Signal Without a Phone Number: What Works in November 2026 (and What Still Needs a Number)
Part of: Is it encrypted? The app-by-app guideChecked against Signal's own announcements and dated reporting by Privacy Guides, It's FOSS and Gizmodo, 9 November 2026. This feature is in beta and changes quickly; Signal's support pages have the final word.
For years the honest answer was simple: Signal needs a phone number. In September 2026 that started to change. Signal's Android beta now lets new users sign up without a phone number, for a one-time fee of about US$3 (Privacy Guides, 16 Sep 2026).
Short answer: on the normal (stable) Signal apps you still need a phone number to create an account, but you can hide it behind a username. If you are on Android and willing to use the beta, you can create a number-free account with an Account ID and a secret key, paid once through Google Play. There is no iPhone date yet, and existing accounts cannot remove their number.
What changed in September 2026
| Stable Signal (all phones) | Android beta 8.28 and later | |
|---|---|---|
| Phone number needed to sign up | Yes | No (optional) |
| Cost | Free | One-time fee, about US$2.99 / €3.49, varies by country |
| How you log in | Your number + SMS code (+ optional PIN) | Account ID + Account Key (like a username and password) |
| Payment method | None | Google Play only for now |
| iPhone | Yes | Not yet, no date announced |
| Remove the number from an old account | No | No, Signal is "thinking through the implications" |
Signal says the fee exists to make mass sign-ups by spammers too expensive, and that the payment uses the same privacy-preserving system as its donations, so the payment is not linked to your account (Privacy Guides). Critics point out that the purchase still goes through Google Play, which ties the step to a Google account and a payment method (Gizmodo; Cybernews). People without Google Play services cannot try it yet.
How a number-free Signal account works
- Install the Signal beta for Android (Play Store beta programme or Signal's own download).
- At the start of registration, choose to sign up without a phone number and pay the one-time fee.
- Signal gives you an Account ID and an Account Key. Save both in a password manager. Reporting describes them as long random strings; lose them and you can lose the account (It's FOSS).
- Turn on the optional two-factor code (TOTP) if offered.
- Create a username. Without one, nobody can find you: you can only talk to people you contact first.
On stable Signal today: hide your number
If you are on iPhone, desktop-only, or simply not using the beta, you still register with a number. You can stop people seeing it (Signal blog, Feb 2024):
- Settings > Privacy > Phone number > Who can see my number: Nobody. This has been the default since 2024. People you chat with see your name, not your number (unless they already have it saved).
- Who can find me by number: Nobody. Then someone who has your number cannot look you up on Signal. Set a username first, or nobody new can reach you.
- Create a username (Settings > your profile > Username). Signal usernames end in a dot and two or more digits, such as sara.42, and you can change them. Share a username link or QR code instead of your number.
- Registration Lock (Settings > Account): a PIN that stops someone re-registering your number on a new phone.
Two honest limits: Signal's servers still know your number, and anyone who already has it saved still has it.
Don't use "free SMS number" websites
It is tempting to register with a number from a public "receive SMS online" site. Don't. Anyone else using that site can receive the next code and take over the account. A second number you own (a cheap prepaid SIM, or a landline that can receive a voice call) is safer, but many countries require ID to buy a SIM, so it is not really anonymous either.
Other apps that never need a phone number
| App | Sign-up | Group chats encrypted end to end | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Signal (beta, Android) | Account ID + key, ~US$3 once | Yes | Mature, audited protocol; iPhone not yet |
| Threema | Random ID, paid app | Yes | Swiss company, one-time price |
| Session | Random ID, free | Yes | No phone or email; fewer features |
| SimpleX Chat | No user ID at all | Yes | Strong privacy design, smaller user base |
| Element (Matrix) | Username, often email | Yes in private rooms | Many servers; more complex |
| Nadeemi (public beta) | Private chats (beta) | Social network + groups, Arabic and English, no ads |
How Nadeemi fits
Nadeemi is the app we build, so weigh this section accordingly. Nadeemi is a social network with private chats and group chats, in Arabic and English. You sign up with an email, never a phone number, members find each other by @username, and it installs from the website (how to install). It has no ads and no AI features. If you need private messaging with a long, independently reviewed track record today, Signal is the stronger choice; Nadeemi is for people who also want posts, groups and a calm feed without sharing numbers.
FAQ
Can I use Signal without a phone number now? Only on the Android beta (8.28 or later), with a one-time fee of about US$3 paid through Google Play. The normal apps still need a number.
Is the number-free Signal option on iPhone? Not as of 9 November 2026. Signal has not announced a date.
Can I remove my number from my existing Signal account? No. Signal says it is still thinking about how that could work.
If I hide my number, can people still see it? People who already saved your number still have it. Everyone else sees only your name and username if you set both "who can see" and "who can find me" to Nobody.
Why does Signal charge for this? Signal says the fee stops spammers creating accounts in bulk, which phone numbers used to make expensive.
Sources (checked 9 November 2026)
- Privacy Guides, Signal enables phone number-less registration in beta (16 Sep 2026): https://www.privacyguides.org/news/2026/09/16/signal-enables-phone-number-less-registration-in-beta/
- Privacy Guides, Signal Android beta has support for numberless accounts (3 Sep 2026): https://www.privacyguides.org/news/2026/09/03/signal-android-beta-has-support-for-numberless-accounts/
- It's FOSS, Signal will let you sign up without a phone number, for $3: https://itsfoss.com/news/signal-numberless-registration/
- Gizmodo, Signal finally lets you skip the phone number, but now Google is involved: https://gizmodo.com/signal-finally-lets-you-skip-the-phone-number-but-now-google-is-involved-2000816351
- Signal blog, Keep your phone number private with Signal usernames (Feb 2024): https://signal.org/blog/phone-number-privacy-usernames/
Names of other apps are trademarks of their owners, used only for comparison. Nadeemi is not affiliated with any of them.
Drafted with AI help and checked by a person on the date above.