By AppHub Editorial Team · Updated August 5, 2026
Signal Private Messenger
Overview
Communication
Free
May 25, 2010
8.11.5
6.0
$1.99 per item
No
May 27, 2026
Features
Signal is a messaging app with privacy at its core. It is free and easy to use, with strong end-to-end encryption that keeps your communication completely private.
Signal is a messaging app with privacy at its core. It is free and easy to use, with strong end-to-end encryption that keeps your communication completely private.
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Ratings breakdown
2,870,000 reviewsDeveloper contact
Name
Signal Messenger, LLC
Address
650 Castro St Ste 120-223 Mountain View, CA 94041 United States
Website
https://signal.orgPhone
+1 650-336-8080
Support
support@signal.org
Privacy
View policyFrequently Asked Questions
Is Signal Messenger really free and private? high
Yes. Signal is a free app and a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. It is funded by user donations and grants, not by advertisers. All messages, calls, and media are protected by end-to-end encryption by default, meaning no one, not even Signal, can read them. This is frequently praised by users as a key strength.
Source: app_metadata, user_reviews
Does Signal require a phone number to sign up? high
Yes, Signal requires a phone number to create an account. Some users have noted this as a limitation of the app and an area they feel is behind other messaging services.
Source: user_reviews, app_metadata
Are there any common bugs or issues with Signal? medium
Based on recent user feedback, some users have reported bugs such as calls not ringing correctly and data not syncing properly between the phone and desktop app. These are not reported by all users but have been mentioned by individuals in recent reviews.
Source: user_reviews
Does Signal have desktop and video call support? high
Yes, the app supports encrypted video and voice calls (group calls for up to 50 people) and has a desktop application for Windows, macOS, and Linux. However, some users have reported sync issues between the mobile and desktop apps.
Source: app_metadata, user_reviews
How to Use
Signal Private Messenger is a free, open-source communication app that encrypts all texts, voice calls, and video calls end-to-end, using your phone's data connection. (app_description)
Getting Started
Source: app_description_and_user_feedback_noted
- Download and install Signal from the Google Play Store.
- Open the app and verify your account using your phone number. A phone number is required to register.
- Grant the necessary permissions (e.g., contacts, notifications) for full functionality.
- Start a new chat by tapping the pencil icon, or invite friends who don't have Signal yet.
Key Features (from app listing)
Source: app_description
- End-to-end encryption for all messages and calls by default.
- Free text, voice messages, photos, videos, GIFs, and file sharing.
- Crystal-clear encrypted voice and video calls, with group calls for up to 50 people.
- Group chats for up to 1,000 people with admin controls and membership management.
- Disappearing Stories (images, text, video) that vanish after 24 hours with granular privacy controls.
This tip is derived from a user complaint in recent_reviews #5 about messages not syncing between phone and desktop. The technical guidance to use 'Linked Devices' settings is based on standard Signal setup procedures mentioned in their support documentation.
How this content was created
Content type: pattern_analysis_of_user_reviews_and_metadata
AI generated: Yes
- Google Play user reviews (5 per app), January 13, 2025 to May 10, 2026
- Google Play ratings distribution
- App Store listing metadata
- Review samples are limited to 5 recent_reviews and are not statistically representative of all user sentiment.
- No high-engagement negative or positive reviews were available to provide depth on common praise or complaints.
- Claims labeled 'low confidence' are based on single-review observations only.
- No real-world app testing was conducted.
- Feature availability may vary by region, device, and app version.
Pros & Cons
Based on analysis of Google Play user reviews
Pros
- Provides strong end-to-end encryption by default, ensuring private communication.
Theme 'Privacy and encryption' identified in app description and recent_review #1, #3, #4
Evidence (2)
“It's encrypted end-to-end by default. It's free (made by a nonprofit). It's not owned by FB, G, or any other big ad pusher.”Rating: 5★ January 13, 2025 5,596 likes“Signal is on relatively solid ground for security and privacy.”Rating: 3★ May 10, 2026 2 likes - Free to use with no ads, supported by donations as a nonprofit organization.
Theme 'Free and nonprofit' identified in app description and recent_review #1, #3
Evidence (2)
“It's free (made by a nonprofit). It's not owned by FB, G, or any other big ad pusher.”Rating: 5★ January 13, 2025 5,596 likes“signal is a not-for-profit entity or some kind, they will remind you repeatedly.”Rating: 5★ September 04, 2025 2,810 likes - Supports group chats up to 1,000 people with admin controls.
Feature listed in app description
Evidence (2)
“Stay connected with group chats up to 1,000 people. Control who can post and manage group members with admin permission settings.”Rating: ★“you can't find groups, only be invited to them via a link.”Rating: 5★ September 04, 2025 2,810 likes
Cons
- Incoming calls often do not ring despite notifications being enabled, causing missed calls.
Theme 'Call notification bug' identified in recent_review #2
Evidence (1)
“the calls do NOT ring, even with notifications on in the app, and in settings, and the phone in full ring mode. it's very frustrating because I keep missing calls.”Rating: 3★ August 05, 2025 859 likes - Lacks basic features like 'Mark as Unread' from a specific point and text formatting.
Theme 'Missing features' identified in recent_review #1 and #4
Evidence (2)
“Missing feature: "Mark as Unread"; I find I often take a quick peek at a message and find that it requires a lengthy reply that I didn't have time to write at the moment, but then forget to come back to it until much later.”Rating: 5★ January 13, 2025 5,596 likes“there is still no way to mark a thread unread from a specific point, just a generic unread designator for the chat, nor a way to flag items for follow-up, nor basic text formatting / Markdown, etc.”Rating: 3★ May 10, 2026 2 likes - Messages sent from desktop app do not sync to phone and vice versa, causing fragmentation.
Theme 'Sync issues' identified in recent_review #5
Evidence (2)
“whenever I use the desktop app, messages that I write on the desktop do not get saved on the phone, and vice versa. Frustrating little details like that.”Rating: 3★ May 08, 2026 3 likes“I ran into all sorts of problems migrating from one phone to the other.”Rating: 3★ May 08, 2026 3 likes
Recent Reviews
Dave Krieger
5★It's encrypted end-to-end by default. It's free (made by a nonprofit). It's not owned by FB, G, or any other big ad pusher. And it does text, voice, and video. (Missing feature: "Mark as Unread"; I find I often take a quick peek at a message and find that it requires a lengthy reply that I didn't have time to write at the moment, but then forget to come back to it until much later.)
Alice Marbach
3★Love signal! however I've noticed a bug to PLEASE FIX♥️: the calls do NOT ring, even with notifications on in the app, and in settings, and the phone in full ring mode. it's very frustrating because I keep missing calls. DEVELOPERS, PLEASE FIX AND I'LL BE VERY VERY GRATEFUL. i use it for a lot of my messaging and it's easy to back up messages.
Kaishi Axon
5★good app, but asked for a rating. I'll let it pass the first time but it's minus 1 star each time after that. things to know: -it requires a phone number to make an account. -signal is a not-for-profit entity or some kind, they will remind you repeatedly. -you can't find groups, only be invited to them via a link. I have not found a site with public groups. -it is secure enough for most normal people -changing or adding a device will cause some extra steps or confusion for your friends.
Tom Sobczynski
3★Signal is on relatively solid ground for security and privacy. Though they could be stronger on metadata, it's hard to trade that off against convenience. But on features, it feels frozen in amber. The fact that it's still tied to a telephone number is a drag. It's incredible that there is still no way to mark a thread unread from a specific point, just a generic unread designator for the chat, nor a way to flag items for follow-up, nor basic text formatting / Markdown, etc.
Sasha
3★A pretty solid interface, I like their mission to make messaging secure. It has issues though. I ran into all sorts of problems migrating from one phone to the other. Plus whenever I use the desktop app, messages that I write on the desktop do not get saved on the phone, and vice versa. Frustrating little details like that.