The messaging app Signal has suddenly gained a large number of new users, which is due to the recent "scandal" of WhatsApp , which announced that it would share user data with Facebook , due to some changes in its policy.
However, after this, people are extremely wary about how other apps, like Signal, use their personal information.
Signal seems to only ask for the phone number and doesn't try to track users, and you can use it even if you don't give it access to your "Contacts."
However, although it is considered one of the most secure applications, there is a chance that you may be sending messages that are not completely secure.
How to check if the messages you send are not secure?
Generally, Signal offers end-to-end encryption, which means that only the sender and recipient can access the messages. However, this may not be the case if you have Signal set as your default SMS app on Android. In this case, you can see if the messages are not secure by doing the following:
- The send button will be gray and have a small icon with an open lock.
- Messages sent or received will also have an open lock icon.
How to tell if your messages are secure?
To talk to someone on Signal, they must also have the app on their device. You'll see the text input field say "Signal Message" before you type anything. The send button will also be blue with a closed lock icon. This indicates that your communication with the other person is private and protected.
Are Signal messages sent from iPhone secure?
On iPhones, there is no option to set Signal as the default messaging app. So you can't use it instead of SMS and therefore it doesn't have the same issues as Android. All messages sent are secure and private.
The same applies to the desktop app.
Source: Fossbytes
