Signal

Signal messenger is the free and non-profitable application for instant messaging and calls with audio and video support between this service users. There are many different communication apps on the market now, but Signal app stands alone due to its strongest accent on the safety of communication. It can be called the most private messenger, as it does not do gather any personal information or keep it on the server (the only data are the time of the last signing in, and it is limited to the calendar date only, not the definite time). Besides, the end-to-end encryption is applied to all data transferred by the Signal messenger.

This messenger is the relatively new software which was launched in 2015 as a separate application, but this product had been in development since 2010. The safety protocol used for the text app got the name Signal Protocol – it is one of the strongest encryption protocols in the world which is also accepted by other messengers like WhatsApp and Viber. Besides, this instant messenger is open-source, and the experts were able to test it properly.

The developers of this messenger track all new challenges and issue regular updates. Users should upgrade the application each time the new version is released to make sure they receive the highest level of the safety protection.

The program interface is plain and similar to other instant messengers – it won’t cause any difficulties to the new users to master it. The user account is registered to the phone number and does not require any passwords or pin-codes. Signal messenger works on Android smartphones and iPhones, and there are the desktop versions for Windows and MacOS. It works on tablets too, but the developers claim it is not optimized for the larger screens and can be unstable.

Main features of the Signal messenger

This instant messenger provides the basic functionality present in many other applications of this kind. The users of the Signal app get access to the following functional features:

• Personal and group text chats. Users can exchange text messages and add smileys to express emotions. There are no collections of stickers, animated mojies or games supported by these chats, however, it is possible to send file attachments (images, videos, documents or contacts) via them. Besides, you can record and send voice messages directly in the chat window.

1. All messages are encrypted. They are displayed in readable form on the target devices only.
2. Screenshots in the application are disabled by default to ensure secure messaging. However, this can be allowed in the main Settings after you download and install the program.
3. The group chat has the highest security level: even the Signal owners do not have access to their list of participants, the group name or even the group icon.
4. The chat history messages can be deleted manually or automatically (there is the possibility to enable the self-destruction timer for the texting in the chat).

• Voice and video calls. The quality of the service depends on the Internet connection, like with other instant messaging apps, and audio and video are really clear with the decent Internet bandwidth.
• SMS integration. It is possible to set the Signal messenger as the default SMS client and import the previous SMS databases into the app. The software gets access to the address book of the smartphone, and it also provides the possibility to dial the number of the contact directly.

The Signal install is free. The encrypted app is light, easy-to-operate and very fast program for the real-time communication in the Web, which is valued by the people concerned about their security.