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Sometimes, you just want to have a private conversation. If you’re talking to someone in person, you can just step into a room or other area where the two of you are alone. But things are a little different if you’re chatting online or over texts. Unless your messages are end-to-end encrypted, they could potentially be accessed by malicious actors, the government or your cell service carrier.

An easy step everyone can take to better protect themselves is downloading the encrypted messaging app Signal. Signal was released over a decade ago in 2014, and more than 40 million people were using the app for encrypted messaging as of 2022, according to the BBC. The app gained a lot of popularity in January, 2021 after WhatsApp, another encrypted messaging app owned by Facebook’s parent company Meta, changed its privacy policy. In the wake of this change, people flocked to Signal, causing a surge of new users and a temporary outage of the app.

If you’re new to Signal, or want to learn about the app without downloading it, here’s what you need to know about the encrypted messaging app. Signal is an open-source, encrypted messaging app. It’s available on Android and iOS devices, and it’s free to download and use. You can voice or video call others through the app, and you can send payments through the app using the cryptocurrency MobileCoin.

Signal uses end-to-end encryption to protect your messages and calls, which means that only your intended recipient can read your messages and receive your call. That way a third-party or government entity can’t intercept your message. But nothing is absolutely secure.

In 2023, a group of researchers found a way to figure out a Signal user’s location by measuring the time between sending a message and receiving a notification that a message was delivered. The method had an overall accuracy of about 82%, and could be used to spy on someone’s location. Yes, you both need to be using Signal for the app to work. You can’t use Signal to message WhatsApp, for example.

Not necessarily. The app doesn’t send your phone number to others unless you change the setting so others can see your number. Here’s how to change this setting:

• Open Signal.
• Tap your profile in the top-left corner of your screen.
• Tap Settings.
• Tap Privacy.
• Tap Phone Number.

Under Who Can See My Number, you can tap either Everybody or Nobody. From this menu you can also let anyone who has your number see you’re on Signal or hide that you’re on the app. Under Who Can Find Me By Number, tap Everybody or Nobody. You can use your real name or a nickname. According to Signal, your profile — name and photo attached to your number — is encrypted, and because of that Signal doesn’t know what name or photo you’ve selected.

• Open Signal.
• Tap your profile in the top-left corner of your screen.
• Tap Settings.
• Tap Account.
• Tap Your Account Data.