

This usually happens if they’ve reinstalled the app or switched to a different device.įor proper privacy, you should enable that last one, as it prevents learning keyboards such as Google’s Gboard from phoning home with data about what you’ve typed. When talking to others, either individually or in groups, you’ll see periodic messages about their safety number having changed. Once they’ve expired, it’s not possible to retrieve them.įinally, if you don’t want to hear from someone ever again, an option at the bottom of your Conversation settings allow you to block all messages from that person. You can set the duration for which they’ll be visible here, as well. The Group settings page shows everyone in the group, allows Admins to remove members and confer admin status on others, and, if you’re a member of a group you can leave it or block it here.īoth Groups and direct conversations with one other person support disappearing messages, which you’ll find via the ⋮ menu. This is hugely useful if you want to share a link with your entire WhatsApp group chat before you leave Facebook’s services altogether.įor security, you can reset the link whenever you link and you can enable member request approval, which means that you or another admin will have to confirm everyone who wants to be added. Just above that, you’ll see an option called Group link tap it, then turn it on, and you’ll be able to generate a link that’ll invite people to join your new group. Your primary Signal device has to be a phone right now, but dedicated clients are available for computers and tablets without a mobile SIM, covering Windows, macOS, Linux, and iPad OS. It’s available in the Android and iOS app stores, and there an official Android APK for users of Android variants without the Google Services Framework, such as Lineage OS and /e/. What you send to your contacts stays private, between just you and them.

Signal provides end-to-encrypted one-to-one conversations, group text and multimedia chats including up to 1,000 people, and encrypted video and voice calls between groups of up to eight people on desktop or mobile devices. If you’ve recently made the switch or are thinking about doing so – there’s plenty of reasons why you should pick Signal instead of WhatsApp although there are other WhatsApp alternatives – here’s our guide to making the most of its privacy-enhancing features. Millions of people have flocked to the non-profit app, which collects almost no personal data from its users.

In the wake of a confusing and sometimes misreported change to Facebook-owned encrypted messaging service WhatsApp’s privacy policy, Signal Private Messenger has seen a rush of new users.
