You Can Now Hide Your Phone Number in Signal
Signal is one of the best messaging apps for people who value privacy , but its biggest criticism was that it used your phone number to sign up and send messages to other people. The company has fixed this issue and your phone number is now hidden in Signal by default. However, it’s still worth taking the time to change a couple of preferences and hide your phone number completely.
How to hide your phone number in Signal
Open the Signal app on iPhone or Android and tap the profile icon in the top left corner. Now go to Settings > Privacy > Phone Number . In the “Who can see my number” section, select “Nobody” (this option is enabled by default). Next, you should select “Nobody” in the “Who can find me by number” section. By default, this setting is set to Everyone to make it easier for people to find you on Signal. If you turn this feature off, new contacts won’t be able to check your phone number for Signal messages or calls.
Set up your Signal username
A signal won’t be of much use if no one can find you at all. That’s why the app now allows you to create a username. Instead of using your phone number, your contacts can email you using your Signal username, which will complete the process of hiding your phone number on the service. To set up a Signal username, open the app on your phone and tap the profile icon in the top left corner. Go to Settings > YOUR NAME > Username > Set up your username .
You can now create your Signal username. To protect your privacy and reduce unwanted messages, Signal insists on adding two numbers to the end of your handle. If you prefer the username Lifehacker , your Signal handle should be something like @Lifehacker.76 . If you change your username, you will receive a new set of numbers at the end. Once your username is created, you will be returned to your profile page. You can click “QR Code” or “Link” to see a link to your personal profile and QR code. Share this with people you trust so they can use it to send you messages on Signal.