Signal, the popular encrypted messaging app has made an important announcement that will leave most of its users unhappy. Two things were central to its philosophy: encrypted voice-calling and encrypted text messaging, something the company would continue to develop throughout all those years and what we see in its current incarnation. Whisper Systems, the company behind Signal was originally famous for producing security applications like data encryption tools and firewall protection during that time when mobile data services were still in their infancy. As such, one of the features of its secure messaging app was instant encrypted text messages which it removed a few years later. The company has just announced that it will be removing encrypted SMS from its Android app altogether.
Signal has announced its decision to remove SMS-based authentication from the app. The company believes that they should prioritize their users’ security and privacy more than an outdated, insecure technology that goes through wireless carriers that could have issues of data breaches. Signal found it best to remove such a service from the app because it doesn’t really work with their core principles.
The company was aware of the security risks associated with Signal, but it also wanted to be sure that users weren’t getting charged for messages. Users were triggering high messaging rates because they confused the SMS feature in Signal with the app’s free of charge Signal messaging service. While some regions offer unlimited texting, other parts of the world charge just for one message. Removing SMS from the Android app helped resolve this confusion, so there is now a clear understanding of what features and services are supported by the app.
Its final reason for removing SMS support was simply a matter of customer experience. In order to have both messaging systems co-exist with each other in the app, Signal had to create an experience that could accommodate both, while still delivering a clear message to users on what services were being used to send and receive messages. No matter how good a design is, there’s always room for misinterpretation. These kinds of misinterpretations could cause users to not understand which services were being used to send messages or, like in the previous example, could cause unwanted billings from wireless carriers.
Signal is now free from SMS and can focus more on its own core efforts. Going forward, the messaging app will no longer be available for Android and will leave users with a smooth transition. If you’re looking for an alternative, check out our guide for some of the best messaging apps available on iOS and Android.
