Summary of Key Insights

Signal is generally well-regarded for its privacy and security features, but users report a number of usability issues and bugs. The overall sentiment is positive, as evidenced by the high percentage of 5-star reviews, but a significant number of 1-star reviews highlight serious problems that need addressing. Key strengths include its security focus, ease of use for many, and cross-platform compatibility. Weaknesses include issues with message delivery, photo/video handling, account transfer, excessive battery drain, and a perception of increasing spam/scam activity. The app's reliance on phone numbers is a recurring point of concern for privacy-minded users.

Overall Rating: Positive, but with significant areas for improvement.

Score Distribution:

• 5-star: 57.2% (286/500)
• 4-star: 10% (50/500)
• 3-star: 8% (40/500)
• 2-star: 4% (20/500)
• 1-star: 20.8% (104/500)

Data & Methodology Overview

• Data Sample Size: 500 reviews
• Time Frame: Reviews appear to be recent (January-February 2025).
• Analysis Methods: Manual sentiment analysis, keyword extraction, and thematic analysis were used to identify key user pain points, frequently requested features, and positive aspects.

Key User Pain Points

• Account/Login Issues: Many users report difficulty creating accounts, receiving verification codes, or logging in after updates. Some are locked out of their accounts with no support. This significantly impacts user accessibility.
• Photo/Video Problems: Users experience issues sending and receiving photos and videos, including slow uploads, reduced quality, and failures. Some users report that long videos cannot be sent.
• Battery Drain: Several users complain about excessive battery drain when using Signal, even compared to other chat apps.
• Message Delivery Issues: Messages sometimes fail to deliver, or delivery is delayed, even when contacts are online. Edited messages are particularly prone to this issue.
• Lack of Account Transfer/Backup: Users struggle to transfer their accounts and message history to new devices, especially when the old device is unavailable. The lack of a reliable backup solution is a major concern.
• Spam/Scam Activity: An increasing number of users report encountering scammers and spam on the platform, diminishing the perceived security and trustworthiness.
• Notification Problems: Some users miss notifications unless they actively open the app.
• Lack of CarPlay/Apple Watch Support: Many users request integration with Apple CarPlay and a dedicated Apple Watch app.
• Contact Management: Some users dislike being prompted for contact access and the automatic notification of contacts when they join Signal.
• Bugs after updates: Several users reported the app crashing or malfunctioning after recent updates.
• PIN issues: Some users are experiencing issues with the PIN, either not remembering it or the app not recognizing it.

Frequently Requested Features

• CarPlay and Apple Watch Support: A dedicated app for both platforms.
• Improved Contact Management: More control over contact discovery and notifications.
• Ability to Use Email Instead of Phone Number: A common request from privacy-conscious users.
• Message Scheduling: The ability to schedule messages to be sent at a later time.
• Polls in Group Chats: To facilitate decision-making within groups.
• Pinning Messages in Chats: To highlight important information.
• Improved Search Functionality: A more accurate and comprehensive search feature.
• Customizable Sounds and Notifications: More options for personalization.
• Ability to Delete Messages on Both Ends at Any Time: More control over message removal.
• Ability to use the same account on multiple iOS devices:
• Custom stickers:
• In-app Translator:

Strengths and Positive Aspects

• Privacy and Security: The primary reason users choose Signal. End-to-end encryption and a commitment to privacy are highly valued.
• Ease of Use (for some): Many users find the app simple and straightforward to use.
• Cross-Platform Compatibility: Works well on both iOS and Android.
• Free and Open Source: Users appreciate that Signal is not-for-profit and supported by donations.
• Group Chat Functionality: Useful for staying connected with family, friends, and colleagues.
• Absence of Ads: The commercial-free experience is a significant draw.

Prioritized Action Recommendations

High Priority:

• Address Account/Login Issues: Investigate and fix the problems with account creation, verification codes, and login failures. Implement a more robust account recovery system.
• Fix Photo/Video Issues: Optimize photo and video handling to improve upload speeds, reduce quality loss, and ensure reliable delivery.
• Reduce Battery Drain: Identify and address the causes of excessive battery drain.
• Improve Message Delivery: Investigate and resolve the issues with delayed or failed message delivery.
• Implement Reliable Account Transfer/Backup: Provide a seamless and secure way to transfer accounts and message history to new devices.
• Combat Spam/Scam Activity: Implement more effective measures to detect and prevent spam and scam activity on the platform.

Medium Priority:

• Develop CarPlay and Apple Watch Support: Create dedicated apps for both platforms to improve user experience.
• Improve Contact Management: Give users more control over contact discovery and notifications. Consider adding the option to use email instead of a phone number.
• Enhance Search Functionality: Improve the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the search feature.
• Address Bugs After Updates: Implement more thorough testing procedures before releasing updates to minimize disruptions.
• PIN issues: Improve the PIN system to be more reliable.

Low Priority:

• Add Message Scheduling: Implement the ability to schedule messages to be sent at a later time.
• Implement Polls in Group Chats: Add a feature for creating polls within group chats.
• Implement Customizable Sounds and Notifications: Provide more options for personalization.
• Ability to delete messages at any time:
• Ability to use the same account on multiple iOS devices:
• Custom stickers:
• In-app Translator:

Opportunities for Startup Ideas

• Secure Account Recovery Service: A third-party service that helps Signal users securely back up and recover their accounts and message history, addressing a major pain point.
• Spam/Scam Detection Tool: A tool that integrates with Signal to automatically detect and filter out spam and scam messages.
• Privacy-Focused Contact Management App: An app that allows users to manage their contacts and control how their information is shared with messaging apps like Signal.

Trends and Observations

• Increasing Reports of Spam/Scam: This suggests a growing problem that needs immediate attention.
• Recurring Requests for CarPlay/Apple Watch Support: Indicates a strong demand for deeper integration with the Apple ecosystem.
• Privacy Concerns: Users continue to express concerns about the app's reliance on phone numbers and contact access, highlighting the importance of maintaining a strong privacy focus.
• Bug reports after updates: Several users reported bugs after app updates.

Conclusion

Signal remains a popular choice for users seeking a secure and private messaging app. However, a number of usability issues, bugs, and increasing spam/scam activity are detracting from the user experience. By addressing the prioritized action recommendations, Signal can strengthen its position as a leading privacy-focused messaging platform and better meet the needs of its users. Signal should focus on fixing current bugs before adding new features.

Original App Link

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/signal-private-messenger/id874139669?uo=2