Signal to remove support for SMS text messages on Android

SAN FRANCISCO: With an aim to prioritise security and privacy, encrypted messaging app Signal has announced that it will soon stop supporting SMS messages on Android.

The platform said it has "now reached the point where SMS support no longer makes sense".

"In order to enable a more streamlined Signal experience, we are starting to phase out SMS support from the Android app," the company said in a blogpost.

"You will have several months to transition away from SMS in Signal, to export your SMS messages to another app, and to let the people you talk to know that they might want to switch to Signal, or find another channel if not," it added.

The change will only affect users who use Signal as their default SMS app on Android.

"If you do use Signal as your default SMS app on Android, you will need to select a new default SMS app on your phone. If you want to keep them, you will also need to export your SMS messages from Signal into that new app," the company said.

According to Signal, it is removing SMS support for the Android app to prioritise security and privacy, ensuring people aren't hit with unexpected messaging bills, and creating a clear and intelligible user experience for anyone sending messages on Signal.

"The most important reason for us to remove SMS support from Android is that plaintext SMS messages are inherently insecure. They leak sensitive metadata and place your data in the hands of telecommunications companies," the messaging app said.

"With privacy and security at the heart of what we do, letting a deeply insecure messaging protocol have a place in the Signal interface is inconsistent with our values and with what people expect when they open Signal," it added.