Introduction of signal messenger and its security level
Signal Messenger is a mobile application that allows users to send text, video, and audio messages to their users, end-to-end encrypted or fully encrypted that only users can send their messages To observe. Of course, it is also possible to use this application on desktops or computer systems as a web application or installation application.
Signal messenger also can make voice and video calls in fully encrypted form. From the information it obtains from its users, this application only remembers the time and date of their membership in the signal.
Before we get more familiar with signal messenger and its security, we will mention some essential and apparent points about this application.
- Signal Messenger is a free application that can be used by users of both Android and iOS operating systems and can be found and installed in the App Store and Google PlayStore.
- This application’s most prominent features and capabilities include deleting or hiding messages, making encrypted group calls, and a hidden keyboard.
- Tesla CEO Ilan Musk and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey are among the world-famous people who have suggested using signal messengers to others.
The current status of the signal messenger and the extent to which users use it
Signal has now received the first rank of the most widely used application from the App Store in India. PlayStore says that more than 10 million downloads of signal messengers were made by users just after the news of a possible bug in WhatsApp functionality was released on February 8, 2021.
But how does this app work? How secure is it? What are its advantages and disadvantages? And many other questions that have occupied the minds of all new users of this application.
Familiarity with the security of the signal messenger
As mentioned earlier, the signal messenger has an end-to-end encrypted system. Hence, all voice and video calls or text, video, and audio messages are transferred in this encryption system.
Any long-distance or inter-country and international calls have a high-security system, whether via the Internet via Wi-Fi or Data. Also, none of the calls made by this application require payment, and Signal Messenger is a free messaging application.
How does a signal messenger work?
Like most messaging apps, after being installed on the user’s mobile phone, the signal asks him to access the contact list. Suppose the user does not issue this permission. In that case, he must manually enter his number and contact information in the signal application before sending the message to a specific person and then sending the news to him.
On what systems can signal messenger to be installed?
IOS users can download signal messenger from AppStore for iOS 9.0 and above. Devices such as iPhone, iPad, and iPod also can use signal messaging. Android users can also download this application from the PlayStore. This application can be run on Android version 4 and above.
Who designed the signal messenger and when?
Moxie Marlinspike and Brian Acton designed and published Signal Messenger in 2018. Funding to start creating the app was $ 50 million provided by Acton.
Acton was the person who left WhatsApp parent company Facebook in 2017. Of course, Marlinspike had already founded another company in 2013, where the original signal messaging project had begun. The two partners’ preferred mechanism for the company’s products was to provide free and open-source software to the market.
Is the signal messenger also able to watch the last time the contacts were online?
Unlike WhatsApp, users in Signal Messenger cannot see the last visit time or online of their other contacts. The only information that other users can see is when they join the signal messenger.
Can messages and conversations made in WhatsApp be transmitted to the signal?
Groups in WhatsApp can be transmitted to the signal by sharing their links. Conversations or chats are not able to transfer from one application to another.
Also, for two people to communicate with each other via signal messenger, they must have this application installed on their mobile phones.
What is the backup of calls and data in the signal?
It is impossible to make a backup or the same Back Up in the signal messenger. Therefore, if we change the mobile phone on which the signal messenger is installed, or for any reason, we delete our messages incorrectly, or due to a problem, delete conversations and contacts and the list of people around us from our mobile phone, We are unable to restore the signal data.
Unlike WhatsApp Messenger’s messaging signal, it performs backup operations through third-party applications like Google Drive or iCloud. Of course, Android users can back up the signal on their mobile devices, but iPhone users do not.
Advantages and disadvantages of signal messenger
This section will briefly describe some of the most apparent features and advantages of signal messaging compared to some of its most evident disadvantages and limitations.
Advantages
- The signal is a secure messaging platform.
- It is not possible to hack it.
- Allows voice chats by requesting confirmation from the user.
- It is an open-source application.
- It has a user-friendly appearance with very easy to use.
- Allows voice chats by requesting confirmation from the user.
Disadvantages
- The risk of bugs (system and performance errors) is very high, especially for iOS.
- In the reports of some users, its graphics sometimes have a glitch (pixels and poor quality).
- Since it is not yet as popular as other messengers, it is impossible to use it to talk to everyone around us because many people still do not use it.
- It needs the user’s mobile number to find other contacts.
- If someone has access to your internet usage report, they can tell that you have used the signal. The use of the signal messenger is in your internet usage report. Of course, your messages are not visible to anyone this way.
