Signal aims to tempt WhatsApp users by borrowing some of its best features

Making the switch is about to get a lot easier

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Followingchanges to WhatsApp’s privacy policiesthat require users to share extra data with its parent company Facebook, many users have begunlooking for alternative messaging apps– and it looks like Signal is hoping to lure them away by borrowing a few ofWhatsApp’s features.

Signal already offers end-to-end encryption and the ability to send messages that self-destruct after a certain period of time (an option thatarrived in WhatsApp late last year), but its latest beta release reveals a raft of other updates that will bring it in line with its rival.

The changes, discovered byWABetaInfo, include some cosmetic options that have appeared in recent WhatsApp updates (animated stickersandcustom chat wallpapers, to be specific), but there are also several practical new features on the cards that will make it easier for WhatsApp users to make the switch.

The maximum number of participants for a group call in Signal is increasing from five to eight (WhatsAppmade the same changein April 2020), there’s a new low data mode to reduce data usage during calls (an optionWhatsApp debutedin 2014), and users can now set a custom ‘about’ status (whichappeared on WhatsAppin June 2019).

Get the message?

WhatsApp has (at least temporarily)delayed the switchoverto its new terms of service, but that decision appears to have come too late for many users, including world leaders like French president Emmanuel Macron, who have decided to abandon ship rather than share extra information with Facebook.

Telegram’s founder Pavel Durov called the number of people leaving WhatsApp “the largest digital migration in human history,” so it’s understandable that Signal is looking to increase its share of the pie by bringing its own specs in line.

We don’t yet know when Signal’s update will be rolled out to all users, but if you’ve been looking for an alternative messaging app that can replace WhatsApp’s features like-for-like, it’s one to keep an eye on.

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Cat is TechRadar’s Homes Editor specializing in kitchen appliances and smart home technology. She’s been a tech journalist for 15 years, and is here to help you choose the right devices for your home and do more with them. When not working she’s a keen home baker, and makes a pretty mean macaron.

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