With the Whatsapp privacy policy changes notice coming out in public, many people have switched to Signal, a social messaging app. Since most people are new to this platform, many rumors and misconceptions are going around. Moreover, there are some very cool tips and tricks that every Signal user should know. This post will guide you on the 10 Best Signal Tips and Tricks You Should Know.
10 Best Signal Tips and Tricks to Use it Like a Pro
While there are many tips and tricks, we’ve compiled a list of the best ten, which we felt were the most useful. Check out each, one by one.
- Add Screen Lock
- Disable Contact Joined Signal
- Pin Chats
- Edit Photos
- Send Disappearing Messages
- Delete Old Messages
- Incognito Keyboard
- Note to Self
- Dark Mode
- Desktop Application
1] Add a Screen Lock:
One of the best “privacy” features that WhatsApp offers the option for Fingerprint lock. Unfortunately, a lot of the other apps don’t offer this feature. However, Signal can help you with this as there’s an option for screen lock and enabling it very easy. To enable the Screen Lock feature,
- Open the Signal application
- Head over to the Settings
- Once you’re in the settings section, head over to the Privacy section
- There would be an option called Screen Lock, turn it on, and you’re good to go.
2] Disable Contact Joined Notifications:
Just like Telegram, Signal also offers a notification when a contact joins Signal. While it is handy, many people may not like this notification and get annoyed with it. Fortunately, you can disable it quickly. Here’s how:
- Open the Signal application.
- Head over to the Settings -> Notifications section and scroll down to the Events section
- Here, turn the option off that says Contact joined Signal.
3] Pinning Chats:
- Open the Signal Application
- Press and Hold the chat that you’d like to pin
- Once you have done that, you’ll need to select the first option with the Pin icon
4] Edit Photos:
Since many users share pictures, something could either be blurred or highlighted or have some simple edits. Well, in that case, Signal has got the users covered as it offers an inbuilt photo editor. Using that is fairly simple; follow the steps mentioned below:
- Open the Signal application.
- Then head over to the chat, you’d like to send the image.
- Click on the camera icon and then select the image you’d like to send
- On the preview pane, you’ll be provided with a list of options; choose accordingly.
5] Send Disappearing Messages:
First introduced by Instagram, disappearing messages, as the name suggests, get deleted automatically to a certain extent. When that’s turned on, it will disappear the messages sent while it was turned on. To send a disappearing message, follow the steps mentioned below:
- Open the Signal application.
- Click on the chat in which you’d like to send disappearing messages.
- Now, click on the 3 dot icon and then select the disappearing messages option.
- Users can now set the time accordingly, and the setting would be enabled.
6] Delete Old Messages:
At times, one may want not to see the old messages. There is an option for bulk delete as well; Using all the older messages on all chats and group chats would be deleted. Users can choose to set a conversation length limit, which will then auto-delete messages as they get older. To do so: Tap and hold on the contact and choose the Delete (Trash icon).
7] Incognito Keyboard:
Some keyboards collect data from the users, which raises some privacy concerns. To stop this, Signal has an option for Incognito Keyboard as well, which makes sure that no data gets collected, and users can enable the Signal’s Incognito keyboard in the settings menu. And thereafter, it would send out a request to disable any personalized learning.
- Open the Signal application.
- Head over to the Settings
- Once you’re in the settings section, head over to the Privacy section
- Here, enable the option for Incognito Keyboard
8] Note to Self:
Like Telegram, Signal also offers a chat that the users could use to store anything they want. It could be used as a notes section or anything they want. Doing that is fairly simple, as users need to search for Note to self on the search bar. And that’s it, and they can now use the Note to self option.
9] Dark Mode:
As the trend continues, Signal offers both Light and Dark themes so that users can have them according to their preference. Both of the themes can be applied very easily, just by going into the Signal App -> Appearance settings, after which the Theme section and choosing the preferred theme.
20] Desktop Application:
If you’re someone who uses a PC, Signal offers a basic desktop version for both macOS and Windows. Users can chat, even without their phones. It is very similar to what is seen on the Telegram app. Once the app is installed, the application will show a QR code needed to scan via the mobile app. To activate, head over to the Settings and then Linked Devices and tap on the plus icon to scan it.
Well, with that said, Signal is a privacy focussed messaging application, unlike Whatsapp. While there are tons of alternatives to choose from, such as Telegram, Hike, and more, Signal does have an advantage with its privacy-oriented features.
With that said, let us know if you have completely switched to Signal by dropping a comment down below.