Signal Finally Lets You Skip the Phone Number, but Now Google Is Involved
Signal has introduced a beta feature allowing users to register without a phone number by purchasing a unique Account ID for a small fee. This payment is processed through Google Play on Android, which creates a potential privacy gap despite Signal's zero-knowledge proof technology. While the feature aims to prevent spam, it currently excludes users on degoogled operating systems who cannot access Google's billing services.
- ▪Signal Login requires a one-time in-app purchase of approximately $2.99 to generate an Account ID and recovery key for users who do not want to provide a phone number.
- ▪The registration process relies on Google Play's billing system for Android, meaning Google records the purchase even though Signal cannot link the payment to the specific account.
- ▪Lead developer Greyson Parrelli stated that the fee is necessary to prevent spammers from creating massive numbers of free, anonymous accounts.
- ▪Users on degoogled Android operating systems like GrapheneOS are currently unable to purchase Signal Login because the feature requires Google Play Services.
- ▪Existing Signal users cannot remove their phone numbers from their accounts at this time, as the company is still evaluating the implications of such a change.
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| Original publisher | Gizmodo |
| Canonical URL | https://gizmodo.com/signal-finally-lets-you-skip-the-phone-number-but-now-google-is-involved-2000816351 |
| Publication time | Thu, 24 Sep 2026 14:55:59 +0000 |
| Retrieval time | 2026-09-24T15:00:26.187Z |
| Last seen | 2026-09-24T15:00:26.187Z |
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Signal has started testing a way to join the encrypted messenger without handing the app a phone number. The feature, branded Signal Login, is in the Android 8.28 beta and is slated for an eventual iOS release. On a fresh install, the registration screen now includes an option to sign up without a number. Choose it, and Signal asks for a one-time in-app purchase, listed at launch as $2.99, or €3.49 including VAT. Prices can vary by country. Phone-number registration remains the default, free path. After the payment clears, Signal issues an Account ID and a recovery key. Lead Android developer Greyson Parrelli told testers to treat those like a username and password and to store them in a password manager. “If you lose them, your account is gone,” Parrelli wrote.
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