Signal beta offers chat wallpapers and extended profiles

The beta version of encrypted chat app Signal has been given some features to make the app a bit more pleasing to the eye. Wallpapers can now be set for chats, profiles can be filled in more extensively and there are animated stickers.

signal announced just under two weeks ago the features that can now be found in the beta version. Anyone can sign up for this beta. Wallpapers can be dimmed when the phone goes into dark mode and specific chats can be assigned a different wallpaper. It is also possible to make a wallpaper from an image. The profiles can be completed with a short text and an emoji and the animated stickers can be found with all other stickers.

Signal has seen a significant influx of users since the announcement of new WhatsApp terms of use that allow further data sharing with parent company Facebook. For Europeans, however, little has changed in that regard. The influx resulted in delayed verification codes for new users and a general outage a week ago. Signal seems to be accelerating to ensure that as many of those new users as possible stay.

Signal is a free chat app that emphasizes end-to-end encryption and thus privacy. The app has no advertising and tracking and promises that there will be none. The organization behind it, according to the site, is a non-profit and the service runs on large and small donations.