Open Whisper Systems Releases Signal Desktop Client for iOS

Open Whisper Systems has released a desktop client for the iOS version of the secure chat app Signal. Until now, such a client was only available for the Android version of Signal.

With the new release, iOS users can now easily switch between their phone and their desktop to send messages, Open Whisper Systems reported. It is not required to have the phone turned on when using the desktop client. Moxie Marlinspike, one of Signal’s developers, explains to TechChrunch that the app uses a “complicated solution” for sending encrypted messages across multiple devices.

For example, there is an identity key in Signal, which is moved there when authorizing a desktop. All Signal clients can then access that key, ensuring that users’ identities and fingerprints are the same across devices. Adding a desktop is done by scanning a QR code.

Until now, there was only a desktop client for Android users. The public beta of this version became available in April. The desktop version can be downloaded in the form of a Chrome app. The Signal app is open source and uses end-to-end encryption based on the Signal protocol.