Signal goes phone-number free, but users slam its $2.99 privacy fee
No number, no problem?
Signal screen and subscription fee. Image by Cybernews.
- Signal now lets Android users create an account without a phone number, but the option costs $2.99.
- Signal generates account and recovery keys so users can restore these phone-number-free accounts and their data.
- Critics say Google or Apple Pay can create a financial trail linked to a Signal account.
- Signal says the fee helps deter spam and may rise if these accounts become a spam vector.
Key Takeaways by nexos.ai, reviewed by Cybernews staff.
Signal is rolling out an optional way to create an account without a phone number, after previously requiring an SMS or call verification.
The feature is currently only available on Android phones via the latest update, and it remains unclear whether it will become available on Apple’s iOS.
However, it comes at a price. If you select “register without phone number,” you’ll have to pay $2.99 to obtain a new account.
In terms of security, upon opening this kind of account, Signal generates a 32-character account key and a 64-character recovery key to restore the account and its data.
It represents an evolution of the service: in early 2024, Signal launched a version that let you hide your phone number and display a username if you opted to create one.
But removing the phone number from the signup process altogether poses a challenge for privacy advocates, as it leaves no telephone identifier to protect their cryptographic details.
Privacy concerns
Some privacy advocates argue that by linking Google or Apple Pay to the $2.99 payment, you are tying yourself to an ID trail, as your financial credentials will then be linked to your Signal account.
Signal hasn't freed anything up. It has taken a step closer to 1) a credit card or a bank account, and 2) a Google account,one user posted on X
No, you are tagged to an Android phone or tablet. think about it:
undefined riderOfTheSun (@riderOfSolaris) September 16, 2026
Google Pay services require what?
oh, so no, Signal hasn't freed anything up. It has taken a step closer to 1) a credit card or a bank account; 2) a google account.
this is not a benefit. this is a dangerous…
Another user, @SethZero1, said phone-numberless registration is an attractive proposition.
“However, it would have to be bitcoin or lightning payments,” thus removing the financial trail as the payment would be decentralized.
And, in terms of authorities like the FBI being able to intercept your credentials, there’d be little difference whether they were attached to a nickname or phone number, argued one poster.
Then there’s the price…
When browsing the Signal Users community's anticipated frequently asked questions, the justification for the $2.99 charge was to deter spammers from posting on their channels.
Interestingly, the explanation also said, “If these accounts somehow become a spam vector, we may have to increase the price in the future.”
On the whole, not all users were happy to pay, but some were if it meant securing their privacy. One user even asked whether they could send cash, similar to Sweden-based company Mullvad VPN, which accepts cash sent by post to its Gothenburg office.
To this, the Signal admin replied, “We have plans to add more payment methods.”
