You have Signal installed, but finding someone, starting a call, and choosing your privacy settings takes a little setup. Start with registration and your first conversation, then add group chats and linked devices. The steps below cover the controls you need on your phone and computer.
Get Signal set up on your phone
Open Signal’s download page and choose Android or iPhone or iPad. Install Signal from the app store, then open it. Signal lists Android 6.0 or later and iOS or iPadOS 15 or later as its installation requirements; check the store’s compatibility listing for your device.
For phone-number registration, select Continue, enter your number, and tap Continue on Android or Next on iOS, then tap OK to confirm it. Enter the verification code if requested. Your number must receive SMS or verification calls; if you cannot receive SMS, wait for the countdown to finish, select Call me, and enter the spoken code.
On the latest Signal Android, phone-numberless setup starts at Continue, followed by the permission prompts, Continue, and Register Without Phone Number. Complete the one-time payment and save your Account ID and Recovery Key. Confirm your Signal Login, select Continue, then add an optional username and finish your profile. Without a username, other Signal users can’t find or contact an account registered without a phone number.
After onboarding, tap your profile icon to open Signal Settings, then tap your avatar, name, or number to edit your profile name. For a photo, select edit photo and choose Camera or Photo. Finish with Done on iOS and Save when shown.
Send your first message
Start here to reach another Signal user by contact, phone number, or exact username. Tap the compose icon.
Select a contact or search by phone number. Number searches work only when the recipient permits phone-number discovery.
For a username search instead, select Find by Username. Enter the person’s complete username, including its ending digits. Type your message in the message field.
Tap the locked blue send icon on Android or the send arrow on iOS, or press Enter on Desktop. Contacting someone by username sends a message request.
For a photo, video, or file, select the + attachment icon in the conversation. Choose your attachment. Send it with the locked blue send icon on Android, the send arrow on iOS, or Enter on Desktop.
When someone new contacts you, open their message request. Select Accept to communicate, Block to prevent contact, or Report to report the requester.
To invite someone who does not use Signal, open Signal Settings > Invite your friends > Share on Android. Choose the app you want to use for the invitation. On iOS, open the compose icon > Invite Friends to Signal instead.
Choose Message or Mail. Select the contacts to invite. Tap Done. Send the invitation through the selected app.
Make a voice or video call
Open the person’s conversation. Both of you need Signal and internet access.
Select the phone icon for a voice call or the camera/video-call icon for a video call. Confirm with Call or Start Call when prompted. Allow Microphone access when Signal requests it. Allow Camera access when requested for video.
During the call, select the camera control to show or hide your video. On mobile, select the Bluetooth or speaker icon to change the audio output. On Desktop, open the call’s settings icon to access audio controls. Choose your input or output device from the microphone or speaker dropdown.
To switch mobile cameras, select the flip-camera icon. On Desktop, open the call’s settings icon for camera options. Select another camera from the video dropdown.
To read messages during the call, tap the back arrow on mobile or select minimize call on Desktop. For a quick return call, select an entry in Calls, found at the bottom of mobile Signal or on the left of Desktop.
Bring everyone into one conversation
Create a group when several people need to follow the same conversation. That group also gives you a place to start or join a call.
Open the compose icon. Select New Group. Select contacts or enter their numbers. Choose Next.
Enter a Group name. Choose a disappearing-message time. Select Create. Signal groups support up to 1,000 members; invitees whose invitation requires acceptance must accept it to participate.
To call the group, select its video-call icon. Choose Start Call to begin or Join Call to enter an existing call. Group calls support up to 75 participants, and everyone must belong to the group.
For a reusable call invitation, open Calls. Select Create a Call link. Enable Require admin approval if you want to approve people before they join.
Choose Copy link or Share link via Signal to distribute the invitation. Recipients need Signal installed and active to join through it. Select DONE to finish.
Choose how people find you and what they can see
These controls set phone-number visibility, read status, message timers, and who can contact you.
To create a username, tap your profile icon. On iOS, select Settings. Open your profile. Select @ to create your username.
Share your exact username with the person you want to contact. For a scannable code or contact link instead, open QR Code or Link in your profile. Share the code or link.
For a phone-number account, open Signal Settings > Privacy > Phone Number. Set Who can see my number to Nobody to hide your number from people who don’t already have it saved in their phone’s contacts. If you plan to block someone, change this setting before you block them; a person who could see your number when you blocked them can still see it.
Set Who can find me by my number to Nobody to disable number discovery. Hiding your number’s visibility is required before you can hide discovery.
To control read status, open Signal Settings > Privacy > Read Receipts. Turn Read Receipts on or off. Both participants must enable them to see read status.
For a default disappearing-message timer, open Signal Settings > Privacy > Default timer for new chats. For an existing conversation instead, open its conversation header > Disappearing messages. Choose a time or Off. Group administrators can restrict timer changes.
Confirm with Save on Android or Set on iOS. Desktop applies the choice automatically.
To block someone, open their conversation header. Select Block or Block this user. Confirm with Block.
To reverse that choice later, open Signal Settings > Privacy > Blocked. Select the person. Choose Unblock.
Link your computer and other devices
Use Signal’s download page to choose Download for Windows, Download for Mac, or a Linux option. For Windows or Mac, open the installer and follow its prompts; for Linux, follow the page’s repository or AppImage instructions, then open Signal to display its QR code. Signal Desktop supports Windows 10/11, macOS 13 or later, and supported amd64/x86_64 Linux systems.
On your primary phone, open Signal Settings > Linked devices > Link a new device. Authenticate with your device passcode or biometrics, then scan the computer’s QR code. Choose Transfer Message History or Don't Transfer when prompted.
You can have up to five linked devices, including an iPad added through Continue > Add as New Device during setup. For a secondary Android device or iPhone, select Continue, open the top-left three-dot menu, and choose Link Device; Android linking requires Signal 8.20 or later, and iPhone linking requires Signal 8.22 or later. On the primary phone, open Signal Settings > Linked devices > Link a new device, authenticate, and scan the secondary device’s QR code.
To send yourself a message or exchange files between linked devices, use the compose icon or search to open Note to Self. Enter text or choose an attachment. Tap the locked blue send icon on Android or the send arrow on iOS, or press Enter on Desktop.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Signal send regular SMS or MMS messages?
No. Signal removed SMS and MMS sending and receiving. Use your phone’s separate SMS app to contact people who do not use Signal.
What is the difference between Sent and Delivered?
Sent means Signal’s service received the message. Delivered means the recipient’s device received it. Neither status by itself means the recipient has read it.
Can I edit or delete a message after sending it?
Yes. On mobile, long-press your sent message, then select Edit. Change the text and send it again. You can make up to ten edits within 24 hours; Note to Self has no editing time limit. To retract a message within 24 hours, long-press it, select Delete, then Delete for everyone. Retraction is best effort, so removal is not guaranteed.
Does my Signal PIN restore my messages?
No. A Signal PIN does not restore message history. Signal Secure Backups provides backup and restoration on Android and iOS. Restoring from it requires an existing encrypted backup archive and its recovery key.
