Many people haven’t heard of Signal, it doesn’t have backing from any of the big tech corporations, while authoritarian regimes try to block it entirely. I only stumbled upon Signal after it was mentioned in a few articles involving Reporters communicating securely with Sources. This also happened around the same time as Facebook was exposed for using their apps to collect all sorts of information. Facebook isn’t alone in such practices, which contributes to the 4 reasons why you should switch to Signal Messenger:
1. Privacy First
They store so little data, it’s practically useless to seize. Not only are your messages encrypted, but they aren’t stored anywhere but on your specific app and the signal app of people you message. Messages can be set to autodelete, for everyone in a conversation, based on an interval set for that thread. They also provide a code for you to independently verify your connection to each conversation. There are many other security and privacy features you won’t find on any other app.
2. Many great features you’re used to
- Chat over data
- Group Conversations
- Send links with previews
- Custom notifications
- Encrypted voice and video calls
- File sharing
3. Created by a Nonprofit
There’s no company trying to monetize you on the back-end. The developers are supported by grants and donations, so they don’t need to worry about delivering 10x growth in activity or revenues. Many have argued that greed and chasing endless growth has broken many otherwise great services, Signal’s model helps to prevent the same situation.
4. 100% Open Source
Everything produced by the developers is Open Source. Anyone concerned can review the code to ensure it works as promised. You can think of it as peer-reviewed software.
Don’t let the weaknesses distract you
Signal isn’t the ultimate messaging app in all ways. Others have proprietary features and customizations that further tailor your experience, while some link to larger services with existing pools of users. Such differences might be enough for you to keep using other services, but I suggest you at least try Signal for your most important friends and family.