Signal is finally bringing its secure messaging to the masses

Re:Signal is finally bringing its secure messaging to the ma... by intopieces on Friday February 14, 2020 @01:47PM (#22329074)

In what way is the dependency on the phone crippling? It's a one time sign-up with the phone. You don't have to use it after that.

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Re:Signal is finally bringing its secure messaging to the ma... by rabidrat on Friday February 14, 2020 @01:53PM (#22329137)

I don't have a smartphone that can install apps. SMS would be one thing, requiring a smartphone is, indeed, crippling.

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Re:Signal is finally bringing its secure messaging to the ma... by input_sh on Friday February 14, 2020 @01:57PM (#22329195)

I guess you could install it in an emulator and enter the code you receive via SMS in it during the setup phase.

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Re:Signal is finally bringing its secure messaging to the ma... by Marsymars on Saturday February 15, 2020 @12:28PM (#22336556)

One could also install it on any non-phone device (iPod, tablet, etc.) that supports app installation.

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Re:Signal is finally bringing its secure messaging to the ma... by dependenttypes on Friday February 14, 2020 @06:38PM (#22331557)

Emulated phones get a phone number?

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Re:Signal is finally bringing its secure messaging to the ma... by tialaramex on Saturday February 15, 2020 @02:03AM (#22333817)

No. The emulated phone in this proposal is a way to run the Signal Android app.

During enrollment Signal uses SMS to close the loop on a claimed phone number. The OPs real phone doesn't run Android but it can receive SMS messages so it gets that SMS. The next screen in the emulated app says if the SMS code wasn't filled out automatically then please type it in, and that's what you do.

Tada, now your Signal account is linked to your quite real phone number for a dumb phone.

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