Signal is an encrypted messaging service for instant messaging, voice, and video calls. The instant messaging function includes sending text, voice notes, , videos, and . Communication may be one-to-one between users, or for group messaging.
The application uses a centralized computing architecture, and is cross-platform software. It is developed by the non-profit Signal Foundation and its subsidiary, Signal Messenger LLC. Signal's software is free and open-source. Its mobile clients, desktop client and server are all published under the AGPL-3.0-only license. The official Android app generally uses the proprietary Google Play Services, although it is designed to work without them. Signal is also distributed for iOS and desktop programs for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Registration for desktop use requires an iOS or Android device.
Signal uses mobile telephone numbers as an identifier for users. It secures all communications with end-to-end encryption. The client software includes mechanisms by which users can independently verify the identity of their contacts and the integrity of the data channel.
The non-profit Signal Foundation was launched in February 2018 with initial funding of $50 million from Brian Acton. , the platform had approximately 40 million monthly active users. , it was downloaded more than 105 million times.
Until the feature was removed in 2023, the Android version was also optionally capable of functioning as an SMS app.
Signal is the successor of the RedPhone encrypted voice calling app and the TextSecure encrypted texting program. The beta versions of RedPhone and TextSecure were first launched in May 2010 by Whisper Systems, a startup company co-founded by security researcher Moxie Marlinspike and roboticist Stuart Anderson. Whisper Systems also produced a firewall and tools for encrypting other forms of data. All of these were proprietary enterprise mobile security software and were only available for Android.
In November 2011, Whisper Systems announced that it had been acquired by Twitter.
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Telegram Messenger is a globally accessible freemium, encrypted, cloud-based and centralized instant messaging (IM) service. The application also provides optional end-to-end encrypted chats (popularly known as "secret chats") and video calling, VoIP, file sharing and several other features. Telegram was first launched for iOS on 14 August 2013 and Android on 20 October 2013. The servers of Telegram are distributed worldwide with five data centers in different parts of the world to decrease data load, while the operational center is based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Threema is a paid cross-platform encrypted instant messaging app developed by Threema GmbH in Switzerland and launched in 2012. The service operates on a decentralized architecture and offers end-to-end encryption. Users can make voice and video calls, send photos, files, and voice notes, share locations, and make groups. Unlike many other popular secure messaging apps, Threema does not require phone numbers or email address for registration, only a one-time purchase.
LineageOS is an Android-based operating system for smartphones, tablet computers, and set-top boxes, with mostly free and open-source software. It is the successor to CyanogenMod, from which it was forked in December 2016, when Cyanogen Inc. announced it was discontinuing development and shut down the infrastructure behind the project. Since Cyanogen Inc. retained the rights to the Cyanogen name, the project rebranded its fork as LineageOS. LineageOS was officially launched on 24 December 2016, with the source code available on both GitHub and GitLab.
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