Signal stops texting support in Android app

In a few months, chat service Signal will stop supporting text messages in its Android app. According to the messaging service, SMS caused users and the app’s design problems. The feature will be phased out in the coming months.

The messaging service cites several reasons to justify its decision. For example, according to Signal, the SMS protocol is not safe, and user metadata would come into the possession of telecom operators via SMS. According to the message service, the lack of security is therefore not consistent with the mission it has set itself.

According to Signal, it was also not always clear when a message was sent via the service and when the SMS protocol was used. This has reportedly increased the costs for some users. “It was a bad user experience, which also had real consequences,” it sounds. The SMS support also reportedly caused problems while designing the UI of the Android app. Signal now wants to put an end to that too.

The SMS function will be permanently removed in a few months. Signal has not given an exact date. Android users who also use the Signal app for text messaging will see an in-app notification suggesting downloading another app for text messaging in the coming weeks. The company also refers to the text message export feature in the Android app for these users. iOS users are not affected by Signal’s measure. Using third-party apps for SMS traffic on this mobile operating system is impossible.