Privacy seems to have become quite a commodity in this day and age, with an increasing number of users becoming aware of how easy it can be for someone to access their conversations. Therefore, a number of messaging apps like Signal, which provided encrypted communication, have become quite popular in the last few years.
Signal, developed by Open Whisper Systems, only provided end-to-end encryption for text messages and voice calls, at least until now. The company has released an update to the open beta version of the app which enables encrypted video calls. Therefore, you enjoy talking with your contacts on video, then you can do so without worrying that your privacy may be compromised. Additionally, the update also improves the current voice calling feature, which is somewhat clunky to use.
Signal previously gained the attention of users when it was endorsed by Edward Snowden, who many private citizens support. The app does not present benefits to just activists and journalists who may be targeted by various attacks in order to obtain their information. Signal has a lot of regular users who enjoy their privacy, despite the fact that they’re using the app for less sensitive content like messaging with friends.
The new encrypted video calls feature will surely benefit all the users who enjoy video chat, at least if the service performs at a similar level to what apps like Facetime can deliver. In this regard, the company is hard at work to make it easy for other developers to implement Signal into their products and services.
iPhone users are even able to use the CallKit in iOS 10, which allows them to answer calls directly from the lock screen. This means that calls from the Signal app will be treated the same way as native calls. However, this type of integration may create some vulnerabilities, as it required to sync the call duration and destination with iCloud. Nonetheless, the feature can be easily turned off from app’s settings.
If you want to try out the new encrypted video calls feature, you need to install the beta version of the app, go to settings and enable the video calling beta option under the advanced tab. The feature won’t work if the user you’re trying to contact has not enabled the option as well.
Image source: Open Whisper Systems