what you need to know
- Signal will soon stop supporting SMS messaging.
- Though the change will happen soon, Signal says this change is being made to ensure its users’ messages always remain private and secure when sent to others.
- Users should start seeing notifications from Signal about how it no longer supports SMS and how old SMS messages can be exported if a user chooses to do so.
Signal has announced plans to end SMS messaging support on Android.
According to Signal’s official blog post, the messaging platform will start to shift away from SMS support on its platform. Signal sees this as a way to continue to create a “more streamlined experience” for its app for Android users.
The company clarifies that the end of SMS support will only affect those who use Signal as their default SMS messaging app. If the app no longer supports SMS, those who haven’t found a new app that supports that type of message will have to do so. However, Signal explains that if you want to keep those messages, you have the option to export those old SMS texts to another app that supports it.
In the interest of privacy, security and clarity, we are beginning to phase out SMS support from the Android app. You have several months to export your messages and either find a new app for texting or tell your friends to download Signal. https://t.co/u9XZ7XM7rTOctober 12, 2022
The messaging platform explains that while you don’t have to export those old SMS messages just yet, the app does offer notifications to let you know when the walls of its SMS support are approaching. When that time comes, which should start fairly soon, the Signal app will walk you through the process of exporting those old messages if you wish, and even help you choose a new app that supports SMS.
One of the best messaging apps for Android, Signal is known for its privacy and security. This app offers end-to-end encryption for all messages you send while remaining free on the Play Store. For security and privacy reasons, Signal is moving away from supporting SMS texts. Signal states that it will begin to “prioritize security and privacy, ensure people aren’t saddled with unexpected messaging bills, and create a clear and understandable user experience for everyone messaging on Signal.” It goes on to mention how unsafe SMS messages are and that they have the potential to lose your data.
Signal’s second reason for dropping SMS support is to ensure its users aren’t hit with unexpectedly high messaging fees. According to Signal, users who texted through the app without knowing they were texting were hit with hefty fees for doing so. Last but not least, the elimination of SMS support allows Signal to clearly communicate its theme of private and secure texts.
Within Signal’s interface comes the duality of attempting to display both SMS messages and its own secure texts. Dropping SMS support ensures that Signal users can avoid misunderstandings about what is a secure message and what is an SMS text.
