Encrypted messaging app Signal pushed out its v2.19 update late on Friday after a post-release 48-hour delay, owing to an App Store issue that Apple has now resolved. The update includes a number of new features and improvements, including full UI display support for iPhone X.

After the update is applied, users will no longer see the "Load Earlier Messages" link within chat threads, because additional messages now appear automatically upon scrolling to the top of a conversation.

Screen Shot 1
In other improvements, a new simplified interface has been introduced to the Signal mobile app that aims to make sending photos, files, and GIFs easier and quicker. For example, attachment previews are now displayed directly in the message bar instead of on a separate confirmation screen.

Adopting a design concept popularized by Facebook Messenger known as "Jumbomoji", emoji characters are now also visibly larger in Signal chat bubbles that don't contain any other text. Elsewhere, messages that fail to send have been made easier to spot and re-send, while a new "Tap for More" option should make navigating extremely long messages a more pleasant experience.

The list of supported languages has also been expanded to include Burmese, Hebrew, and Persian, while users with an external keyboard linked to their device can now make use of new key combination shortcuts for sending messages (Shift + Enter, and Command + Enter).

Apart from the above changes, Open Whisper Systems has revamped the layout code to improve performance and flexibility, so everything should feel smoother and more refined, according to the developers. Lastly, a number of bugs have been fixed, including one where recently sent messages sometimes reappeared after being deleted.

Signal Private Messenger is a free download [Direct Link] for iPhone and iPad available on the App Store.

Top Rated Comments

B60boy Avatar
105 months ago
Please give me a few non-nefarious examples of why an encrypted messaging app would be necessary? (Seems great for law-breakers, criminals and tinfoil hat wearers.)
For a completely private conversation. Just like if I "whispered" something to you and said that it's between you and me. Maybe my SSN, or medical information. Also, does the Government and NSA and the Telco's need to track and catalog EVERYTHING that is said to bundle and sold to marketing companies? Encryption is everywhere and it's a necessity to function in the internet world.
Score: 17 Votes (Like | Disagree)
imas145 Avatar
105 months ago
LOL. The imessage encryption inst strong enough for your home wifi? The NSA is wanting to get free wifi off of you?
Also, Doctors are already allowed to send information through non-encrypted e-mail. The only time a lawyer would use this would be if his client was some drug dealer and he was texting the location of the multiple bodies he has buried. Otherwise they would use plain old email.

The only time this is really needed is if you are planning a terrorist attack or if you are sending those dick pics to your bae.
Hate to break it to you, but repressive governments exist. While I'd put the US in the middle, there are still a lot worse out there and if you wish to talk about social issues without being repressed you need encryption. This is a reality for many people and they rely on these apps to communicate.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cteel2004 Avatar
105 months ago
Two reasons
- you’re a doctor, attorney, or some other professional that needs to communicate confidential information to your client that’s not in the room.
- you’re the one person in your family that can fix the home network and need to send them the WiFi password that they haven’t written down or have lost, and you’re out of town.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
B60boy Avatar
105 months ago
LOL. The imessage encryption inst strong enough for your home wifi? The NSA is wanting to get free wifi off of you?
Also, Doctors are already allowed to send information through non-encrypted e-mail. The only time a lawyer would use this would be if his client was some drug dealer and he was texting the location of the multiple bodies he has buried. Otherwise they would use plain old email.

The only time this is really needed is if you are planning a terrorist attack or if you are sending those dick pics to your bae.
You need to get educated on this. Example, FB Messenger by itself is NOT encrypted and FB reads everything with algorithms that get cataloged and tied to your FB profile and phone number. Helps with targeted ads among other things. Now, there is a feature in FB Messenger called Secret Conversations. That makes the entire conversation end to end encrypted with timers. Guess what is used for that? Whisper Systems encryption, the same company that makes the Signal Messenger product. Whisper Systems encryption is used in FB Messenger (1.3B users), WhatsApp (1.3B users) and Google's Allo.

If it is NOT encrypted, someone is applying an algorithm that is analyzing that data for ads, marketing or for whatever. Everything from the NSA, Governments around the world, marketing and advertising companies like Google and Facebook. Sometimes, when warranted, we don't want anyone knowing our personal stuff. Yes, bad guys use it too but through out history, there has always been private conversations between human beings. BTW, your email is not encrypted either unless you use a product called ProtonMail. Gmail, Outlook.com and Apple Mail scan your emails for spam and gmail harvests that information for building that advertising profile. Recently they said that they are going to stop doing that practice.

Your not completely correct that "if you are planning a terrorist attack or if you are sending those dick pics to your bae." Sometimes its a private conversation with your spouse. Or I'm giving credit card information to my kids that they need in a emergency at college. Encryption is used everywhere, banking, finance etc. BTW, the White House and Congress uses Signal.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DailySlow Avatar
105 months ago
Please give me a few non-nefarious examples of why an encrypted messaging app would be necessary? (Seems great for criminals and the tinfoil hat crowd.)
Legitimate business, whistleblowing, legal stuff, flirting, family stuff, employment prospects...
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
B60boy Avatar
105 months ago
Yeah cause everyone is out to get you, and the regular iOS message app isn’t secure enough. :D
iOS Messaging app DOES have end-to-end encryption and are safe. But guess what, not everyone uses an iPhone. I still need to send private stuff to someone who has Android. That is why these apps like Signal and WhatsApp are needed.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
ios 18 to ios 26 upgrade

Apple Pushes iPhone Users Still on iOS 18 to Upgrade to iOS 26

Tuesday December 2, 2025 11:09 am PST by
Apple is encouraging iPhone users who are still running iOS 18 to upgrade to iOS 26 by making the iOS 26 software upgrade option more prominent. Since iOS 26 launched in September, it has been displayed as an optional upgrade at the bottom of the Software Update interface in the Settings app. iOS 18 has been the default operating system option, and users running iOS 18 have seen iOS 18...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 Release Candidates to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Wednesday December 3, 2025 10:33 am PST by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 updates to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming two weeks after Apple seeded the third betas. The release candidates represent the final versions of iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found during this final week of testing....
Intel Inside iPhone Feature

Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone. In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
Photos App Icon Liquid Glass

John Gruber Shares Scathing Commentary About Apple's Departing Software Design Chief

Thursday December 4, 2025 9:30 am PST by
In a statement shared with Bloomberg on Wednesday, Apple confirmed that its software design chief Alan Dye will be leaving. Apple said Dye will be succeeded by Stephen Lemay, who has been a software designer at the company since 1999. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced that Dye will lead a new creative studio within the company's AR/VR division Reality Labs. On his blog Daring Fireball,...
iOS 26

When Will Apple Release iOS 26.2?

Monday December 1, 2025 4:37 pm PST by
We're getting closer to the launch of the final major iOS update of the year, with Apple set to release iOS 26.2 in December. We've had three betas so far and are expecting a fourth beta or a release candidate this week, so a launch could follow as soon as next week. Past Launch Dates Apple's past iOS x.2 updates from the last few years have all happened right around the middle of the...
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...
ive and altman

Jony Ive's OpenAI Device Barred From Using 'io' Name

Friday December 5, 2025 6:22 am PST by
A U.S. appeals court has upheld a temporary restraining order that prevents OpenAI and Jony Ive's new hardware venture from using the name "io" for products similar to those planned by AI audio startup iyO, Bloomberg Law reports. iyO sued OpenAI earlier this year after the latter announced its partnership with Ive's new firm, arguing that OpenAI's planned "io" branding was too close to its...
iphone air camera

iPhone Air's Resale Value Has Dropped Dramatically, Data Shows

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:27 am PST by
The iPhone Air has recorded the steepest early resale value drop of any iPhone model in years, with new data showing that several configurations have lost almost 50% of their value within ten weeks of launch. According to a ten-week analysis published by SellCell, Apple's latest lineup is showing a pronounced split in resale performance between the iPhone 17 models and the iPhone Air....
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

iPhone 17 Pro Lost a Camera Feature Pro Models Have Had Since 2020

Thursday December 4, 2025 5:18 am PST by
iPhone 17 Pro models, it turns out, can't take photos in Night mode when Portrait mode is selected in the Camera app – a capability that's been available on Apple's Pro devices since the iPhone 12 Pro in 2020. If you're an iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max owner, try it for yourself: Open the Camera app with Photo selected in the carousel, then cover the rear lenses with your hand to...