Signal Experiments with Public Usernames as Alternatives to Phone Numbers

Signal, the encrypted messaging application, has announced that it is in the process of testing a feature that would allow users to create public account usernames. This new option is intended to provide an alternative to sharing phone numbers when connecting through the service, enhancing user privacy.

Here is the Summary of the update:

• Signal is exploring the introduction of public usernames to facilitate connections without the need for phone number exchanges.
• While phone numbers are still required for account setup, they won’t be shared with others once a username is established.
• The username feature is currently in a “pre-beta” phase within Signal’s Staging Environment, which may lead to instability and bugs due to the significant changes in account identification.
• Users can disseminate their usernames through QR codes or links, and they have the option to disable phone number discovery in the app’s privacy settings.
• The development of usernames has been ongoing since at least 2019, but there is no clear timeline for when the feature will be released to the wider user base.
• Engaging with the pre-beta build requires some technical expertise, including compiling code. More details are available on the Signal forums.

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