{
  "id": 16336433,
  "title": "How Signal Made the Phone Number Optional, and What the Zero-Knowledge Proof Actually Protects",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/24/how-signal-made-the-phone-number-optional-and-what-the-zero-knowledge",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-24T14:54:15.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Dev.to",
    "slug": "dev-to",
    "url": "https://dev.to/theeromi/how-signal-made-the-phone-number-optional-and-what-the-zero-knowledge-proof-actually-protects-1nne"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Signal has recently introduced an optional method for users to register on the platform without providing a phone number, following years of community demand for this feature. The new registration process utilizes zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) to protect user privacy, ensuring that the payment made during sign-up cannot be linked to the account created. Users can now register on Android devices in the beta version of Signal Android 8.28.0, which requires a one-time in-app purchase of 3 USD, with price variations across different countries. The zero-knowledge proof is used to verify the payment without revealing the phone number or any identifying information about the user. This development aims to provide a more secure and private messaging experience by eliminating phone numbers as a means of identification. The implementation of ZKPs ensures that the payment cannot be traced back to the user's account, adding an extra layer of protection to the user's privacy.",
  "summary": "Signal has long had a privacy contradiction at its core: the most secure mainstream messenger still required a phone number to sign up. That number became a de facto identity anchor, linkable to you even if you never shared it with contacts. Signal has now added an optional way around that, and zero-knowledge proofs (ZKPs) are part of it, though not in the way most coverage suggests.…",
  "key_points": [
    "Signal introduced optional registration without phone number",
    "Zero-knowledge proofs protect payment privacy",
    "Beta version available on Android with 3 USD fee"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}