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What is Signal: Everything you need to know about the secure IM service
Signal is an end-to-end encrypted messaging app that you should consider using if you care about privacy
At a time when mass surveillance by corporations and governments is increasingly becoming commonplace, consumers are looking for ways to keep their private conversations away from prying eyes. While there are plenty of messaging apps available to consumers, not all have the same level of protection or consumer interest at heart. This is where Signal comes into play.
Unified messaging platforms, or chat aggregators, are a great way to keep your growing list of messaging apps in check by letting you access and manage multiple apps from one place. This can help you streamline communication across different services and even devices. Beeper is one such unified chat app that I use on my phone and laptop to manage a whopping amount of messaging apps from a single hub.
How I use the self-text feature in messaging apps to stay on top of my digital life
A delightfully simple and convenient way to access important notes, files, to-do lists, and more.
The idea of self-texting was introduced to me by a former colleague a few years ago. This was when messaging apps didn't even have the "self-text" feature, and it required a few extra steps to get messages delivered to yourself. I wasn't particularly interested in it back in the day, and it — quite frankly — felt like a weird thing to do. But little did I know that I'd been let in on a big secret or the "ultimate hack," if you will. I say that because I text myself every day now, and it has made me use messaging apps differently.
Best text messaging apps for Android in 2023
Looking for a good SMS app for your phone? We can help. We've selected some of the best Android messaging apps. Check them out!
The increasing popularity of communication platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram has put the good ol' SMS in the backseat across a lot of regions. That's not to say text messaging is a dying breed because it's still quite popular in countries like the US, and while your friends and family may not be pinging you on SMS as much, you’re still likely getting dozens of text messages from companies and service providers every day. You can always rely on the built-in SMS app that shipped with your phone, but we recommend getting something better and a bit more reliable to keep a track of all the messages. If you're wondering which text messaging apps to use on your Android phone, then here are some good options to consider:
WhatsApp on Android receives small changes and bolstered chat engagement
Sharing photos of an entire vacation just got a lot easier.
WhatsApp has rolled out a few quality-of-life features, with some aiming to bolster the customization and engagement of group chats.
Signal's crypto payments feature is now available worldwide
Signal’s payments feature is now available worldwide, allowing users to easily send and receive privacy-focused payments.
Signal’s payments feature is now available worldwide, allowing users of the popular encrypted messaging app to send and receive privacy-focused payments "as easily as sending or receiving a message." Signal announced plans to integrate a payments feature into its encrypted messaging app back in April. At the time the company said it was testing a privacy-focused payments protocol called MobileCoin in the UK and planned to expand it to more markets soon.
Signal starts testing a privacy-focused payments feature
Popular privacy-focused messenger Signal has started testing a new payments feature in the UK that will let you easily send and receive funds on the app.
Signal has rolled out several new features over the last couple of months to capitalize on the recent backlash against its biggest competitor WhatsApp. The privacy-focused messaging service has rolled out support for encrypted group calls, custom wallpapers, animated stickers, and more. It has also received a new backup feature that lets you transfer chats to a new device easily. In order to give users a viable alternative to WhatsApp Payments, Signal has now started testing a new privacy-focused payments feature in the UK.
Privacy-centric messenger Signal is ramping up to take on WhatsApp
The privacy-centric Signal app is ramping up to take on WhatsApp, with WhatsApp's co-founder recently injecting $50 million into Signal's development.
WhatsApp remains the favorite messaging platform of many, and with over two billion users, its ubiquity makes communication simple. However, with growing concerns surrounding its ownership by Facebook (even though WhatsApp boasts end-to-end encryption), many are looking towards alternative options. Facebook's track record when it comes to privacy has never been good, and with the company only recently making moves towards not adding advertisements to WhatsApp, its userbase is understandably miffed. Typically, those aforementioned alternative options are composed of two superlatives - Telegram or Signal. WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton, after leaving the company amidst rows with his previous Facebook-colleagues, has invested $50 million in Signal's development. He also co-founded the Signal Foundation (a non-profit) and joined as executive chairman in 2018.
Google is making a messaging app for G Suite that combines Gmail, Hangouts Meet/Chat, and Drive
Google will now be coming out with yet another messaging app, this time, dedicated to G Suite users, which will merge a bunch of other apps. Check it out!
You are probably already privy to the news that Google will be doing away with Hangouts sooner or later, and in doing so, they've broken it apart into two different services for G Suite enterprise users: Hangouts Meet, which serves as a platform for video chatting for online meetings, and Hangouts Chat, which helps users within an organization communicate easily and painlessly. While this solution works alright, it can be confusing for some enterprise users who may not be able to immediately tell the difference between the two apps just by the name, especially given how the regular Hangouts app still exists. Now, Google is aiming to fix this inconsistency and try and fix fragmentation by merging most of their work/enterprise-oriented solutions into a whole new service.
Android Messages' new Material Theme design with Dark Mode rolls out
Android Messages has received a new Material Theme design with Dark Mode, and it's rolling out now. You can install it early if you want!
Google has released the new Material Theme redesign for the Android Messages application in version 3.5.048 to all users. We discovered how to enable it way back in version 3.3 when it was first added as a hidden option, but now it's rolling out to all users. It's not just a completely rejigged UI, but the inclusion of a brand new dark mode as well.