Last update Jan. 26, 2025
How to protect myself?
To enhance your security while using Signal, follow these best practices.
- Enable disappearing messages for sensitive conversations
- Use registration lock to prevent unauthorized access
- Regularly update the app to benefit from security patches
- Avoid sharing sensitive information via unencrypted methods
What data are collected?
Signal collects minimal user data, focusing on privacy and security by design.
- Your phone number for account creation
- Randomly generated authentication tokens
- Minimal metadata such as registration date
- No message or contact data is stored
How are my data used?
Signal uses your data strictly for service functionality and security, without selling or sharing with third parties.
- Used for encrypted communication only
- Not shared with third parties or advertisers
- Data is not monetized or stored for profiling
What happens when I sign up?
Upon signing up, Signal collects only your phone number and creates a secure encrypted profile.
- Phone number is required to register
- Minimal metadata is stored
- Contacts are not stored on Signal’s servers
How can I delete my data?
You can delete your Signal account via app settings, which permanently removes all associated data.
- Go to Settings > Account > Delete Account
- All messages and backups will be deleted
- Phone number will be unlinked from Signal
Historical privacy concerns
Signal has a strong track record of protecting user privacy with no major data breaches reported.
- No known major security incidents
- Consistently ranked highly for privacy policies
- Open-source nature allows independent audits
How does AI personalize my experience?
Signal does not offer AI-based personalization features to avoid compromising user privacy.
- No AI-based recommendations or analytics
- Minimal app data stored locally on the device
- User experience is entirely in their control
Is my data used to train AI models?
Signal does not use user data to train AI models, ensuring complete privacy.
- User content is not stored or analyzed
- No AI training occurs on Signal’s infrastructure
- Commitment to open-source and transparency
Does this service use AI?
Signal does not use AI for analyzing user messages, focusing instead on privacy-first communication.
- No AI-based message analysis or profiling
- Encryption prevents any automated content scanning
- Privacy-first development with no data mining
What security standards does this service use?
Signal employs state-of-the-art encryption to secure communications, with a strong focus on user privacy.
- End-to-end encryption for messages and calls
- Sealed sender technology to hide metadata
- Open-source code for public security audits
How does Signal handle government data requests?
Signal retains no user data that can be shared with governments, limiting compliance possibilities.
- Stores no message content or contact lists
- Can only provide account creation date
- Strict refusal of unwarranted data requests
How is my data protected from breaches?
Signal uses advanced encryption protocols to ensure user data remains secure even in case of breaches.
- No messages are stored on Signal servers
- Encryption keys are only stored on user devices
- Automatic security updates to fix vulnerabilities