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Installed messenger "Signal", interesting features, advantages and disadvantages of this application
Installed messenger "Signal", interesting features, advantages and disadvantages of this application
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19 july 2023
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Deleted whatsapp. I rarely used it and more than half of the messages I receive are some kind of postcards a la Facebook and reposts of fakes that “need to be spread urgently.” The application itself began to demand again that I update it, generally blocking access if I didn’t, and, in the mood, I decided to completely delete Whatsapp for the time being, and fill the resulting void with something new.
The Signal messenger is not yet popular in Russia. Positioned as another super-duper secure messenger with end-to-end message encryption and an emphasis on privacy. Elon Musk himself recommended that his subscribers switch to Signal a few months ago.
Of course, you should not rely heavily on promises regarding the confidentiality of correspondence ... But I chose Signal not because of these promises.
Elon Musk's advice created interest, I installed Signal, saw that absolutely no one from my (small) contact list was using it and deleted it.
Now, here's attempt number two.
So, one of the main advantages of the Signal is that here you will definitely not get the postcards and fakes that bother you in Whatsap. This is due to the small audience of the Signal. This is also the main drawback of the Signal in Russia, you will not be able to use this application as the main one for communicating with your relatives, acquaintances, business partners, clients.
While studying the application, I discovered an interesting feature, which I myself thought that if I were making such an application, I would implement it. And I was pleasantly surprised that this feature has already been implemented in Signal.
We are talking about replacing the application icon on the main screen. Instead of a standard icon, you can choose another one and pass the messenger off as a weather app, a notebook, or something else. This is a useful thing in terms of enhancing privacy in case the unlocked smartphone falls into the wrong hands. An outsider may not pay attention to a messenger that looks like a calculator, and this is another protection for your personal correspondence.
However, the idea has not been fully realized. If you bring it to mind, then you need to think over a mechanism in which, when you click on the replaced icon, content of the corresponding topic appears on the screen (for example, a weather forecast, if the “Weather” icon) and only when a certain action is performed (for example, entering a code word or double-clicking in a certain area of the screen) would the messenger open. Now, if you click on the “Weather” icon, the correspondence immediately opens, in addition, the application developers warn that the real Signal icon will still be visible in notifications (if not disabled).
Another option that I liked was the ability to disable stories. You will not be prompted to view your contacts' stories and, accordingly, you will not be able to create stories yourself. Finally, someone thought about those who categorically dislike the story format. Now most social networks and instant messengers impose this format, I don’t like it and I don’t like that it can’t be hidden forever. In Signal - you can.
Another option "forbid sending me voice messages" would be very cool.
Judging by the fact that the mobile application refers to connected devices, including a computer, I conclude that the signal can also be installed on a computer. This is a plus. It is possible to post notes for yourself. And thus transfer files from device to device.
Of the shortcomings, I would note the inability to prohibit calls. I don't like audio and video calls via instant messengers, they are usually of poor quality with an unstable mobile network, it's easier and more convenient for me to make a call through a regular voice connection. I would forbid the set from calling via messenger, especially to people who are not in my phone book. I did not find such an option.
There is no way to hide your phone number like in Telegram and set a public username that could be used for communication instead of a phone number. For a messenger that talks about protecting my privacy, privacy, this is definitely a huge minus.
Another minus of the application is that you cannot add a second account to the application for the second phone number (I have two SIM cards of different operators in my phone), as it is implemented in Telegram. Also an inconvenience.
Here is the main thing that I noticed when studying the application. The quality of the connection has not yet been tested, in my contact list in the Signal is completely empty.
The Signal messenger is not yet popular in Russia. Positioned as another super-duper secure messenger with end-to-end message encryption and an emphasis on privacy. Elon Musk himself recommended that his subscribers switch to Signal a few months ago.
Of course, you should not rely heavily on promises regarding the confidentiality of correspondence ... But I chose Signal not because of these promises.
Elon Musk's advice created interest, I installed Signal, saw that absolutely no one from my (small) contact list was using it and deleted it.
Now, here's attempt number two.
So, one of the main advantages of the Signal is that here you will definitely not get the postcards and fakes that bother you in Whatsap. This is due to the small audience of the Signal. This is also the main drawback of the Signal in Russia, you will not be able to use this application as the main one for communicating with your relatives, acquaintances, business partners, clients.
While studying the application, I discovered an interesting feature, which I myself thought that if I were making such an application, I would implement it. And I was pleasantly surprised that this feature has already been implemented in Signal.
We are talking about replacing the application icon on the main screen. Instead of a standard icon, you can choose another one and pass the messenger off as a weather app, a notebook, or something else. This is a useful thing in terms of enhancing privacy in case the unlocked smartphone falls into the wrong hands. An outsider may not pay attention to a messenger that looks like a calculator, and this is another protection for your personal correspondence.
However, the idea has not been fully realized. If you bring it to mind, then you need to think over a mechanism in which, when you click on the replaced icon, content of the corresponding topic appears on the screen (for example, a weather forecast, if the “Weather” icon) and only when a certain action is performed (for example, entering a code word or double-clicking in a certain area of the screen) would the messenger open. Now, if you click on the “Weather” icon, the correspondence immediately opens, in addition, the application developers warn that the real Signal icon will still be visible in notifications (if not disabled).
Another option that I liked was the ability to disable stories. You will not be prompted to view your contacts' stories and, accordingly, you will not be able to create stories yourself. Finally, someone thought about those who categorically dislike the story format. Now most social networks and instant messengers impose this format, I don’t like it and I don’t like that it can’t be hidden forever. In Signal - you can.
Another option "forbid sending me voice messages" would be very cool.
Judging by the fact that the mobile application refers to connected devices, including a computer, I conclude that the signal can also be installed on a computer. This is a plus. It is possible to post notes for yourself. And thus transfer files from device to device.
Of the shortcomings, I would note the inability to prohibit calls. I don't like audio and video calls via instant messengers, they are usually of poor quality with an unstable mobile network, it's easier and more convenient for me to make a call through a regular voice connection. I would forbid the set from calling via messenger, especially to people who are not in my phone book. I did not find such an option.
There is no way to hide your phone number like in Telegram and set a public username that could be used for communication instead of a phone number. For a messenger that talks about protecting my privacy, privacy, this is definitely a huge minus.
Another minus of the application is that you cannot add a second account to the application for the second phone number (I have two SIM cards of different operators in my phone), as it is implemented in Telegram. Also an inconvenience.
Here is the main thing that I noticed when studying the application. The quality of the connection has not yet been tested, in my contact list in the Signal is completely empty.
