![signal desktop for mac signal desktop for mac](https://www.igeeksblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/Check-QR-code-in-Signal-app-on-Desktop.jpg)
Follow the installation steps and it will show a QR code that you need to link the desktop version with the app. Go to, choose your operating system, and download the program.
#Signal desktop for mac install#
With the Signal app installed in your emulator, you can then install the desktop version. However, because your phone number is also your ID, I’m not sure what happens when you don’t have access to the temporary phone number anymore, so I wouldn’t recommend it. I have read that temporary phone numbers will also work. If you don’t have access to a phone at all, you can also use a landline and get a call instead.
#Signal desktop for mac android#
My smartphone's Android version is modern enough to receive an SMS, so I just used my normal phone number, but a 20-year-old Nokia will do as well. Any old phone that can receive texts will work. When creating your Signal account, you need a phone number to receive an identification code. Go to the Play Store, log in with your Google account and download the app. Once you have your Android emulator set up, you can install the Signal app. When creating the Android emulator, chose a modern Android version with the Play Store enabled and turn on the cameras in the advanced settings.Ĭreating a virtual Android device, image by author. I‘ve had the most success with it in the past, but users without software development experience may find it slightly confusing to set up (more user-friendly Android emulators like BlueStacks or NoxPlayer may also work, I haven’t tried them though). I used the one integrated into Android Studio (the official development tool for Android).
![signal desktop for mac signal desktop for mac](https://static.filehorse.com/screenshots-mac/messaging-and-chat/signal-desktop-mac-screenshot-04.png)
The first thing you will need to install Signal without a phone is an Android emulator. Luckily, you can still install the Signal desktop version even when your Android version is too low or when you don’t have a phone at all. However, when I wanted to try Signal for myself, I wasn’t able to install it on my phone, because it requires a minimum Android version of 4.4 and my phone only has 4.2. You only need to install the app on your phone to link the desktop version to it. Signal, on the other hand, has a fully functional desktop version for all major operating systems, that works even when your phone is turned off. The web version requires the phone to be turned on and connected to the network at all times draining unnecessary power. It’s also completely open-source.Įven besides its relationship with Facebook I never really liked WhatsApp. It’s end-to-end encrypted and has all functions you would expect from a modern messenger app. When people were looking for alternatives, Signal has been the main beneficiary.
#Signal desktop for mac update#
While chats between friends supposedly stay end-to-end encrypted and the update only affects business interactions, it highlighted the increasing integration of WhatsApp into its parent company Facebook and users feared even more data sharing than there already is today. Last month, WhatsApp introduced a new privacy policy that confused a lot of users. Signal has been getting a lot of publicity recently as more and more people are switching from WhatsApp to Signal. Signal, the secure and open-source messenger app, images from.