Welcome to Signal!
Introduction
Regardless of whether you're a tech savvy privacy advocate or someone who is just looking for a reliable and secure way to talk with friends and family; Signal is an amazing tool to help get you connected directly with the people who matter to you.
What is Signal?
Signal is an end to end encypted messaging protocol available as an app on both Android and iOS, and as a standalone application for desktop.
Signal messenger provides a number of features, though most notably:
- One-on-one messaging, calls, and video chat.
- Group messaging (up to 1000 participants per chat).
- Group calls (up to 40 participants per call).
You can read about all of Signal’s features in detail on their Support Site.
Who is behind Signal?
The Signal Foundation is a non-profit which wholly owns Signal Messenger LLC, the entity that maintains and develops the Signal Protocol. The stated mission on the Signal Foundation’s website is to “Protect free expression and enable secure global communication through open source privacy technology.”
As the Signal Foundation is an independent, non-profit foundation; there are no venture capitalists, hedge funds, or billionaires in control of Signal. As a result, Signal is largely dependent on support and donations from people like you. If you find value in using Signal, consider directly supporting the foundation as developing and maintaining Signal is unfortunately quite expensive.
How can I get started with Signal?
Before you begin, ensure you have the following:
- A device capable of running the Signal app.
- A phone number.
- An internet connection.
With the above procured, proceed to:
- Download the Signal app to your device.
- Launch the app.
- Register your phone number to make an account.
After completing these steps, you should have your very own Signal account ready to go! Congrats, you’ve taken a small but important step in taking back your privacy. Give yourself a nice pat on the back, you’ve earned it.
Now that you’ve got your Signal account all setup, it’s time for you to send a message to brighten someone’s day! If you don’t have anybody to message on Signal yet, you should work on fixing that.
If you’re a computer person, you should consider setting up the desktop app next to enhance Signal’s utility.
Where can I learn more about Signal?
Signal maintains thorough documentation on their support site ranging from setup guides to niche features to security considerations.