Signal launches Stories for Android and iOS

Updated on: 08 November 2022

Jurgita Lapienytė
Chief Editor

Signal SMS support — Image by Shutterstock.

Signal’s new feature allows sharing disappearing text, images, and video updates with selected contacts.

The stories feature is now available for Android and iOS users, with a desktop version coming soon.

“Ephemeral, low-stakes, and image-heavy, people use stories to share updates about their lives without the expectation of a response,” Signal said in a blog post.

Signal users can opt out of stories simply by going to Settings –> Stories –> Turn off stories. Your story-sharing friends won’t know you are no longer seeing their updates.

“Stories let you share your life with a select group of people in a way that doesn’t result in a new message notification. They give you a place to tell the kinds of jokes that work better in a sequential image or video format and to share what you’re doing without the pressure of a conversation,” the blog post reads.

Stories are available in the latest versions of the app (v6.0). They will automatically expire after 24 hours. You can also delete them earlier.

“Sometimes in the cold light of day, you realize that whatever you thought was profound at 3 AM is, in fact… not,” Signal said.

Stories are end-to-end encrypted, meaning only the selected people will see them.

You can share your stories with selected contacts, hide them from specific people, and send them to the existing group chats.

“Stories might seem like a big shift for Signal, but in reality, they’re just another way for you to communicate with the people you’re already talking to. It’s not about building a following or amplifying content for engagement. Our focus is and has always been on facilitating private, intimate conversations between you and the people who matter to you,” Signal said.