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Signal company is launching usernames announced Today. Until now, you had to provide your phone number to chat with someone on Signal. Now, you can create a unique username that you can use instead. Usernames are currently launching in beta, and will become available to all users in the coming weeks. Signal still requires a phone number when registering for the app.
As end-to-end encrypted messaging apps go, Signal stands out with the strongest security and privacy features. By allowing users to now keep their phone numbers private, Signal is closing one of the few loopholes that could allow access to a victim’s messages – where hackers could access the phone numbers used to register with Signal. Phone numbers are hijacked at the phone carrier level.
The company says that usernames in Signal do not work like usernames on social media platforms. For example, Signal usernames are not the login or handle by which you will be known in the App. Instead, they’re a quick way to connect with someone on the app without sharing your phone number.
If you create a username, your profile name will still display whatever you set it to, and your username will not show. People you message on the app also can’t see or find your username unless you’ve shared it with them. If someone wants to talk to you on the app, they’ll need to know your exact username because Signal doesn’t offer a searchable directory of usernames like X and Instagram. Or, you have the option of generating a QR code or link that takes people to your username.
Once you’ve created a username, your phone number won’t show up in Signal to anyone running the latest version of the app if they don’t already have it saved in their contacts. When you message people directly or in group chats, your phone number won’t be visible, as users will only see your profile name and image. However, if you still want people to see your phone number when you send messages, you can change the default setting in your “Phone Number” settings.
Image Credit: Signal
To create a username, you need to go to your “Profile” settings. From there, you’ll need to choose a unique username that ends with two or more numbers. You can change your username as many times as you want, and you also have the option to delete your username completely if you no longer want your username. The company says it has created usernames that can be easily changed so you can choose to create a specific username for things like a conference or group trip and change it when it’s over.
To start a chat with someone via their username, you’ll need to open the “New Chat” screen in the app and type in their username.
Signal is also introducing a new privacy setting that will let you control who can find you on the app with your phone number. Until now, anyone who had your phone number, whether they found it on social media or on a business card, has been able to find you on Signal. Now, you can restrict this by going into your Settings, setting “Who can find me by my number” and selecting “Nobody.”
If you choose the “Everybody” option, that means anyone who has your phone number can type it into Signal and send you a message request, which you can of course decline or block. Are.
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