Signal is a free and open-source messaging app that is owned by the non-profit Signal Foundation. Since generating profit is not part of the equation for Signal, it has no reason to collect user data—and it doesn’t. To use the app, you need a smartphone and a phone number, that’s it.
The messages you send through Signal are secured by the Signal Protocol, which employs state-of-the-art encryption and is considered the industry gold standard. This means that no one, not even Signal, can read or access your messages. If law enforcement comes knocking on Signal’s door and demands they hand over your information, the company would have nothing to give, because nothing is stored.
All communications carried out via Signal are encrypted by default, so you can safely make audio and video calls, send disappearing messages, photos, files, and so on. There’s just one issue: Signal is not as popular as mainstream messaging apps, and it’s safe to assume most of your contacts are not using it.
