Signal is working on option to disable mandatory PIN and contact backup

Signal is working on a possibility to disable the mandatory PIN code it has been requesting for several months. This also disables the automatic backup of contact lists. That last feature was controversial among users.

The function to disable PINs coming soon, Signal founder Moxie Marlinspike said on Twitter. He responds on criticism by, among others, cryptography professor Matthew Green, one of the many Signal users who had difficulty with the PIN code and the associated mandatory backup.

Marlinspike says Signal is working on the option to disable PINs based on feedback received. Using the app without a PIN is for “advanced users” who don’t mind “losing their Signal contacts” if they reinstall the app. Marlinspike does not say when the feature will be ready or when it will start testing.

Chat app Signal introduced pin codes for the app in May. Users should enter it regularly to make sure they don’t forget it. The model is similar to that of WhatsApp. Initially, users were occasionally reminded to set up a pin, but it was possible to click it away and not do so. However, it is now mandatory to set such a PIN code.

The PINs are associated with a feature called Secure Value Recovery. Signal introduced it in December. This is a backup function that allows users, among other things, to store their contact list and settings encrypted on Signal’s servers. By requiring the PIN, users are therefore obliged to share their contact lists with Signal. Many users object to this. In particular, the fact that the feature is mandatory is a problem for them. Users have been complaining about the situation on the Signal forum and on Reddit for some time.