it will be necessary to save the fingerprint. It is important to add this additional safety layer to report so that in case we provide mobile, no one can access our messages.
- Use private notes: The signal allows you to send you messages, which can be a very useful tool for targeting important information, save images or leave reminders, for example. To use this function, press the send a message button and start a cat and search for your own phone number. Finally, click on “Start private notes”. This private cat will be available on all your devices.
Cover image | Created by Xataka Android
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