Signal chat will stop supporting text messages in its Android app in a few months. According to the messaging service, SMS has caused problems for users and in the design of the app. The feature will be phased out in the coming months.
Messaging service Mention some reasons to justify its decision. For example, according to Signal, the SMS protocol is not secure and user metadata will be in the possession of SMS telecom operators. According to the messaging service, the lack of security does not correspond to the mission it has set itself.
According to Signal, it was not always clear to users when a message was sent through the service and when the SMS protocol was used. This has reportedly increased costs for some users. “It was a bad user experience, and it also had real consequences,” it seems. SMS support has reportedly caused issues while designing the user interface of the Android app. Signal now wants to put an end to that, too.
The SMS functionality will be removed permanently within a few months. Signal has not provided an exact date. Android users who use Signal for texting will also see an in-app notification in the coming weeks suggesting to download another texting app. The company is also referring to the text message export feature in the Android app for these users. iOS users are not affected by Signal scaling. Third-party applications cannot be used for SMS traffic on this mobile operating system.
