The privacy-focused messaging app Signal has officially announced that it’s dropping support for SMS texts on Android. The change will take effect soon.
When it comes to privacy in messaging, every messaging app claims to be the most secure on the market. WhatsApp, with its end-to-end encryption, and Telegram, with its fancy and innovative features, are always at the top of choices. However, Signal is a proven secure messaging app that even people like Elon Musk use it to exchange the details of multi-billion dollar deals. The platform is now stopping support for SMS texts on Android to keep users’ messages safe.
As per the company’s announcement, this change will affect those who use Signal as the default SMS app on Android. Those who do this need to choose a new default SMS app on their phone. Signal also says that users who want to keep their SMS texts export them from Signal into that new app.
“In the interest of privacy, security, and clarity, we’re beginning to phase out SMS support from the Android app. You’ll have several months to export your messages and either find a new app for SMS or tell your friends to download Signal.” Signal noted.
Signal is ditching support for SMS texts on Android
While this move might frustrate users, the company says this will help them “enable a more streamlined Signal experience.” Additionally, the affected users have a few months to comply with the change.
According to the blog post, security and privacy are the company’s priorities for this change. Then, ensuring people aren’t hit with unexpected messaging bills and creating a clear and intelligible user experience for anyone sending messages on Signal are other reasons for ditching SMS texts on the platform.
Signal asserts that SMS messages leak sensitive metadata and allow telecommunications companies to access users’ data. Also, the costs to send SMS texts are relatively high, and users complained about their messaging fees. Finally, Signal wants to prevent misunderstandings between SMS texts sent and received via the app and other regular messages.
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