A new Stories feature is now available to all Android and iOS users on the end-to-end encrypted messaging app Signal, the company said on Monday. With Signal Stories, users can create and share images, videos, and texts that automatically vanish after 24 hours, just like with the Stories features on other platforms.
Stories are end-to-end encrypted, just like everything else in the Signal app. By going to their settings, Signal users can decide who can view their Stories. From there, you can decide whether to share your Stories with anyone who uses Signal in your phone’s contact list, with anyone you’ve spoken to privately in Signal, or with anyone whose message request you’ve approved. You can create a custom Story if you prefer to share your Stories with a more selective group of users.
You also have the choice to share Stories with already-existing group chats. You might be wondering why a messaging app like Signal would add Stories, but according to the business, users “happen to be one of the most common feature requests” for them, so the platform’s developers decided to include them. Signal offers an opt-out setting for the feature because it recognizes that not everyone will find Stories to be a welcome addition to the app.
By going to your settings and choosing the “Turn off stories” option, you can decide whether you want to see or post Stories. Although the addition of Stories may appear to be a “big shift” for the app, the company claims that it is simply an additional method for users to privately communicate with others. Signal states that its Stories feature is intended to facilitate intimate conversations rather than aid in following development or content amplification for engagement.
