Signal is down after users flee WhatsApp — latest updates

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Signal is down after users flee WhatsApp — latest updates

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Signal, the secure messaging app, is down, following a huge spike in users joining the platform after leaving the Facebook-owned WhatsApp.

Allegations that WhatsApp would be forcing its users to share information with parent visitor Facebook prompted huge numbers of users to ditch the service in favor of something more than secure. Indicate, which has been endorsed by the likes of Elon Musk and whistleblower Edward Snowden, has been at the forefront of that migration.

• Here are the best secure alternatives to WhatsApp
• These are the best encrypted messaging apps you can use correct now
• Plus: WhatsApp just revealed a big upgrade to proceed you lot from jumping ship

Signal is experiencing technical difficulties. We are working hard to restore service as speedily as possible.January fifteen, 2021

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Signal itself acknowledged the issues on its Twitter business relationship, proverb there are technical issues its working hard to get stock-still. Tom'south Guide was able to confirm that Betoken messages were non getting through.

(Image credit: Indicate/Screenshot past Tom'south Guide)

The consensus on social media is that Betoken is struggling under the weight of so many new users, and for anybody to be patient.

It's not the first time this influx of users has caused issues either. Last week, Indicate announced that verification codes were existence delayed thank you to the number of people trying to sign up.

Verification codes are currently delayed across several providers because and then many new people are trying to join Betoken right now (we tin can barely annals our excitement). We are working with carriers to resolve this equally quickly as possible. Hang in at that place.January vii, 2021

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Likewise users have been reporting bug with setting up groups, delays in showing contacts, and other bug notwithstanding caused by the app struggling to keep upwardly with demand. Information technology'southward estimated that since Elon Musk endorsed Signal last week, information technology's had an average of iii,900 new users every infinitesimal.

Information technology sounds a lot like trying to buy a PS5, but without having to fight scalpers for stock.

Signal had an estimated xx 1000000 users at the finish of 2020, and an additional xl million or so seem to take joined upward over the by several days. So server issues are to be expected as they effort and keep up.

What's happened with WhatsApp?

On Jan. four, WhatsApp quietly inverse its privacy policy to land that as of Feb. 8, users volition no longer be able to opt out of sharing information with parent company Facebook. The cyberspace noticed and reports that Facebook would soon be able to view your WhatsApp letters spread like wildfire.

While WhatsApp has denied this is true and insisted that it data sharing is exactly the aforementioned as it'south been since 2016, the impairment was done.

Facebook's history of safeguarding user privacy is pretty poor, and the news hammered habitation that WhatsApp is still function of Facebook, no matter how useful it may be.

Signal uses the same end-to-end encryption protocol as WhatsApp and is easy to utilize, just information technology is owned and run past a non-profit foundation. The foundation'due south CEO co-created WhatsApp and sold it to Facebook, which he left a few years afterwards subsequently it started meddling with WhatsApp.

Bespeak isn't the but app that'south seen a surge in users. Another messaging app, Telegram, has seen upwardly of 25 million new users if estimates are correct. Telegram doesn't appear to exist having whatsoever problems at the time of writing, though.

If you are trying to use Signal, you're just going to accept to be patient and not allow the bug put y'all off. Few evolution teams can handle an influx of tens of millions of people easily, and Signal volition be working difficult to get everything back up and running.

Tom is the Tom'south Guide's Automotive Editor, which ways he can usually be found knee deep in stats the latest and best electric cars, or checking out some sort of driving gadget. It's long way from his days as editor of Gizmodo Great britain, when pretty much everything was on the table. He'southward usually found trying to clasp another giant Lego gear up onto the shelf, draining very big cups of coffee, or complaining that Ikea won't let him buy the stuff he really needs online.

Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/news/signal-is-down-after-users-flee-whatsapp-latest-updates

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