Signal is a privacy-centered messaging app that encrypts and protects all messages.
If you’re here, you’ve probably noticed that your spouse or partner has downloaded the Signal app, and you want to know whether it means they are cheating.
The short answer: Signal is sometimes used for cheating, but it’s actually not the best app for concealing infidelity. If you noticed your romantic partner using Signal, don’t immediately jump to conclusions, as there are many other reasons they may be using the app for.
In this guide, you will learn all you need to know about Signal, how it secures messages, and whether it can help conceal cheating.
Read on to learn more.
What Is Signal App?
Signal is a private messaging app. It’s sort of like WhatsApp, but it operates a bit differently, with a heavier focus on privacy and encryption.
All the messages you send and receive on Signal are end-to-end encrypted. What that means is that as soon as the message leaves your phone, it is encrypted and unable to be read by anyone.
It is only decrypted once it arrives on the recipient’s phone. End-to-end encryption means that even Signal itself can’t read your messages, because only you and the recipient get the decrypted version.
Otherwise, Signal is pretty much like most modern messaging apps. You can send text messages or make video and voice calls to people in your contacts.
Read on to learn how Signal works, more on the encryption methods it uses, and the difference between it and apps like WhatsApp.
How Signal App Works?
Signal is a messaging app like most others you have used, including Telegram and WhatsApp. You sign up using your phone number, and you can find people in your contact list who are already on Signal and message them.
Signal uses an encryption protocol called Open Whisper Systems, which it developed. However, it is an open-source encryption system; in fact, WhatsApp uses this encryption protocol as well through a partnership with Signal.
Like Signal, WhatsApp offers end-to-end encryption, which means it can’t read your messages on its servers.
So, what’s the real difference between WhatsApp and Signal? There are a few major differences that make Signal much better suited for privacy.
First of all, WhatsApp collects a lot of information about you, even if it can’t read your actual messages. A good example is the metadata that is sent with each message.
The metadata is data added to each message that contains information about who sent the message, when it was sent, who it was sent to, etc.
WhatsApp does not encrypt that data end to end, which means it can access your text logs. Signal, on the other hand, does extend its encryption system to the metadata, which means it can’t access that information at all.
In fact, Signal is a nonprofit, and it aims to collect as little information about you as possible. That means that it doesn’t see your text logs.
Yes, it uses your address book to find contacts on Signal, but it has developed powerful encryption and security protocols to ensure that it can’t actually know your address book contacts.
Even when you set a PIN for account recovery, Signal can’t access it – that’s why it can’t reset your PIN for you.
Explaining exactly how these protocols work is beyond the scope of this article, as it requires a deeper understanding of encryption and cybersecurity, but if you are interested, check out Signal’s articles on private contact discovery and secure value recovery.
In general, people prefer Signal because it is a nonprofit and doesn’t collect personal information. Meanwhile, WhatsApp is owned by Meta/Facebook, and people don’t generally trust Facebook – it has been known to collect a lot of information on users.
Facebook is a company that is, after all, built around data collection and the advertising that is made possible through it.
Signal App and Cheating
Signal has many features that help protect the privacy of its users. For example, users can activate disappearing messages, which means that messages sent and received will automatically self-delete after a certain period.
Now, the truth is that WhatsApp has a disappearing messages feature as well. If you set up disappearing messages on WhatsApp, they will auto-delete from the chat after the selected period of time.
The difference is only in the time periods available. WhatsApp has three options: 24 hours, 7 days, and 90 days.
The default disappearing message timers on Signal are:
- 30 seconds
- 5 minutes
- 1 hour
- 8 hours
- 1 day
- 1 week
- 4 weeks
Not only that, but users can set up custom timers for any amount of seconds, minutes, hours, days, or weeks. That means that if you want, you can have your messages disappear after just three seconds!
Obviously, that makes Signal much better than WhatsApp for cheating.
Your spouse can have a real-time text conversation with someone, right in front of your eyes, and you may not know. If the messages auto-delete after just a few seconds, even if you check their phone, you won’t even see anything there.
On your spouse’s phone, the timer will start from when they send a message. In other words, if they set a disappearing timer for three seconds, it will disappear three seconds after they sent it, but for the recipient, it starts after it was received.
In other words, while it has already disappeared from your spouse’s phone, it will remain on the recipient’s phone (the person they are cheating with) until that person reads it. Then, three seconds after they read it, it will disappear.
In addition, you can always change the timer. After the chatting session, your spouse can go to their Signal settings and turn the timer off or choose a different timer, which will only apply to new messages (not messages already deleted).
So, you won’t even suspect anything, even if you check their Signal settings.
Also, anyone can set the timer in the chat, so if your spouse’s cheating partner wants to message them, they can start a new chat with a new timer.
Another reason Signal can be used for cheating is that you can protect the app with a passcode. Theoretically, you can do that with any app – for example, you can use your phone’s app lock feature to protect WhatsApp as well.
However, Signal has an added measure that allows you to prevent screenshots. That will make it harder for the partner who is being cheated on to collect proof of cheating, although they can still take a picture of the chat with another phone.
With this understanding of how Signal works, you can see how it could be used for cheating.
The truth is that there are apps that are much better for cheating than Signal.
For example, there are apps that masquerade as a calculator. When you enter a secret equation or code into the calculator, it will open a secret messaging interface, where you can send private chats to someone.
Without this code, the calculator looks just like any other calculator, with the ability to perform mathematical equations.
Those apps are obviously much better for cheating, because the spouse being cheated on won’t even know of the existence of this messaging app. Even if they see the calculator, they will think it’s a regular calculator, unless they know the secret code to open the backdoor chat section.
Signal is more suitable for people trying to avoid censorship. Due to the encryption it uses, governments can’t hack your messages.
Even if they hack into Signal’s servers in one way or another, there is no way they can read your messages or even the metadata about who you are talking to, because even Signal can’t see that data.
So, just because an app is better for privacy, it doesn’t mean it is better for cheating. These are two separate things.
Snapchat, for example, doesn’t save messages either by default. By default, all messages are deleted from the chat once opened.
However, Snapchat text messages are not end-to-end encrypted by default. So, for someone who wants to cheat, it’s great, even though it’s not really the ideal app for people trying to avoid government censorship.
And, while Snapchat doesn’t block screenshots, it does notify you if the person you’re talking to took a screenshot, which does help deter people from taking screenshots. Thus, it’s easier to send nudes, for example, without fearing that they will get leaked.
Nevertheless, Signals’ disappearing messages feature does make it better than WhatsApp, for example, for cheating (mainly due to the customization options for disappearing messages).
Also Read: Best Spy Apps For Android Without Access To Target Device
Case Studies
Photo by RDNE Stock project, Pexels
Signal is not used exclusively for cheating. There are many plausible reasons someone might want to use Signal.
For example, they may simply be very privacy conscious. If your spouse doesn’t use Facebook or Instagram either, they may just be a very private person who prefers ensuring that their communications are as private as possible.
If they recently downloaded Signal, it could be because they heard about it and were curious or because a friend of theirs (or their coworkers) switched to Signal, and they want to continue conversing with them.
However, some cheaters do use Signal, perhaps precisely because there are so many plausible reasons to use it. They can say that they are just privacy conscious, while really using it for infidelity.
Photo by RDNE Stock project, Pexels
For example, on the adultery subreddit, which is a subreddit where people discuss ways to cheat without being detected, someone started a thread asking if people used Signal. From the answers, it is clear that some people are indeed using Signal to detect cheating.
In another thread, someone asked about the advantages of using Signal or Kik. One response mentioned the deniable plausibility you can have, as Signal is a legit messaging app that people use for non-nefarious purposes as well.
Protecting Yourself
As I mentioned, just because you noticed Signal installed on your spouse’s or partner’s app, that doesn’t mean they are cheating. However, if it is accompanied by suspicious behavior, it could be a red flag, and you should start investigating a bit more.
This section will focus on how to protect yourself.
Also Read: How To Spy On A Smartphone Without Installing Software?
Signs That Your Partner Is Cheating With Signal
First, let’s discuss some warning signs that may indicate that the use of Signal is accompanied by cheating.
They Are Being Secretive With Their Phone
Photo by Andrea Piacquadio, Pexels
Is your partner suddenly very secretive with their phone? Perhaps you notice them texting someone, but when you come to sit next to them or walk behind them, they put their phone down and turn off the screen.
Or, perhaps you notice that they use Signal a lot, but disappearing messages are always turned on.
Another red flag could be suddenly locking their phone with a password. There are a lot of legitimate reasons someone might want to lock their phone. Perhaps they are afraid they will be mugged or pickpocketed, and they have banking apps on their phone and all kinds of personal data they need to keep safe.
However, if you always used each other’s phones, and they are now refusing to give you the passcode to unlock their phone, it’s pretty suspicious.
Some spouses have boundaries, though, in which they keep their phones locked and never feel the need to go through each other’s phones, as they trust each other. It all depends on the dynamics of your relationship and the precedents you have already set.
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They Are Acting Secretive in General
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There are other ways your spouse might be acting suspicious. Are they suddenly coming home late at night and brushing away your concerns by saying they are working overtime?
It could be true, of course, but they shouldn’t brush away your concerns.
Or, perhaps they are suddenly not communicating with you or talking to people you don’t know on the phone.
You might even notice some more clear-cut warning signs, like finding condoms in their clothes.
Your Relationship Is Experiencing Problems
Oftentimes, if your relationship seems to be suddenly going downhill, there may be another person in the equation.
For example, is your partner suddenly picking fights with you for no reason? Maybe they are looking for excuses to break up.
Perhaps you no longer spend time together or talk anymore. Or, maybe your sex life suddenly went down the drain, and your partner no longer initiates or never seems in the mood to have sex.
Again, these are not clear-cut signs. People go through periods in which their hormones change and they aren’t in the mood for sex.
Sometimes, people get stressed with work or struggle with mental health issues. All of those things can have an impact on someone’s sex life, and cheating may not always be the cause.
However, it’s all about connecting the dots and trusting your gut. If your spouse is suddenly using Signal, is suddenly acting secretive with their phone, and your sex life has died a sudden death, it all points to something going on.
Also Read: Best Hidden Spy Apps For iPhone
How to Approach the Situation?
Photo by cottonbro studio, Pexels
If your relationship has been going through a tough period, you should start by attempting communication.
Like I said, something else could be going on. Perhaps your spouse is battling depression, for example. Or, perhaps they feel like intimacy and love are lacking in your relationship.
Communicating can help clear the air, help you understand what is really going on, and dispel suspicion of infidelity.
However, what do you do if communication doesn’t work? Maybe your spouse doesn’t want to communicate, or they refuse to go to marriage counseling or therapy to work on their issues.
In that case, it is okay to ask for transparency in your relationship. If the relationship is going well, asking your spouse to suddenly give you access to your phone could actually ruin the trust you already have.
However, if the trust is already broken, ask them to be transparent. Tell them that you want to have their passcode, so you can go through their phone at any time, and that you will allow the same for them.
If you suspect that they are using disappearing messages on Signal to avoid detection, ask them to delete Signal or link it to your laptop or computer so you can monitor the messages randomly.
If they truly care about your relationship, and it has been suffering due to a lack of trust, they should be able to switch to another messenger like WhatsApp.
Recap
Technology has truly transformed our relationships. On the one hand, it can improve our love lives.
For example, if you need to travel for a business meeting, you can stay in touch with your loved one via instant chat apps or by video calling them. This can help reduce feelings of loneliness and strengthen your connection.
On the other hand, technology has also made it easier to cheat. You can find new people to cheat with by using apps like Tinder or even websites designed specifically for adultery, like Ashley Madison, and cover up communication using secretive apps like Signal.
Therefore, while Signal has many good use cases and can help us keep our conversations secure, it’s important to recognize that it has the potential to be used for cheating.
If you trust your partner fully, and you have no current issues in your relationship, you shouldn’t really worry if they are using Signal. Being overly suspicious means that your relationship isn’t built on trust like a healthy relationship should be.
However, if your spouse is using Signal and giving off other red flags, it might be time to have a talk with them about your fears.
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