Thought Leadership
Signal is testing a phone-numberless login in its Android beta. The new “Signal Login” feature costs a one-time fee of 2.99 US dollars or 3.49 euros.
Signal is introducing a new registration method for Android that allows users for the first time to register without providing a phone number. The messaging service released the feature under the name “Signal Login” in Android beta version 8.28.1. Previously, providing a phone number was mandatory on Signal, even though users have been able to hide this number from other chat partners using a separate username since 2024. However, for the actual registration process itself, the number remained required until now.
Availability Initially Restricted to Android
The feature is currently available exclusively to Android users participating in the beta version. Following the completion of the testing phase, Signal Login is set to be unlocked for all Android devices, including tablets. Whether and when the feature will also come to iOS has not yet been disclosed by Signal. Existing accounts cannot retroactively remove their stored phone number at this time. Signal Login applies exclusively to new registrations. The existing registration via phone number will continue to coexist and remain free of charge.
Account ID and Account Key Replace the Phone Number
Anyone signing up via Signal Login receives an Account ID and an Account Key instead of a phone number, comparable to a username and a password. Signal recommends saving both details in a password manager. In the event of loss, there is no recovery mechanism via Signal Support. If the Account ID or Account Key is lost, access to the account is permanently locked out.
Additional Protection via TOTP Authentication
Along with the new login method, Signal is also introducing two-factor authentication via TOTP, such as through Google Authenticator or comparable apps. Support for passkeys, including hardware security keys, is currently in preparation according to Signal. The TOTP feature is currently available exclusively for Signal Login accounts, with an extension to phone-number-based accounts planned. The same rule applies to the second factor: if access to all stored authentication methods is lost, the account cannot be recovered.
Payment Handled via Google Play Services
The one-time fee of 2.99 US dollars is currently processed exclusively via an in-app purchase through Google Play Services. Users running Android without Google Play Services, such as GrapheneOS without sandboxed Google Play, cannot use the feature at present. Signal announced plans to offer additional payment methods in the future. According to the company, payment processing utilizes the same zero-knowledge proofs as Signal’s existing donation system, ensuring the payment cannot be linked to the created account.
Greyson Parrelli, lead Android developer at Signal, explained the feature in the company’s community forum. The fee is intended to prevent attackers from creating accounts on a large scale and flooding the network with spam. In its published FAQ explanations, Signal notes that the price could be adjusted if necessary:
“If these accounts become a spam vector, we may need to increase the price in the future.”
Signal
Users from the community also asked in the forum about alternative payment methods without a credit card or Google account, similar to the model of VPN provider Mullvad, which accepts cash payments by mail. Signal explained that additional payment methods are being planned, without specifying a timeframe.
(Editorial Team)
