What is Signal Desktop?
Signal Desktop is the Mac client for Signal, the end-to-end encrypted messenger run by the Signal Technology Foundation, an independent nonprofit. The desktop app does not create its own account: it is linked to Signal on an Android or iPhone device by scanning a QR code, and messages sync between the phone and the Mac. Its source is published under the AGPL-3.0, so the client can be inspected and rebuilt independently. Signal states that it shows no ads and does no tracking, and development is funded by donations rather than advertising. It suits people who want encrypted messaging without a corporate account or an advertising-funded service.
Verified product facts
- Type
- messaging appEditorially reviewed
- Platform
- macOS
- Pricing
- Open sourceDeveloper-stated
- Open source
- Yes
- Developer
- Signal Technology FoundationDeveloper-stated
- Relationship to Nuanyue
- Third-party product — not published by NuanyueEditorially reviewed
- Licence
- AGPL-3.0
- Current version
- 8.29.0Developer-stated
- Official website
- signal.org/
Last updated . Facts marked developer-stated come from the developer and are not independently confirmed; editorially reviewed marks a Nuanyue judgement.
Key features
What Signal Desktop does at a glance.
End-to-end encrypted messages and calls
Using the Signal Protocol
Linked-device sync
With Signal on Android or iOS
Group chats and group calls
Voice and video calls
Disappearing messages
No ads and no third-party trackers, as stated by Signal
What you can use Signal Desktop for
- Continuing a Signal conversation from a Mac keyboard
- Making encrypted voice or video calls from a desktop
- Reading and replying to messages while the phone is elsewhere
- Running a messenger whose client source can be inspected
Who is Signal Desktop for?
- People who want end-to-end encryption and minimal data collection
- Users who prefer a nonprofit, donation-funded service over an ad-funded one
- Anyone who wants messages synced between a phone and a Mac
Who is Signal Desktop not for?
- Users who need a standalone account with no phone — Signal Desktop must be linked to a phone number
- Macs running macOS 12 or earlier — the desktop build requires macOS 13 or later
- People who need a messenger their whole contact list already uses — network effects favour WhatsApp and iMessage
Limitations
- The desktop client is a linked device rather than a standalone account: Signal on Android or iPhone is a prerequisite.
- The supported floor is macOS 13 (Ventura); Signal publishes no build for earlier macOS releases.
- The macOS download is a single universal build; no Signal page states Apple Silicon support in those words, so Nuanyue records that field as unknown.
Strengths and trade-offs
What Signal Desktop does well, and what to weigh before choosing it. Points marked developer-stated come from the developer’s own material and have not been independently confirmed.
Strengths
- Published under the AGPL-3.0, so the client source can be inspected and rebuilt independently.
- Messages and calls are end-to-end encrypted by default using the Signal Protocol.
- Run by the Signal Technology Foundation, an independent nonprofit, and funded by donations rather than advertising.Developer-stated
Trade-offs
- The desktop app cannot register on its own: it must be linked to Signal on an Android or iPhone device, so a phone number is required.
- Requires macOS 13 or later, which excludes Macs that cannot run Ventura.
- Fewer contacts already use Signal than WhatsApp, so it often ends up as a second messenger rather than the only one.Editorially reviewed
First-use experience
What the app asks of you when you set it up. Only established facts appear here; anything we could not confirm is left out rather than guessed at.
- Installation
- Download the macOS .dmg from signal.org/download and open it; the download is named signal-desktop-mac-universal-<version>.dmg.
- First launch Developer-stated
- Link Signal Desktop to Signal on an Android or iPhone device by scanning a QR code; the desktop app cannot register on its own.
- System integration Developer-stated
- Periodically checks for updates on its own and shows an in-app update banner; updates are not delivered through the Mac App Store.
What it is
Signal Desktop is the Mac client for Signal, the messenger run by the Signal Technology Foundation, an independent nonprofit. The client’s source is published under the AGPL-3.0, so the code that encrypts and sends messages can be inspected rather than taken on trust.
How the desktop app connects
Signal Desktop is not a separate account. It is a linked device: you pair it with Signal on an Android or iPhone by scanning a QR code, and the desktop app refuses to register on its own. That is why a phone number is a prerequisite, and why the desktop app is a companion rather than a replacement for the phone.
One universal macOS build
Signal publishes a single macOS download,
signal-desktop-mac-universal-<version>.dmg, instead of separate Intel and
Apple Silicon installers. The repository’s build configuration names artifacts
as ${name}-mac-${arch}-${version}.${ext}, so the universal label in the
download is the architecture the project ships. Signal’s pages do not phrase
this as Apple Silicon support, and Nuanyue records the appleSilicon field as
unknown rather than inferring it.
Release cadence
Signal Desktop ships frequent stable releases, often weekly. The three most recent at the time of writing were 8.29.0 (1 October 2026), 8.28.0 (23 September 2026) and 8.27.0 (10 September 2026); the release notes for 8.27.0 covered finer-grained notification settings. Updates are delivered by the app itself, not through the Mac App Store.
Release history
Dated releases recorded for Signal Desktop, newest first, each with the source it was read from.
8.29.0
Small tweaks, bug fixes and performance enhancements.
Source: Source repository
8.28.0
Small tweaks, bug fixes and performance enhancements.
Source: Source repository
8.27.0
More granular notification settings, including control over the app badge and muted threads.
Source: Source repository
Questions about Signal Desktop
Is Signal Desktop free?
Yes. The client is open source under the AGPL-3.0, there is no paid tier, and Signal says development is funded by grants and donations.
Can I use Signal Desktop without a phone?
No. Signal Desktop is a linked device: it is paired to Signal on an Android or iPhone by scanning a QR code, and it cannot create its own account.
What macOS version does Signal Desktop need?
Signal's support site lists macOS 13 or later as the system requirement for the desktop app.
Is Signal's code open source?
Yes. Signal Desktop is published under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0, which GitHub reports as the AGPL-3.0 SPDX identifier.
Can Signal Desktop message WhatsApp users?
No. Signal and WhatsApp are separate networks; Signal users can only exchange messages with other Signal users.Editorially reviewed
Does Signal Desktop support Apple Silicon Macs?
Signal publishes one macOS download named signal-desktop-mac-universal rather than separate Intel and Apple Silicon installers, but its pages do not state Apple Silicon support in those words, so Nuanyue records the field as unknown.
Competitors
Direct competitors: overlapping features aimed at the same users.
WhatsApp Desktop
WhatsApp's messaging client for macOS.
Both are end-to-end encrypted desktop messengers, but Signal is open source under the AGPL-3.0 and run by a nonprofit, while WhatsApp is proprietary and owned by Meta.
Telegram
Cloud messaging with groups, channels and 2 GB file sharing.
Both are messaging clients, but Signal encrypts every chat end-to-end by default, whereas Telegram's cloud chats are not end-to-end encrypted.
Compared with
Head-to-head comparisons Nuanyue has published.
Slack
Team messaging with channels, huddles and integrations.
Signal is built for private one-to-one and small-group messaging, while Slack organises workplace communication into channels, threads and huddles.
Discord
Voice, text, and community chat platform.
Both support group voice and video, but Discord is organised around servers and communities while Signal is organised around private contacts.
Links
Sources
Facts on this page are checked against the sources below. Last updated .
