Signal: How to improve security by activating message self-destruction

Signal is considered by many as the most secure messaging app for mobiles (and computers) that exists. The reason is that uses the TextSecure protocol, created by its founders five years even before Signal was born as such. A protocol that has been implemented, for example, by WhatsApp that until now led the market.

Given that its use begins to grow but is not as extensive as that of other similar apps, it is good to explain some of its functionalities in detail. Like for example, explain How can we activate in Signal that the messages we send disappear after a while, something that in Signal can be done without the need for specific chats, such as the secret chats that operate on Telegram.

How to make Signal automatically delete read messages

As we have mentioned, this disappearing messages function is also present in apps like Telegram, with the exception that in Telegram you have to create a secret chat with a user so that the function can be activated. In the case of Signal, we can apply message self-destruction to any chatregardless of the type of chat.

The operation of this option is similar, in any case, to that of other applications. Once we configure the time we want the messages to remain in the chat, every message sent and read (this is important) will be deleted once the set time is up. The messages will remain waiting for the other user to read them so that the countdown of the time we have set begins. The way to do it is simple:

• We open a chat with one of our contacts.
• In the upper part of the chat window, click on the three vertical points to open the extended options.
• We choose the first option: “Disappearance of messages “.
• Once inside, we select the validity time of the messages once they have been read and press “To accept”.
• We will notice that the messages affected by this time limitation they show a little clock just below
  , which starts running as soon as they are read.
• Once the time has expired, messages sent with this time restriction they will disappear without leaving any trace.
• If we want to deactivate self-destruction, we just have to go back to the same section and change the time we have chosen to “Inactive” and we click on “OK” again.

This countdown will affect everything that is sent from the moment we activate the self-destruct time. That means that not only will text messages disappear but also emojis, photos, videos or attachments. Everything that is sent from the moment we activate self-destruction until we deactivate it will disappear without a solution, and will disappear for both parties, not just for us.

As we can see, Signal offers message self-destruction as an extended option that we can use in any open chat, without the need to open parallel chats. This allows us to customize each conversation to our liking, deciding which messages will remain written and which messages will disappear. And why would we want to do this? Maybe a user needs us to send them a password at some point in time or a delicate file. By activating self-destruction, there will be no trace of that shipment and we will be protected.

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Signal: How to improve security by activating message self-destruction

was originally published in

Xataka Android

by
Samuel Fernandez

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