Since WhatsApp released the new terms and conditions, Signal and Telegram have become very popular. In fact, many users are migrating from Whatsapp to new messaging apps and to make the best choice you need to know what they offer. As for Telegram and Signal, we can say that you can safely install the apps and start using them without worrying about the security and privacy which are fully safeguarded. In any case, you can view and change the security settings (making them even more stringent) on these apps.
Index
- How to stay safe on Telegram
- How to keep your Signal account safe
- Add screen lock to your Signal account
How to stay safe on Telegram
When using Telegram, keep in mind that non-secret chats do not use end-to-end encryption. If what you need to talk to someone about is sensitive and you want this protection, you will need to enable secret chat. In this type of chat, you can also have your messages self-destruct.
Tapping on the three-line menu option and then going up Privacy and security, you can choose from various security options. See the image below with all available options:
- Block other Telegram users
- Hide or show your phone number
- Show or hide your last login / online status.
- Decide who sees your profile picture
- Disable a link to your account when forwarding your messages
- Add a passcode for added security. You can also unlock it with a fingerprint.
- Enable two-step verification
- End all active Telegram sessions
- Cancel your account if you are absent for more than the specified time
- Stop syncing your contacts
- Map preview provider in secret chats
- Previews of links in secret chats
- Preventing others from adding you to Telegram groups is another great way to stay safe.
How to keep your Signal account safe
If you're planning on giving the Signal app a try, here are some security settings you might want to tweak.
Protect your Signal account
By adding a pin to your Signal account, you can prevent someone from accessing your account. By adding a PIN, you help keep your saved information encrypted, so you are the only person to access it. Also, changing it from time to time is another great safety measure. You can do this by opening Signal and tapping the dots at the top right.
Choose Settings and get or Privacy.
Scroll down until you reach the PIN section of the signal. Tap the Change your PIN option.
Add screen lock to your Signal account
In the Privacy section, the first option in the list is the Screen Lock option.
Under the Screen Lock option, you will also see the Screen Lock Inactivity Timeout option. If there is a specific time when you want the screen to freeze, tap this option to set your time.
Prevent others from taking screenshots on Signal
There are a few things you just need to make sure they don't get into the wrong hands. A great feature of Signal that other messaging apps should add is the option to prevent others from taking screenshots of your conversations. If you want to set this security measure, go to Settings> Privacy and turn on the Screen Guard option.
In the image above, in addition to preventing others from taking screenshots, you can also turn off custom learning for your keyboard. By deactivating this option, what you type will not be saved, even if it improves the service.
Hide your location on Signal
When you call someone on Signal, it is possible that your location will be revealed. You can prevent this from happening by enabling the Always forward calls option. You can do this by going to Settings> Privacy> Communication> Always forward calls.
Now that you have seen what are the security and privacy protection options of the Telegram and Signal apps, you can decide the one that convinces you most in this respect as well. Let us know where your choice fell in the comments below.
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