Feb 21, 2024 10:57:00

A function to set a user name has been added to the encrypted messenger app 'Signal', making it unnecessary to give your phone number to the chat partner

Username support has been added to the beta version of the messenger app

Signal . Registering a username allows you to chat with others without sharing your phone number.

Signal >> Blog >> Keep your phone number private with Signal usernames
https://signal.org/blog/phone-number-privacy-usernames/

Signal now lets you keep your phone number private with the launch of usernames | TechCrunch

https://techcrunch.com/2024/02/20/signal-now-lets-you-keep-your-phone-number-private-with-the-launch-of-usernames/

Signal rolls out usernames that let you hide your phone number
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/technology/signal-rolls-out-usernames-that-let-you-hide-your-phone-number/

Signal will soon let you share a username instead of your phone number - The Verge
https://www.theverge.com/2024/2/20/24078395/signal-username-phone-number-beta

Signal is a messenger app that received the highest rating on the Electronic Frontier Foundation's ` `Most Secure Messenger List, '' and has been officially adopted as a communication tool between U.S. senators due to its safety.

Previously, if you wanted to chat with someone using Signal, you had to share each other's phone number with everyone you were chatting with. However, in the beta version released on February 20, 2024, we added the ability to set a unique username if you don't want to share your phone number to chat with someone.

Setting a username eliminates the need to reveal your phone number to the people you're chatting with. Signal says, ``Your phone number will no longer be visible to anyone in the latest version of Signal unless it's saved in your phone's contacts. This can be changed in settings.''

Your username is different from your profile name in Signal, and setting a username will not change your profile name. Also, Signal doesn't offer a searchable directory of usernames like X or Instagram, so you'll need to enter the exact username when searching for a user. “To start chatting with you on Signal, we need to know your exact unique username,” explains Randall Sarafa, Chief Product Officer at Signal.

If you want to start a chat with someone, you can also create and share a unique link or QR code based on their username. Additionally, your username never appears on your Signal profile, you can change it as many times as you like, or delete it completely if you no longer need it. Signal said, 'We've set up the feature so you can create a specific username for something like a meeting or group trip, and then change it when you're done.'

The function to introduce a user name is being distributed as a beta version for some users at the time of article creation, and is scheduled to be rolled out to all users in a few weeks.