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Title:
Signal Problems
Author:
Anonymous
Topics:
communication,<br>digital security,<br>OPSEC,<br>Signal,<br>technology
Date:
1 July 2026
Source:
Retrieved on 5 July 2026 from https://mtlcounterinfo.org/signal-problems/
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Anonymous
Signal Problems
Potentially sensitive information is permanently saved in account databases.
Successfully registering an existing Signal account’s phone number takes over or disables the account.
ACIs are associated with phone numbers on the Signal servers, and they are difficult to change.
Other issues
Alternatives
Signal suggestions
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The following are lesser-known problems with Signal that anarchists and other targets of state repression should know about. These issues are known to the Signal developers.
Potentially sensitive information is permanently saved in account databases.
Despite being hidden, the following information is permanently saved.
All visible phone numbers: Most Signal users still have the phone numbers of all other chat members from before March 2024, when they could first change their phone number visibility to “no one.”
Group metadata: Leaving and deleting a Signal group mainly deletes the messages. The group members, the group name, the group description, the joined timestamp, the last message timestamp, the group ID, the group keys, member labels, the admins, removed members, the group link password, the draft message, the message count, the sent message count, the disappearing message time, and more are permanently saved.
Example
"id": "REDACTED",<br>"groupId": "REDACTED",<br>"type": "group",<br>"version": 2,<br>"expireTimerVersion": 1,<br>"unreadCount": 0,<br>"verified": 0,<br>"messageCount": 3,<br>"sentMessageCount": 2,<br>"name": "REDACTED",<br>"revision": 8,<br>"publicParams": "REDACTED",<br>"secretParams": "REDACTED",<br>"accessControl": {<br>"members": 2,<br>"attributes": 2,<br>"addFromInviteLink": 4,<br>"memberLabel": 2<br>},<br>"membersV2": [<br>"role": 2,<br>"joinedAtVersion": 0,<br>"aci": "REDACTED",<br>"labelString": "REDACTED"<br>},<br>"role": 1,<br>"joinedAtVersion": 1,<br>"aci": "REDACTED",<br>"labelString": "REDACTED"<br>],<br>"pendingMembersV2": [],<br>"active_at": null,<br>"avatars": [<br>{REDACTED}<br>],<br>"groupVersion": 2,<br>"groupVerifiedNameHash": "REDACTED",<br>"masterKey": "REDACTED",<br>"profileSharing": true,<br>"timestamp": null,<br>"needsStorageServiceSync": false,<br>"sealedSender": 0,<br>"color": "A110",<br>"senderKeyInfo": {<br>"createdAtDate": REDACTED,<br>"distributionId": "REDACTED",<br>"memberDevices": []<br>},<br>"lastMessage": "",<br>"lastMessageReceivedAt": REDACTED,<br>"lastMessageReceivedAtMs": REDACTED,<br>"lastMessageDeletedForEveryone": false,<br>"expireTimer": 86400,<br>"left": true,<br>"pendingAdminApprovalV2": [],<br>"bannedMembersV2": [<br>"serviceId": "REDACTED",<br>"timestamp": REDACTED<br>],<br>"markedUnread": false,<br>"unreadMentionsCount": 0,<br>"draft": "REDACTED",<br>"draftBodyRanges": [],<br>"draftChanged": true,<br>"draftIsViewOnce": false,<br>"storageVersion": 27,<br>"storageID": "REDACTED",<br>"description": "REDACTED",<br>"announcementsOnly": false,<br>"terminated": false,<br>"draftTimestamp": null,<br>"draftAttachments": [],<br>"messagesDeleted": true
Contact metadata: Deleting a chat keeps the contact’s name, their ACI (account identifier), their phone number, their about section, their nickname, the last message timestamp, the contact note, the draft message, the message count, the sent message count, the disappearing message time, profile keys, the profile key credential expiration timestamp, and more. Removing a contact only hides it.
Example
"id": "REDACTED",<br>"serviceId":...