‘Signalate’ continues to rumble, with even more of the signal notifications shared between Trump officials – and unintentional Atlantic – revealed today. But how exactly did this group of chat baker happen and what does it say about signal? We have answered all this and more in our one-stop explanations about the app that is in the eye of a political storm.
With robust credentials, the signal has long set the standard for secure messaging. But in the wake of the revelations that US government officials accidentally added a journalist to a group chat where confidential military plans were discussed, there are fresh (and mostly unreasonable) questioning how reliable the protection of the app really is.
Signal’s reputation has made it popular with journalists, politicians and advocates of privacy. Used properly on an Android or iOS device, it can definitely make your conversations safer. Still, it’s not a tool designed to share classified information.
So why have senior American politicians used it for sensitive national security communication? And how safe were these messages? Here’s what you need to know about signal – and how to use it correctly for private message.
What is signal?
- Signal is a secure messaging app with end to end encryption
- It is run by Signal Foundation, a non-profit organization
- Open Source Code makes the platform more elastic
Signal is a messaging app available for iOS and Android devices. Like the best messaging apps, it supports cross-platform text, voice and video chats. What separates signal is its robust privacy features: It is considered benchmark for safe mobile communication. Which makes Signalate the more ironic, although it has little to do with the app’s technical security.
End-to-end encryption ensures that messages can only be read by the sender and the recipient, while open source code ensures that there are fewer vulnerabilities for hackers to exploit.
Signal was created in 2012 by Moxie Marlinspike. It is now run by the Signal Foundation, a non-profit organization founded in 2018 by Marlinspike and WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton. The fund depends on donations rather than ad revenue to finance its services. This means that users can enjoy an ad-free and tracker-free experience, knowing that their data will not be sold to third parties.
In our in-depth signal review, we noted that the app offers “fewer bells and whistles than the more popular (and less secure) messaging apps”. Instead, its developers have focused on creating a safe, minimalist communication tool.
It is this approach that has made it popular with all from warners and activists to journalists and privacy attorneys who favors their safer architecture.
How safe and secure is signal?
- Used correctly, signal is the most secure messaging -App
- It is only as secure as the devices that send and receive messages
- User Error can compromise with privacy for group chats
Used correct, signal has the most robust privacy goods in any major messaging app. It has the most layers of security in both front-end and back-end. Messages themselves are deeply protected from hacking, while the app offers a tool set to ensure that communication is only seen by who they are intended for.
So how did a journalist from the Atlantic ended up on a group chat with US government officials, including Vice President JD Vance and White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles? Signal CEO Meredith Whittaker maintains that the app is the “gold standard” in private communication. Here’s the challenge: As strong as Signal’s security features are, they are dependent on the end user who understands how they work.
This incident was not really a failure of signal. The journalist in question did not infiltrate the group Chat through a back door. Instead, a member of this chat – which included 18 people – added inadvertently but actively the reporter to the group, who was then interested in sensitive messages discussing air strikes in Yemen.
Any group chat is only as secure as its members. Even with vanishing messages enabled, there is a window where anyone in this group can read them. By mistakenly adding the journalist to the group, the US official was responsible for compromising its integrity.
Some votes have criticized the fact that the app allows this, but the possibility of adding a contact to a chat is a core function of group communication. The error here is not with signal – the reality is that, as certain as the app is, it is not an appropriate platform to share very confidential condition information.
In addition, messages sent on signal are only as secure as the device that receives them. If a smartphone is compromised or left unlocked, all signal messages on that device can be read. Nor is there anything that prevents anyone who simply reads messages over your shoulder.
Matthew Mittelsteadt, a technology policy research fellow for the Cato Institute, said just as much in a statement sent to CNN. “Messages can be safe when they are in transit between phones, but when they reach the recipient, security can actually fail.”
This is why the use of signal from the top US officials fell far below government security protocols. Data expert Caro Robson, quoted by the BBC, said that communication like these would normally take place on “a very secure government system operated and owned by the government using very high levels of encryption.”
While the Trump administration officials have claimed that none of the shared information was classified, a memo from the Defense Ministry in 2023 and obtained by NPR banned the use of mobile apps for “controlled unclassified information”. Since the leak, the Pentagon has issued an advisory ban on the use of signal even for “unclassified information”.
National security adviser Mike Waltz has recognized failure. In a speech with Fox News, he described it as “embarrassing” and took “full responsibility”.
How does signal work?
- Signal uses open source, end-to-end encryption to ensure messages
- The signal foundation does not earn to make money on user data or sell ads
- User features are designed for security including personal pins
Signal provides greater security in three important ways. The first is through end-to-end encryption, which means messages are encrypted during transit, then decoded when delivered to the intended device. No one else can read these messages, not even signal.
While other messaging apps also offer end-to-end encryption, Signal’s is more secure because it’s open source. Not only does this make the platform more transparent, but it also provides absolutely any opportunity to explore the code for potential vulnerabilities. This social study makes it more likely that problems are found and corrected before hackers can exploit them.
Then there is the Signal Foundation’s principles. The app itself collects less user data than other services, with message history stored on user devices rather than Signal’s servers. Of the very limited information collected by signal, none of its monetized: as non-profit is the foundation dependent on donations rather than advertising revenue. It also means that users are not tracked or encountered on ads on the platform.
Finally, the security features are integrated into the user experience. These include a personal pin to ensure your profile and the option to hide your phone number. Each one-on-one-signal chat also has a security number that can be used to verify that you communicate with the right person. In addition, you cannot be added to a group chat without giving your express approval.
How to get started with signal
- The signal app is available for iOS and Android devices
- Setup requires a phone number to receive a verification call or text
- Privacy features include personal pinn numbers and vanishing messages
Getting started with signal is pretty easy -the app is free to download from the App Store to iOS devices and Google Play Store for Android Smartphones. To create an account, you need a phone number that will be verified by phone calls or SMS. Once you have created your account, your number will by default hidden from other signal users (see below).
The app’s interface and basic features will be well known to anyone who has used a messaging app such as WhatsApp, Messenger or Telegram. Press the pencil icon to start a one-on-one or group chat. Within a chat, you can share messages, photos and voting notes. You can also press phone or camera icons to start voice or video call.
If you are eager to secure your messages, there are a few more advanced features to explore and configure. ONE Signal pin Can be used to recover your profile and settings on another device. It is configured by going to signal settings, tapping account and then selecting Change your PIN.
Signal also encourages users to verify Security numbers. These are generated to each one chat to confirm that you send messages to the right person. To see a security number, open a chat, tap the heading and select View Security Number. To verify it, you will ideally compare numbers with the recipient personally. Otherwise, you can share it using a trusted channel.
Vanishing messages Add an extra layer of privacy. After a specified period, the contents of messages are no longer visible, whether they have been read or not. You can set a default lesson by going to signal settings> Privacy> Standard Timer for New Chats. You can also configure timers for specific chats. Just go to chat settings and select vanishing messages.
Signal also offers features to keep your communication activity hidden. Screen security stops a preview of signal that appears when you change apps. You can enable it by going to Settings> Privacy and selecting Screen Security on Android or Hiding Screen in App SWitcher on iOS.
In addition, you can Hide signal call From your device’s call log. This is the default enabled, but to double check, go to signal settings> privacy and look for show calls in receipt.
Finally, to manage the visibility of your phone number, go to Signal Settings> Privacy> Phone Number and press ‘Who can find me with my number’. To create a unique Username That you can use instead of your number, go to signal settings> profile.
Even with all the above features that are activated, remember that your signal communication is only as secure as your smartphone yourself. To avoid a leak of information such as the US government LED, be sure to activate your device’s full set of security features, keep it locked with a password when you are not in use, and do not have access to sensitive messages in public. For more tips on how to keep your phone secure, read our dedicated feature here.
