Signal app review becomes important nowadays. As of now, people are looking for an alternative messaging app for WhatsApp due to the new WhatsApp privacy policy. As a result, Signal private messenger becomes one of the options that many users are lurking and looking for. They are curious and question what is Signal messenger app and its review.
As you may have noticed, recently WhatsApp has just updated its privacy policy. This is one of the reasons why many WhatsApp users are thinking of moving to another messaging app. WhatsApp users concern about the new policy speculating that WhatsApp is going to share users’ personal data to Facebook. A logical reason, because personal data or privacy is very important to keep for many people.
Perhaps, the update on WhatsApp‘s privacy policy is a blunder. Consequently, users are seeking for more secure messaging app. But for the Signal private messenger app, this is an advantage. Since this situation has somehow increased the number of Signal app users. Additionally, before deciding to use it, people are curious about the information about the Signal app review. Hence, if you are one of those people, you are in the right place!s
Glance Of The Signal Private Messenger App Review
The Signal private messenger app was initially created and released by an American cryptographer namely Moxie Marlispike. It is an open-source app which then launched by Open Whisper System 2014.
As a messaging app, the Signal app enables its users to send encrypted messages, and voice within the Signal contacts. Encrypted messaging can cover over 10 million users, much different compare to WhatsApp. Additionally, by using the app, users can also make a video call over the internet connection.
Signal does not share the users’ personal information with any other third-party. This is why nowadays, Signal becomes one of the most considered messaging apps to WhatsApp.
What if you want to send a message to a recipient that is not on your Signal contact? Sure, you can still do it. Though, in this kind of situation, the messages you exchange are not encrypted.
Signal Messenger App Features
There are some Signal private messenger app features that you cannot find in WhatsApp or any other messaging apps. Here are some Signal app’s strong features worth your attention.
- Totally free to use
Are you looking for a free private messaging app? The Signal app is totally free for Android and iOS. So, do not be worry about it. Since you can use the app without spending any dime.
- Support for Desktop use
For some purposes, users prefer to use a messaging app on their desktop. The Signal app is also applicable for desktop use. You can download it on your PC or desktop and start using it. Therefore, if you are to switch to this alternative messaging app, you can surely use it on your desktop.
Additionally, the desktop can be synchronized to your Android or iOS device. Which means you can use it both statically and mobile.
- Open-source app
What is the meaning that Signal is an open-source app? Is there any difference with other apps?
A little bit of the Signal private messenger review concerning that it is an open-source app is that it released the source code to the public. By doing this, the Signal app source code can be reviewed, checked, and audited by anyone who wants.
For this point, the Signal app is a cryptographically secure app based on a security researchers audit in 2016. The concussion came up after an independent and detail checking by the security researchers.
- End-to-end encryption
Many people do not really pay attention at this point. While actually, this is one of the reasons sending messages through the Signal app is secure.
The Signal app does not allow third-party to access the message you send or receive. Hence, when you use Signal private messenger to send messages, the only party who can decrypt the messages is the recipient itself.
In addition, encryption is also applied to the messages stored in the Signal app. Which, therefore, to access and see the stored messages the users must then enter the passcode.
- Does not collect users’ data
The Signal app does not collect users’ personal data. What the Signal app collects from users are only the phone number, profile information, and random keys. Besides, users’ IP address is also kept to give more privacy protection.
Thus, up to this moment, the Signal app is the best messaging app that strongly protects your privacy.
What Is Better Between Signal and WhatsApp
When it comes to what is better between the Signal app and WhatsApp, we will have to go for the comparison between the two.
If we look at the end-to-end encryption, both apps offer the same feature. But we have to oversee deeper on this aspect. If you care to pay attention deeper, WhatsApp is actually requiring more users’ information compare to Signal. Moreover, with the new privacy policy that WhatsApp has announced, it causes the users to worry about their privacy.
Well, let’s see the simple comparison about the users’ data collected between these two messaging apps as below.
| Signal | |
| Phone number | Phone number |
| User ID | |
| Device ID | |
| Contacts | |
| Location (GPS) | |
| Payment information |
As you can see in the above figure, Signal only collects your phone number, while WhatsApp collects much more data about the users. Therefore, it is fair to say that Compare to WhatsApp, Signal is more secure in the aspect of users’ privacy.
Why You Should Choose To Use Signal App
There are of course some reasons why Signal can be your alternative messaging app when you decide to switch due to privacy reasons. But to be fair and more detailed, we have to discuss its pros or strong points and cons or weakness.
Here I list Signal’s pros why it is recommended.
- Free or without any charge
- Support desktop use and the desktop version is available
- Support for group chat
- End-to-end encryption including voice calls
- Open-source
- Support to send the graphic attachment
While here are the only cons I could find from the Signal app.
- Does not support fun features like stickers
- Can only send a limited file types
- Require good internet connection for good voice call quality
Summary
Since there are concerns over users’ privacy, Signal can be one alternative for this. Besides, as Signal is an open-source app that anyone with the capability can audit the source code, that means any security researchers can audit its security.
To use Signal, users do not need to provide or let their personal information shared, but a phone number. Besides, even the users’ IP address is securely kept by the Signal app. So, what else are you looking for? Here are the links should you are interested to switch to Signal