Signal: How to Get the Encrypted Chat App for Your iPad

Signal is a privacy app that uses end-to-end encryption for individual and group texts, videos, documents, voice, and picture messaging. Open Whisper, Signal's parent company, produced Signal using grants and donations, utilizing Open Source software, with the aim of providing a free and secure platform for worldwide communication, without SMS or MMS fees—this even includes free long-distance calls to anyone, anywhere in the world who also has the Signal app! No one at Signal or anywhere else can read or view communications on the platform, they can only be viewed by the individual user, who can also choose when each message will disappear. Since the whole point of an encrypted communication app is to ensure privacy, Signal is free of tracking, affiliate marketers, and ads. Signal uses your existing address book and phone number, and will only allow you to register one mobile device, so you'll need to choose if you want to use your iPhone or iPad. Getting Signal on your iPhone is free and easy, it pops right up in the App Store, but Signal for iPad is a bit more complicated. Read on to learn how to get Signal on your iPad!

Signal App for iPad

If you want to put Signal on your iPad,  open the App Store app on the iPad and type in "Signal." As you can see, the autocomplete feature suggests there's an iPad version of Signal.

signal 

However, once you hit enter, the options that come up do not include the Signal app!

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signal app

Don't worry—there's a fast and easy fix for this issue! Look to the top of your screen where you see the word "Filters" on the left, click on "Filters" and you'll see a drop-down menu, click on "iPhone Only."

osiopen source initiative

Once you've clicked on "iPhone Only", your iPad will automatically execute the search again. The Signal app will now appear in the search results, you can now download it to your iPad!

open whisper systems signal

Now you can enjoy all the benefits of Signal on your iPad. If you ever want to switch devices and use your iPhone instead, Signal has a tutorial about that. Enjoy!

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Author Details

Leanne Hays's picture

Author Details

Leanne Hays

Leanne Hays has over a dozen years of experience writing for online publications. As a Feature Writer for iPhone Life, she has authored hundreds of how-to, Apple news, and gear review articles, as well as a comprehensive Photos App guide. Leanne holds degrees in education and science and loves troubleshooting and repair. This combination makes her a perfect fit as manager of our Ask an Expert service, which helps iPhone Life Insiders with Apple hardware and software issues.
In off-work hours, Leanne is a mother of two, homesteader, audiobook fanatic, musician, and learning enthusiast.