What is Signal iOS used for?

Signal iOS is a free, open-source Signal messaging app for iPhone and iPad, built for private communication with friends and without analytics. It is a good fit for private chats with friends on iOS and auditing the iOS client source code.

Is Signal iOS open source?

Yes. Signal iOS is open source under the AGPL-3.0 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at signalapp/Signal-iOS and is written mainly in Swift.

Yes. Signal iOS is open source, so the software itself is free to use. A managed cloud version is also available.

Can I self-host Signal iOS?

Yes. Signal iOS can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.

What is Signal iOS an alternative to?

Signal iOS is an open-source alternative to WhatsApp, Telegram, Messenger and Viber. Other open-source alternatives to WhatsApp include Signal Android, SimpleX Chat and Signal Desktop.

Is Signal iOS actively maintained?

Yes. The most recent commit to Signal iOS was on 1 October 2026, and the latest release is 8.30.0.1882, published on 23 September 2026. The project has 12k stars on GitHub.

Signal iOS: open-source alternative to WhatsApp, Telegram

About Signal iOS

Signal iOS is the iPhone and iPad client of Signal, a free and open-source messaging app made for simple, private communication with friends. The same service is also available on Android and as a desktop application, so conversations are not tied to a single platform.

The app is written in Swift. The maintainers state that it collects no analytics or telemetry, which is why they rely on bug reports sent through the Support Center to troubleshoot problems. Developers can follow BUILDING.md to set up a build environment and read the contribution guidelines, while ideas and discussion go through the community forum run for Signal Foundation projects.

The repository is released under the AGPL-3.0 license. Because the software includes cryptographic functionality, the README carries a cryptography notice reminding users to check their country's rules on encryption software and documents its export classification. Signal itself operates as a hosted messaging service rather than something you run on your own server.

Key features

Private messaging for iPhone and iPad
No analytics or telemetry collection
Open Swift source code
Companion apps for Android and desktop
Build instructions in BUILDING.md

Good fit for

→Private chats with friends on iOS
→Auditing the iOS client source code

Built with: Swift
Tags: messaging; privacy; encryption; ios; signal; swift; secure-chat

Signal iOS: questions and answers

What is Signal iOS used for?: Signal iOS is a free, open-source Signal messaging app for iPhone and iPad, built for private communication with friends and without analytics. It is a good fit for private chats with friends on iOS and auditing the iOS client source code.
Is Signal iOS open source?: Yes. Signal iOS is open source under the AGPL-3.0 licence. Its source code is on GitHub at signalapp/Signal-iOS and is written mainly in Swift.
Is Signal iOS free?: Yes. Signal iOS is open source, so the software itself is free to use. A managed cloud version is also available.
Can I self-host Signal iOS?: Yes. Signal iOS can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.
What is Signal iOS an alternative to?: Signal iOS is an open-source alternative to WhatsApp, Telegram, Messenger and Viber. Other open-source alternatives to WhatsApp include Signal Android, SimpleX Chat and Signal Desktop.
Is Signal iOS actively maintained?: Yes. The most recent commit to Signal iOS was on 1 October 2026, and the latest release is 8.30.0.1882, published on 23 September 2026. The project has 12k stars on GitHub.