Another great Signal security feature is disappearing messages that allow you to make your messages, well, disappear. It’s quick and easy to set up and can keep your messages away from prying eyes. Learn how to configure message expiration in Signal below.
What is Message Expiration in Signal?
Signal is one of the most secure and private messaging apps out there. Everything in the app is designed to keep your messaging private and your personal data secure, with end-to-end encryption, and even encryption of the sender’s metadata. There is one place where your message content is least secure, however, and that’s on your device. End-to-end encryption counts for nothing if someone picks up your phone, opens the Signal app, and reads your messages. You can set up a passcode or use biometrics such as Face ID to ensure that other people can’t access your app, but you can’t be sure that these measures are being used by the people that you’re sending messages to, so they may be at risk on those devices. The good news is that Signal has a way of providing a little more protection for your messages on both your device and the devices of the people you send them to. Message expiration allows you to set a time after which your message will automatically be deleted from both your device and your recipient’s device. These disappearing messages ensure that even if someone has access to your phone, they will only be able to see the most recent messages as the others will have automatically been deleted. For the sender, the countdown until deletion starts the moment you send it. For the recipient, the countdown starts the moment that you’ve read it. You can set your messages to delete anywhere from one second to four weeks.
How to Configure Message Expiration in Signal For All Messages
Signal offers a range of default times for disappearing messages, from 4 weeks down to 30 seconds. You can use these to set a time for message expiration for every chat in Signal. Note that it will only apply to new messages in existing chats and or new conversations. To set a default time for disappearing messages in Signal:
How to Configure Message Expiration in Signal For a Specific Chat
As well as setting a default time for disappearing messages across the board, you can also set up disappearing messages just for individual chats. Your messages in other chats won’t be affected. To set a time for disappearing messages in a specific Signal chat:
How to Turn Off Disappearing Messages in Signal
If you decide that you don’t want to use disappearing messages in Signal anymore, you can easily turn them off. To turn off disappearing messages app-wide in Signal: To turn off disappearing messages for a specific chat in Signal:
Sending Messages on Signal
Learning how to configure message expiration in Signal ensures that your messages are kept safe from prying eyes, even if someone gets hold of your phone or the phone of someone you’re messaging. It allows an extra source of protection at arguably the weakest point in the chain. If you’re a Signal user, and you’re only interested in it for messaging, you might want to learn how to turn off Stories in Signal. And if you’re not yet a Signal user, you might want to learn how to make the move from WhatsApp. If you decide you want to stay, then you should know that you can also send disappearing messages on WhatsApp. Can’t decide which messaging app is best? Check out our Signal vs WhatsApp vs Telegram review next. Comment Name * Email *
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