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How to use Signal: Everything you need to know

Signal is i of the more popular encrypted messaging platforms on the market place for those who want a secure (and free) way to communicate.

The app uses its ain open-source, end-to-end encryption protocol and, as a bonus, is endemic by a not-profit foundation rather than a tech giant like Facebook (WhatsApp'south parent company).

  • How to switch from WhatsApp to Signal
  • The best encrypted messaging apps
  • Plus: Point and Facebook Messenger allow hackers spy on you: What to practice

With Indicate, your communication is encrypted stop-to-stop past default, meaning that no one else tin can driblet into your messages, group chats and vox calls. You don't have to enable whatsoever settings to ensure this.

The app has a disappearing-message feature for communications you lot don't want to keep around. And considering it'southward open up-source, the lawmaking is regularly audited for security flaws.

How to install Indicate

1. Download the Betoken software for your preferred platform:

  • iOS
  • Android
  • Windows
  • macOS
  • Linux  (Debian-based distros only, including Ubuntu and Linux Mint)

Note that in order to employ Signal on your desktop, y'all must have the app installed on your telephone first.

two. Open the app on your phone and register using your phone number.

(Prototype credit: Signal/Screenshot by Tom's Guide)

Heads upward: Before y'all do this, y'all will have to click through the Terms & Conditions and make up one's mind whether to enable notifications and grant Signal access to your contacts.

3. Bespeak will ship you a verification lawmaking via SMS. Enter this into the lawmaking field.

(Prototype credit: Bespeak/Screenshot by Electronic Borderland Foundation)

four. Y'all'll exist asked to create a PIN for your account.

The Pivot is four digits by default, but you can cull to make it an alphanumeric password or to use a longer Pivot.

(Image credit: Indicate/Screenshot past Tom's Guide)

5. Fill out your profile.

Indicate requires only a first proper noun, and it doesn't need to exist your existent proper name. Information technology can be a nickname or even an emoji. A last name and a photo or other avatar are optional.

(Epitome credit: Signal/Screenshot by Tom'southward Guide)

That's all you need to exercise. Once you're fix on your phone, you can enable a desktop or iPad version every bit well. Signal makes it easy to link multiple devices, besides.

First, install and open the app on your desktop or iPad (Android tablets aren't currently supported for this feature).

Then open Signal on your telephone and tap your contour icon in the upper-left corner to access your Settings.

(Prototype credit: Signal/Screenshot by Tom's Guide)

Tap Linked Devices > (Android) or Link New Device (iOS) and utilise your phone to scan the QR lawmaking on the device you desire to link. Follow the prompts to finalize the setup.

(Prototype credit: Indicate/Screenshot by Tom's Guide)

How to utilise Signal

To send an individual message with Betoken, tap the pencil icon in the upper-correct corner. (Some versions of the Android app volition have the pencil in the lower-right corner.) This will pull up contacts from your phone (if you enabled those permissions during set-up). Simply tap on a contact and start typing.

A screenshot of the pencil icon on the Signal Android app.

(Image credit: Point/Screenshot by Tom's Guide)

You lot tin also search for Signal users who aren't in your contacts past clicking Find by Phone Number.

To identify an encrypted audio or video call, select a contact then tap the phone or camera icon that appears in the upper corner of the screen.

(Paradigm credit: Signal/Screenshot by Tom's Guide)

To chat with a grouping, tap the pencil icon on the home screen, then New Group.

A screenshot of the search function in the Signal contacts list.

(Image credit: Signal/Screenshot by Tom'due south Guide)

You tin can select members from your contacts or add together people past telephone number. Tap Adjacent, enter a group name, and tap Create.

A screenshot of the group naming screen in the Signal Android app.

(Epitome credit: Betoken/Screenshot by Tom's Guide)

You can invite boosted members by sending out the group link or adding from your contacts. Tap the group icon at the pinnacle of the screen to admission your grouping'southward settings. Scroll down to Grouping Link to enable this feature and share the directly link. Yous can also crave an admin to approve member requests.

(Image credit: Indicate/Screenshot past Tom's Guide)

You lot tin can as well use Signal for group calls (once limited to five participants, but now supporting as many as xl) directly from a group chat.

To enable disappearing messages in an individual or group chat, go to the conversation settings and toggle this characteristic on. You can select how long you desire letters to appear for (from v seconds to one calendar week).

(Paradigm credit: Betoken/Screenshot by Tom's Guide)

Other Betoken features

Signal has a number of boosted privacy options you lot can enable. From the home screen, go to Settings > Privacy to alter specific messaging preferences similar read receipts as well every bit screen security, which prevents bulletin previews from showing, and screen lock, which requires your password or biometric access to view the app.

(Image credit: Indicate/Screenshot by Tom's Guide)

If you're sending photos or videos, Signal allows you to annotate as well as blur out portions of images. This is handy if you want to hide faces before sending media.

Tap the camera icon to capture or upload media — in one case you have an image to send, use the checkerboard icon to mistiness.

(Image credit: Betoken/Screenshot by Tom's Guide)

If you need to change your telephone number while retaining your Signal bulletin history and groups, that's now possible as long every bit yous're keeping the same phone and are running Signal version 5.30.6 on Android and version 5.27.1 on iOS. Instructions are hither.

You can also transfer your Signal account, with bulletin history and groups intact, from one phone to another as long as the number doesn't change. The take hold of is that you lot can do information technology just from ane Android device to another, or from ane iOS device to another. Here's how.

If you lot ever desire to destroy your account, go to Settings > Avant-garde and tap the Delete Business relationship push.

(Image credit: Indicate/Screenshot by Tom'due south Guide)

Updated with number-change and account-transfer data. This how-to was get-go published in January 2021.

Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/how-to/how-to-use-signal

Posted by: clarkpegare2002.blogspot.com

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