A practical guide to Signal privacy settings for safer messaging

Signal is designed with privacy in mind, but many of its strongest protections are optional settings you need to enable. With a few tweaks, you can hide your phone number more effectively, protect message history, and reduce the traces your chats leave on your devices.

This guide walks through the key Signal privacy and safety settings on Android and iOS, explaining what each does and when you might want to turn it on.

Check basic security and update settings

Start by making sure you are running the latest version of Signal from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store. Updates frequently include security fixes and new privacy features, so staying current is important.

Open Signal, tap your profile icon, and go toSettings. UnderHelporAdvanced, confirm that “Use Signal’s built-in passphrase or biometric lock” (often labeledScreen lock) is available on your device so you can add an extra layer of protection.

Enable screen lock and control message previews

InSettings > Privacy, turn onScreen lock. This requires your phone’s PIN, fingerprint, or face unlock to open Signal, even if your device itself is already unlocked. You can set an auto-lock timeout so the app relocks after a few minutes of inactivity.

While in the privacy menu, adjustNotifications. Consider hiding message content from notifications by showing only the sender’s name or a generic “New message” alert. This prevents people nearby from reading your messages over your shoulder.

Use disappearing messages for sensitive chats

Disappearing messages automatically delete messages from both devices after a chosen time. Open a conversation, tap the contact’s name, and enableDisappearing messages. Choose a timer that matches how sensitive the chat is, such as 1 day for personal chats or 1 hour for highly sensitive topics.

Remember that disappearing messages reduce the chance of old conversations resurfacing, but they do not stop screenshots or photos of the screen. Use them as one layer of privacy, not a complete guarantee of secrecy.

Turn on registration lock for account protection

Registration lock prevents someone who has your phone number from registering it on another device without your PIN. InSettings > Privacy, look forRegistration lockand enable it. You will set a PIN that Signal occasionally asks you to re-enter so you do not forget.

Choose a PIN you can remember or store it in a password manager. Without this PIN, it is hard for an attacker to move your Signal account to a different phone even if they temporarily control your number.

Hide IP address and use sealed sender where possible

When making calls, you can hide your IP address from the other person by routing calls through Signal’s servers. InSettings > Privacy > Communication, enableAlways relay calls. This may slightly lower call quality but makes it harder to infer your rough location from network data.

Signal also supports “sealed sender”, which reduces metadata by hiding who sent a message from Signal’s servers in many cases. This is mostly automatic, but you can restrict sealed sender messages to contacts only in privacy settings if you want to limit exposure to unknown numbers.

Minimize local traces and backups

Signal messages are end-to-end encrypted in transit, but they still live on your devices until deleted. To reduce local traces, avoid system-wide cloud backups that might include Signal data, especially on Android where app data can sometimes be backed up by default.

On Android, use Signal’s built-in encrypted backup feature if you want a copy of your history. Store backup files in secure locations and protect them with strong passphrases. On iOS, be aware that unencrypted iCloud backups may include message data, so consider using encrypted device backups instead.

Manage groups, links, and safety numbers

Group settings also affect your privacy. When creating or editing a group, keep membership limited and avoid sharing invite links publicly. In group settings you can disable link-based invites once everyone has joined to prevent unwanted participants.

For very sensitive contacts, verifysafety numbers. Open a chat, tap the name, and then tapView safety number. Compare these codes with your contact in person or through another trusted channel. If they match, you can be more confident there is no man-in-the-middle attack on that conversation.

Use Signal as your default SMS app carefully

On Android, Signal can handle unencrypted SMS messages alongside Signal messages. While convenient, SMS is not end-to-end encrypted and is visible to your phone carrier. If privacy is your priority, consider keeping SMS separate in another app so you can clearly distinguish secure Signal chats from regular texts.

If you do use Signal for SMS, be extra careful to check the lock icon or indicators that show whether a chat is secure. Treat SMS as less private and avoid sharing highly sensitive information over it.

Review permissions and privacy regularly

Finally, periodically revisitSettings > Privacyto ensure new Signal features are configured the way you want. Check your phone’s system permissions too, such as access to contacts, storage, and microphone, and only grant what Signal genuinely needs.

With these settings tuned, Signal becomes more than just an encrypted messenger. It turns into a tightly controlled space where you have a clear view of who can contact you, how long messages stick around, and what traces you leave behind.