Alright I'm gonna put a bigger effort to switch to Signal this time around and get a few friends roped in. I installed the APK just recently. I have some questions and am hoping some of y'all fedibrains would have an answer.
1. Is there any privacy difference between Signal from the Google Play store vs installing the APK from Github?
2. Given how locked down iPhones are, could that make Signal inherently less private?
3. Are calls also e2e encrypted?
4. Is it safe to put my Signal username on my bio? Or should that only ever be shared in private?
5. Can anyone with my Signal username also see what name I set as my first name?
Some of these questions might be dumb because I'm still learning the ropes. Thanks in advance!
@lenkotarski Some answers:
1. It shouldn't be a different app in terms of code, but I'd recommend installing straight from GitHub if you don't trust the Play Store's integrity (i.e. you assume Google may be compromised by the government at some point and inject malicious code into the app)
2. The only lack of privacy using an iPhone is likely to grant with Signal is if Apple were to allow themselves or a government a backdoor to view your data, same as Google doing so for Android.
3. Yes.
@lenkotarski 4. Your username doesn't function the same way normal ones do. (e.g. you change your username from ABC to XYZ, all people you've chatted with see your name change to XYZ) In Signal, they are simply to establish contact. Changing your username won't make the new name visible to old contacts. Think of it more like a code to connect with you than a permanent name. Of course, you can always change/cycle it when needed.
@lenkotarski You can ensure the privacy of your real number by making sure the settings to let anybody see your number are all set to Nobody.
https://support.signal.org/hc/en-us/articles/6712070553754-Phone-Number-Privacy-and-Usernames#see_me
5. Yes, if you contact somebody on Signal, they can see the profile information you've set. I'd recommend using an alias/emojis/random characters to keep your identity private. People you communicate with can always set a nickname for their chats with you if they already know your identity or handle from a social media site.
@boltx you're awesome! thanks a lot!! will dig into the links you provided. i will stick with the APK.