Signal is a popular app for journalists, government officials, and anyone who needs to have private conversations or transmit documents securely. This is because it's built with end-to-end encryption, which makes sure no one can listen into your conversations.
While the service is already extremely secure, its encryption means nothing if someone can just pick up your phone and open the app.
That's why Signal allows you to lock the app, requiring anyone who opens it (yourself included) to verify their identity before they're shown any messages.
Here's how to lock Signal, and keep your conversations safe.
How to lock your Signal messaging app
1. Start the Signal app.
2. Tap your account icon at the top-left of the screen and tap "Privacy."
3. Find "Screen Lock" and turn it on by swiping its button to the right. On the iPhone, it'll be halfway down the page in the "Screen Lock" section, but on Android it'll be at the top of the page in the "App access" section.
- You can also set up your "Screen Lock Timeout" settings, which let you unlock Signal once, then have the ability to open it without a passcode for a short time afterward.
4. Use the back button to exit Settings.
The screen lock may not take effect immediately. You may need to close and restart the app, or simply restart your phone.
The next time you start Signal, you'll need to use whatever security method you use to unlock your phone, such as a passcode or fingerprint scan.
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