The secure and open-source messenger app has a proper desktop version that works without a phone
Signal has been getting a lot of publicity recently as more and more people are switching from WhatsApp to Signal. Last month, WhatsApp introduced a new privacy policy that confused a lot of users. While chats between friends supposedly stay end-to-end encrypted and the update only affects business interactions, it highlighted the increasing integration of WhatsApp into its parent company Facebook and users feared even more data sharing than there already is today.
When people were looking for alternatives, Signal has been the main beneficiary. It’s end-to-end encrypted and has all functions you would expect from a modern messenger app. It’s also completely open-source.
Even besides its relationship with Facebook I never really liked WhatsApp. The web version requires the phone to be turned on and connected to the network at all times draining unnecessary power.
Signal, on the other hand, has a fully functional desktop version for all major operating systems, that works even when your phone is turned off. You only need to install the app on your phone to link the desktop version to it.
However, when I wanted to try Signal for myself, I wasn’t able to install it on my phone, because it requires a minimum Android version of 4.4 and my phone only has 4.2.
Luckily, you can still install the Signal desktop version even when your Android version is too low or when you don’t have a phone at all.
The first thing you will need to install Signal without a phone is an Android emulator. I used the one integrated into Android Studio (the official development tool for Android). I‘ve had the most success with it in the past, but users without software development experience may find it slightly confusing to set up (more user-friendly Android emulators like BlueStacks or NoxPlayer may also work, I haven’t tried them though).
When creating the Android emulator, chose a modern Android version with the Play Store enabled and turn on the cameras in the advanced settings.
