Signal Private Messenger Arrives on Desktop for Everyone

Edward Snowden's favorite app is headed to the desktop for everyone.

That's right — if you've been itching for an invitation to try out Signal Desktop, the wait is over. After offering a beta app through an invite-only program for the past several months, Open Whisper Systems is now ready to go public.

In a blog post Thursday, Open Whisper Systems Developer Lilia Kai said the company has gathered "a lot of feedback" and "made a lot of improvements" to the app since launching the beta in December.

"We've refined the UI throughout the beta program to improve the look and feel of the app," Kai wrote.

With Signal, all your communications are encrypted end to end. Open Whisper Systems said it "painstakingly engineered" the app "in order to keep your communication safe — allowing you to send high-quality private group, text, picture, and video messages for free."

The app is available for download in the Chrome Web Store. It links with your phone, so all incoming and outgoing messages are displayed consistently on all devices. At this time, it only links to Android devices, but Open Whisper Systems plans to bring this functionality to iOS in the future as well.

Signal Private Messenger for Android earned a PCMag's Editors' Choice award, and praise for its "strong, smart encryption," nice design, and ease of use. PCMag's Max Eddy called it "the easiest way to send encrypted messages on Android," adding that "it's a complete replacement for your existing SMS app."

About Our Expert

Angela Moscaritolo

Managing Editor, Consumer Electronics

My Experience

I'm PCMag's managing editor for consumer electronics, overseeing an experienced team of analysts covering smart home, home entertainment, wearables, fitness and health tech, and various other product categories. I have been with PCMag for more than 10 years, and in that time have written more than 6,000 articles and reviews for the site. I previously served as an analyst focused on smart home and wearable devices, and before that I was a reporter covering consumer tech news. I'm also a yoga instructor, and have been actively teaching group and private classes for nearly a decade.

Prior to joining PCMag, I was a reporter for SC Magazine, focusing on hackers and computer security. I earned a BS in journalism from West Virginia University, and started my career writing for newspapers in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.

The Technology I Use

My little Florida beach bungalow is brimming with smart home tech. I have a smart speaker or display in every room, allowing me to control other connected devices by voice. The Nest Hub on my bedside table lets me set wake-up alarms, control my smart light bulbs, and set the temperature on my smart thermostat. I use the Amazon Echo Show 8 on my kitchen counter to browse recipes, reorder protein powder, check the weather, and watch the news while I do dishes.

Because I suffer from allergies, air purifiers are essential. My favorite model is the Dyson Purifier Cool TP07, which doubles as a fan and continuously sends indoor pollution data to its companion mobile app.

My pitbull Bradley sheds, so a good robot vacuum is a must. I currently use a premium Ecovacs Deebot that can both vacuum and mop, empty its own dustbin, and wash its own mop cloth.

For fitness, I like to mix up my routine with cycling, indoor rowing, running, and strength training in addition to yoga. I take classes on the Tonal 2 smart strength training machine, I row indoors on an Aviron machine, and track my beach runs with an Apple Watch while listening to music on my Apple AirPods Pro. On the weekends, I love riding e-bikes like the rugged, beach-friendly Aventon Aventure for fun and fitness.

My job involves a lot of virtual meetings, so a quality webcam, microphone, and ring light are important. I use the Jabra PanaCast 20 webcam, the Elgato Wave: 3 microphone, and a Yesker tripod ring light.

As for my preferred phone platform, I'm an iPhone person, but I've also extensively used Android for product testing.

Read the latest from Angela Moscaritolo

Read full bio