Installation of Signal (Android)

For installations on GNU/Linux or other platforms, please follow the Signal Messenger download page: https://signal.org/download

Why Signal ?

Signal is a Secure Instant Messaging platform that offers powerful end-to-end encryption, with no possibility for the network operator to spy on your exchanges.

How ?

Most instant messaging platforms do not guarantee confidentiality in their terms of use (WhatsApp, …) or do not provide end-to-end encryption by default (Telegram, …). Others do not provide the server source code, so users must trust the service operator regarding what actually happens within the server (recording, re-encryption, etc.).

Most alternative systems only use link encryption. This means that one encryption key is used between the caller and the service provider, and another key between the provider and the data recipient. In this model, the message is generally not encrypted at a certain point in the transmission, on the service provider’s infrastructure.

This is how our GSM mobile phone networks operate and how court-authorized wiretapping is made technically possible.

Signal provides end-to-end encryption for all transmissions, including multicasts (groups, video conferences, …). This is why it is used by the Pentagon when planning wars (SignalGate).

Furthermore, if technically possible, Signal avoids intermediate relays, making end-to-end transmission smoother, even in cases of poor Internet quality:

Signal also does this for multicast communications (groups, video conferences, etc.), which represents a significant technical challenge (the entire group must agree on a shared encryption key, which will only be valid for that group and for the duration of the exchange). This is why most alternative platforms do not offer end-to-end encryption for this type of exchange (without explicitly stating so).

Finally, the source code is fully available under an OpenSource licence, including the server part.

Download

Signal Messenger web site redirects on GooglePlay for installation on Android.

However, this requires a Google account, and using a Google account on an Android/Linux phone automatically links that account to the phone and triggers all of Google’s « telemetry » (spying) features, such as « protecting your privacy » by copying your data to the Cloud (for your « security »), « saving your passwords » on their servers (including banking app credentials), etc.

As this is obviously unacceptable and completely incompatible with security and confidentiality, the Signal Messenger website provides another way to install the Signal client for Android/Linux:

« To install the Signal messaging app without signing in to the Google Play Store, use your own browser and navigate to
https://signal.org/android/apk »

Once you have done this, you need to install the apk file (you may need to grant certain permissions, as Google tries to make installing alternative software as difficult as possible), then follow the installation template.