Switch to signal? 5 tips and tricks you should know



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Signal sees a huge influx of users leaving WhatsApp, as users want to protest WhatsApp’s new privacy policies, a move that also got a significant boost when Tesla boss Elon Musk tweeted ” Use Signal ”. But if you’ve just started using the privacy-focused messaging app, there are a number of features you’ll want to know about.

Read on for the best Signal tips and tricks that will help you get the most out of using the app.

1. Set up a screen lock

Signal has a screen lock feature, so even if your phone is unlocked, you must be able to access the phone through a PIN or biometric lock on your phone to open the Signal app. So even if you gave your phone to someone for whatever reason, they wouldn’t be able to see your messages.

To do this, go to Settings> Privacy> Activate screen lock.

2. Disable attached signal notifications

Since a lot of people are joining Signal right now, your phone will start pinging like crazy if a lot of your contacts are on board. The good news is that it’s very easy to turn off these notifications, so you can just use the app, without being bombarded with unnecessary messages.

To do this, go to Settings> Notifications> Turn off contact joined signal.

signal blurfaces screenshot signal

Signal lets you automatically blur faces in photos you send.
Photo credit: Screenshot / Signal

3. Blur faces in photos

If you are concerned about privacy, you don’t always want to send photos with faces of people unless you have obtained their consent. The workaround is to manually edit the photos, which is tedious and time consuming. Signal has it all – the send photos option includes an automatic face blur tool and you can also manually drag additional parts of the screen to blur it – great if you need to send an identity document, for example.

To do this, Tap the + sign> Tap an image to send> Tap the Blur button (which looks like a circle with black and white tiles inside) > Toggle blurry faces. You can draw anywhere on the screen with your finger to scramble additional information.

4. Send a message that disappears

WhatsApp recently received messages that disappear, but Signal has had this feature for a long time. These are messages that are limited in time and then deleted, so your conversations remain private.

To do this, open a chat, then enter the menu by by tapping on the person’s name> Activate / deactivate missing messages> Slide the timer to set the duration of the message.

5. Define how many times an attachment can be viewed

An endangered cat sets a time limit for a message, but the other person must be able to access it during that time. If you set it to something like 5 seconds, the other person might not see anything unless they are actively chatting with you. Attachment limits are a slightly different way of sending messages more privately. With this setting, you can send an image or video that can only be viewed once, and when closed, the attachment disappears. Thus, it can be viewed days or weeks after it is sent, but only once.

single signal send screenshot signal

How to configure one-time messages.
Photo credit: Screenshot / Signal

To do this, press the + sign> Tap an image to send> Tap the Infinity icon in the lower left corner. That’s all you need to do and then you can send the attachment as usual.

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