How to Change Your Phone Number in Signal

Since registering with Signal, you’ve been sending messages from one phone number. But what if you bought a new phone and wanted to change your number on the app? If you’ve tried to do so, you’ll know that that’s not even an option.

But no worries – there’s a simple way around this.

In this article, we’ll provide you with detailed steps on how to change your phone number on Signal across all devices. You’ll also learn how to set up and connect Signal Desktop with your phone, and much more.

How to Change Your Phone Number in the Signal App on Android

For security reasons, Signal doesn’t allow you to simply change your phone number. Your number is an essential identification tool for the app. Changing it will require you to deregister your old number and add a new one.

Changing your phone number will require different steps depending on whether you have a new phone, new number, or both. All steps are pretty simple to follow and shouldn’t take you more than a couple of minutes to complete.

New Phone and a New Number

1. Leave all groups on your old phone
   • To do so, open your group chat and click on the group name at the top of the screen. Scroll down and tap on “Leave group.”
     
   • You might want to notify other group members you’re about the leave the group.
   • Leaving groups will stop people from sending you messages on a phone number you no longer use.
2. Disable Signal messages and calls on your old phone
   • Go to your profile avatar at the top of the screen and scroll down to “Advanced.” Go to “Delete account” and enter your Signal number. Tap “Delete account” and confirm.
     
3. Download and install the Signal app on your new phone. Just go to Google Play and search for “Signal.”
   
4. Make a new account with your new number.
   
5. Let your contacts know you’re back with a new number so they can add you to the groups you were in before.
6. If you used Signal Desktop, re-link it now with your new number. If you don’t know how to link your Signal Desktop, you can find detailed steps towards the end of this article.

New Phone, Same Number

1. Download and install Signal from the app store. You can do so by going to Google Play and typing “Signal” in the search box.
   
2. In case you used an iPhone before, skip Step 3.
3. Signal will ask you to confirm completing a backup on your old phone. Confirm, and enter your 30-digit passphrase.
4. Complete registration with your phone number.
   
5. Ask anyone from the group you were previously in to send a message, so it appears in your chatbox.
6. If you use Signal on your desktop, make sure to re-link it. If you don’t know how to link your Signal Desktop, you can find detailed steps towards the end of this article.

New Number, Same Phone

1. Leave all groups and delete your Signal account
   • You can leave a group by clicking on its name at the top of the screen and scrolling down. You will see a “Leave group” button. Tap and confirm if needed.
     
   • Delete your account by going to your profile. Go to “Advanced” then “Delete Account.” Tap “Proceed.”
     
2. Ask a group member you were previously in to add you again with your new number.
3. You’ll have to re-link Signal on the desktop in case you use it. If you don’t know how to link your Signal Desktop, you can find detailed steps towards the end of this article.
   
   

How to Change Your Phone Number in the Signal App on iPhone

Changing your phone number will require different steps depending on whether you have a new phone, new number, or both.

New Phone, New Number

1. Leave all groups and delete your Signal account. This will prevent missing any messages sent to your old number.
   • You can leave a group by opening its chat settings and scrolling down. You will see a “Leave group” button. Tap and confirm if needed.
     
   • Delete your account by going to your profile. Go to “Advanced” à “Delete Account.” Tap “Proceed.”
     
2. Ask a contact from the group you were previously in to send a message to the group for it to appear in your chatbox.
3. If you used Signal on Desktop, you’ll have to re-link it. If you don’t know how to link your Signal Desktop, you can find detailed steps towards the end of this article.
   

New Phone, Same Number

You’ll have to transfer your account and messages to your new phone using your old phone.

1. Install Signal on your new phone.
   
2. Tap “Transfer from iOS Device.” You should now receive a QR code.
   
3. Select “Next” on your old iPhone and scan the QR code from your new phone.
   
4. After the transfer is done, just send a message from your new phone.

New Number, Same Phone

1. Leave all groups and delete your Signal account
   – You can leave a group by clicking on its name at the top of the screen and scrolling down. You will see a “Leave group” button. Tap and confirm if needed.
   
   – Delete your account by going to your profile. Go to “Advanced” and “Delete Account.” Tap “Proceed.”
   
2. Ask a group member you were previously in to add you again with your new number.
3. You’ll have to re-link Signal on a desktop in case you use it. If you don’t know how to link your Signal Desktop, you can find detailed steps towards the end of this article.
   

How to Change Your Phone Number in the Signal App on Windows and Mac

Changing your phone number will require different steps depending on whether you have a new phone or a new number.

New Number, or New Phone and Number

1. Delete your Signal account. You can only do so from your phone. If you have a new phone, delete your account from your old phone.
2. Go to your profile avatar at the top of the screen, and scroll down to “Advanced.” Go to “Delete account” and enter your Signal number. Tap “Delete account” and confirm.
   
3. Delete all data from your desktop.
4. Go to “File” > “Preferences” > “Clear Data” > “Delete All Data.”
   
5. Re-link Signal Desktop. If you don’t know how to link your Signal Desktop, you can find detailed steps towards the end of this article.

New Phone

To change your phone number on Signal’s desktop version after buying a new phone, you need to register Signal on your phone first. After doing so, restart Signal on your desktop and re-link it with your new phone. Look below to find steps on how to link Signal Desktop with your phone.

All your message history on Signal Desktop will remain unless you have a new phone number.

How to Obtain a Second Phone Number for Signal

Unfortunately, using two phone numbers under one Signal account is not supported. Even if you have a dual SIM phone, it will ask you to choose which phone number you want to connect to your Signal account.

How to Set Up Signal on Desktop

Using Signal on your desktop can be super helpful when you’re multitasking. You no longer have to switch to your phone to send messages.

Before installing Signal on your desktop, here are some things you should now:

1. Signal Desktop is only available on Windows 64-bit. You can install Signal Desktop on Windows 7, 8, 8.1, and 10. For macOS, it’s 10.10 and above.
2. You need to have Signal installed and registered on your phone first. This is because you need to link Signal Desktop to your mobile device to send messages off your computer.

If you don’t have Signal installed on your computer yet, follow these steps:

1. Download Signal for Windows or iOS from Signal’s official website.
   
2. For Windows, just follow the instructions from the install link. For iOS, you’ll have to move Signal to the “Applications” folder first.
3. Link Signal Desktop with your phone.
   

How Do I Link Signal Desktop With My Phone?

1. Open Signal Desktop.
   
2. Go to “Signal Settings” on your phone. Look for “Linked Devices.”
   
3. Press the blue circle with a white cross inside to add a new device for Android. For iOS, tap “Link New Device.”
   
4. Scan the QR code with your phone.
   
5. Name your linked device.
6. Click “Finish.”
   
7. Go to Signal Desktop and send a message.

Additional FAQs

What’s the Best Way to Notify Signal of a Phone Number Change?

If you have a new number, just follow the steps from this article on how to change your phone number in Signal. You’ll have to delete your account and register again with your new number. Unfortunately, you can’t simply add a new number to your existing Signal account due to security reasons.

What if Someone Registers on Signal With My Old Number?

In case this happens, they will see an empty message history. If your friends text you on your old number, they will be aware of the safety number change.

Does Signal Assign You a New Number?

No, Signal doesn’t assign you a new number. You can only register with Signal using your existing phone number.

Does Signal Send My Phone Number to My Contacts?

No, Signal doesn’t send your phone number to your contacts. The only way for a contact to see your phone number is if you text or call them via Signal.

When you open Signal, you will see a list of people from your phone’s contact list who use the app. This data comes from your phone, not Signal.

Why Do My Contacts See That I Joined Signal?

Your contacts will be able to see that you joined Signal only if they have your number in their phone’s contact list. This data is just transferred from their phone. If someone can send you a regular SMS, Signal wants them to know that they can contact you via Signal instead.

How Do I Know a Contact Is Using Signal?

If you’re an Android user, you’ll see a blue letter in the outside column when you take a look at your Signal contact list. This means your contact is on Signal. If you use Signal as your default SMS or MMS app, you will see non-Signal users on your contact list as well.

For iOS and desktop, when you open Signal, you will only be able to start a conversation with your contacts who are on Signal. If you don’t see a contact from your phone’s contact list on your Signal’s contact list, it means they are not using the app.

Changing Your Number on Signal

Signal is doing a really good job when it comes to securing your data. Thanks to its end-to-end encryption system, you won’t ever have to worry about someone peeking into your private conversations.

To ensure maximum security, Signal requires you to use only one phone number under your account. This is why changing your number requires a bit more effort. However, after reading this article, you should be able to change your phone number across devices easily.

When did you last change your phone number on Signal? Did you have any troubles re-linking your Signal Desktop afterward? Let us know in the comments section below.