Signal settings guide: privacy, notifications and devices

Signal Settings → Privacy → Phone Number

1. Check “Who can see my number” and “Who can find me by number” separately.
2. Adjust to your preferences. If you disable discovery by phone number, create and share your full username.

Profile names and usernames have different purposes. Contacts who already know your number or have chatted with you may still associate you with it.

Phone: Signal Settings → Notifications; Desktop: Settings / Preferences → Notifications

1. Adjust message previews and sounds in the app’s notification settings.
2. Check Signal’s system notification permission. Adjust muting for individual conversations in chat settings.

If notifications still do not arrive, check your connection and system background restrictions.

Signal Settings → Privacy → Default timer for new chats

1. Choose a default timer for new chats, or adjust disappearing messages in an individual chat’s settings.
2. Choose a duration and save as prompted. The new setting applies to messages sent afterward.

Disappearing messages cannot stop recipients from photographing or keeping content.

Primary phone: Signal Settings → Linked Devices → Link New Device

1. Open Signal on your computer and add a linked device on your primary phone.
2. Authenticate as prompted, scan the QR code with your phone and choose the chat-history transfer option.

View the linked-device list on the same settings screen. Each account can link up to 5 devices.

1. Check whether the old phone works and whether both phones use the same operating system.
2. Use the official comparison to choose secure backups, device transfers or supported local backups, and keep the recovery information you need.

Backup methods are not interchangeable. Check device and restoration requirements before transferring.