Encrypted chat app Signal is becoming a little more like Instagram, of all things.
The messaging app is testing an Instagram-like stories feature. The function allows users to share an image, video, or text with friends on Signal that’ll then expire after 24 hours.
“Stories are, of course, end-to-end encrypted, giving you a new way to communicate on Signal without compromising privacy,” Greyson Parrelli, the lead developer for Signal’s Android app, wrote in a forum post.
Signal users can also choose to share their stories to all their contacts, or with a custom list of friends or groups. “When you share stories to groups, anyone else in that group can view, share, react, and reply to that group story,” Parrelli added.
Signal has rolled out stories to beta testers, which means they are the only ones who can view posted stories on the service, for now.
The app likely adopted the feature to help attract more users to Signal. The service is best known for offering end-to-end encryption, meaning Signal itself can’t view any of the user messages sent over the platform. That’s made the app especially attractive for people who value privacy. However, Signal is also competing against other services including Meta’s Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, which all have their own stories-like features.
If you’re not a fan, Signal says people can opt out of the Stories function by going into the settings. Interested users can try out the stories feature by enrolling themselves as a beta tester. They can also provide feedback in Signal’s community forums.