5 Ways to Nudge Your Contacts Toward Signal

Introduction

For many of of us, Signal Messenger was an early step in our privacy journeys. Embracing end-to-end-encryption and open source code felt natural and empowering. Also for many of us was discovering that few (if any) of our friends, family, and colleagues were on the app. This presents an interesting dilemma: how do you persuade your contacts to Signal when they're likely already using the more mainstream alternatives like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, WeChat, or others?

Even though this can be a finicky and challenging hurdle, we shouldn't give up and abandon the opportunity to increase our privacy in such a meaningful way. Instead, we can adapt our own behavior and employ a little bit of social engineering to help steer our connections to Signal.

Who are you dealing with?

First, it helps to understand the personality types you're navigating. In my experience, there are four types of people you'll encounter when you make "the Signal pitch":

1. The Enthusiast. Sometimes, you happen to cross paths with someone who already uses Signal, or who takes privacy as seriously as you. There are very rarely any barriers to connect here.
2. The Good Samaritan. They will often oblige your request because they are agreeable and find you likable. They may not care about the reason you use Signal as they do accommodating your request, and they're fairly easy to get to take the leap.
3. The Skeptic. Those who may not be inclined to use Signal. They may prefer not to install another app on their phone, are accustomed to other messengers, or fear they may not have many of their own contacts on it. While they are a tougher nut to crack, they are not a lost cause.
4. The Brick Wall. The most frustrating of the group, these are the people who simply will not budge. No matter your reasons or pleas, they've set a boundary they're not willing to cross. These are very unlikely to change their position to accommodate you.

Understanding which of these types you're dealing with will inform your approach. If you're handling a Brick Wall, save yourself the trouble and move on; focus on the other three.

The Network Effect

One other thing that is helpful to keep in mind during this process: the Network Effect, which is when the perceived or actual value of something increases as more people use it. There is an important psychological component that plays into this phenomenon, and that is our tendency to use or do something if we know many others do, too. I'll come back to this concept, so bear it in mind.

Now, let's explore some ways to persuade our contacts to move to Signal.

Check Signal first

You may be surprised how many people already have Signal. According to Business of Apps, Signal had around 70 million users in 2024. While it's nowhere near the three billion users WhatsApp boasts, there's a decent chance you might find someone you know already.

If I get someone's phone number, I'll open Signal first and search their number. Though it's not as often as I'd like, sometimes I get lucky and find the person is already using Signal. As a security precaution, I always send them a quick message outside of Signal, and write something like...

Hey! I just added you into my contacts and got a notification you're on Signal. Do you mind if I message you there in the future?

Most times, there's no opposition. Occasionally, I've been told by the recipient that they downloaded Signal for a specific use case. I usually interpret this as a passive way to ask, "I don't really check Signal, can we just text instead?". I prefer to push back, gently, by validating the reason they use Signal, vouching for its quality, and verifying my intent to use it to communicate.

Your communication style will play a role here. Generally speaking, I find that if you mirror the recipient's communication style and are polite with a hint of humor, you can achieve a favorable outcome.

The data-only excuse

Though they're not as common, data-only cellular plans do not typically issue subscribers a phone number, making messaging options limited to those which don't require a phone number. Whether this is actually your scenario or not does not matter as much as your ability to sell that it is. When I've been asked for my phone number, I have said something like...

Actually, I have a data-only plan, so I don't have a phone number. I just use Signal to chat with my contacts. What's your username?

By asking for their username instead of confirming if they also use the app, you set the tone right away that Signal is your preference. Admittedly, this method risks a simple "I don't have Signal, but I have _____", where less desirable apps like WhatsApp fill in the blank. While it's probably a polite counteroffer, you are now on the hook for declining their alternatives, and your pitch begins anew.

Depending on the personality type you are speaking to, you may be able to stand your ground and insist on Signal. This is my preference. I generally believe that if the person is worth staying in touch with, they will accommodate your request to use Signal. I also have backup VOIP phone numbers, so in a scenario where someone won't budge, I can still communicate with them. This brings us to the next point...

Disincentivize other apps, reward Signal

If you are forced to use an undesirable messaging app with a contact, try to make messaging outside of Signal unpleasant. This may not be prudent or feasible with certain people, such as your employer, but for those with whom you may have more flexibility, I highly recommend it.

One of the simplest and most effective ways to pull this off is simply to delay your response time. If you can afford to, wait to respond hours later (or even longer). When I finally do respond, I usually write something along the lines of:

Hey! Sorry for the delay. I don't check this app often [or: I don't get notifications for this app], so I tend to forget about it. Signal is the best way to get a hold of me. Anyway,...

I've found that doing this more than a handful of times usually creates a pretext for you to make the Signal pitch again more effectively.

This technique is especially effective for VOIP numbers which do not support group messaging. For example, MySudo users will know that they can either "broadcast" one text at a time to multiple contacts simultaneously, or they can receive a group message from a sender, but without the additional context of who else is party to the chat, which messages were replies to which, and the sequencing of received messages. It's an annoying process, and I've found that being transparent with my contacts about this limitation— and even going so far as to show them my phone— can help push some of those hold outs to Signal. Consider other disincentives: low-quality images and videos, no voice memos or files, etc.

Conversely, if you manage to finally persuade one of those hold outs to join Signal, be sure to reward them. Genuinely thank them for making your life a bit easier. Send them a silly gif to celebrate that you can send silly gifs. Above all, respond timely to them. After all, you said your slow response time was because they were not using Signal, so adjust accordingly.

Real fast, while we're talking about Signal: if you have the means to do so, consider making a donation to their team. As a non-profit, Signal relies on donations in order to pay their employees, make the app available, market it, and more, none of which are cheap. Donate in the app, or at signal.org/donate.

Group chats as a gateway

Another way to introduce Signal to someone is to suggest it as a platform for group chats. Vodafone recently found that "the average adult is now part of 83 active group chats...with group chats now surpassing [one-to-one] conversations." Group chats are hugely popular, and we can use this to our advantage.

Suggest to your family, friends, colleagues, or others that they start or move their group chat to Signal. This is easier if one doesn't already exist, but is still possible even if one does. Signal is free, supports up to 1000 people per group chat, voice and video calls, user mentions, group chat names, GIFs, join URLs and QR codes, and more. These features make Signal a viable competitor to mainstream alternatives. Make sure to mention these benefits to potential group chat members to reduce friction for new users and general FOMO.

Successfully recruiting a group of people to Signal for a group chat can dramatically improve the chances of making the app the messaging app of choice for individuals going forward. This method also takes advantage of the Network Effect. If several of your mutual contacts join Signal, they will be more likely to keep and make use of it for the long term, driving up the value they derive from it.

Be honest, ask nicely

This may be the most direct approach, though it may require a bit of vulnerability and conjuring of courage. It's also incredibly simple:

Explain your stance on privacy. Then politely ask them to use Signal as a personal favor.

Yep. That's it. I admit this is not the easiest thing to do, but it is simple. You can soften the request by saying something along the lines of,

You'd be doing me a huge favor. If it makes you feel any better, I've often found that most people already have some contacts on Signal, so it won't just be me.

I am a big fan of plugging privacy in as many conversations as possible. Doing so spreads the word and hopefully gets others interested and engaged, but it also makes clear your position and naturally draws boundaries. As a result, other people learn what to expect from you if they are aware of your sensitivities to privacy.

In a time where one can have hundreds or thousands of "friends" and "followers" on social media, seeing which of those are willing to honor a reasonable request for your benefit and theirs will make that number invariably smaller but more meaningful. It's unlikely you will manage to convince every one of your connections to switch to Signal, but for those who do, newfound trust and respect is forged.

Takeaways and Conclusion

When I first downloaded Signal in 2018, I had exactly one connection, and that person only used it to ask me to buy them illicit drugs (I didn't). My belief in Signal as a superior communications app necessarily required patience, time, and experimentation.

I am living proof that practice and persistence pays off. As I write this, 95% of my daily communications take place on Signal. A few of those contacts already had Signal when we connected, but the majority were a result of me making a request in some form or another. What's more surprising is that several of these contacts have told me I am their only contact on Signal. While that may sound bleak, many of these are former co-workers I haven't worked with in years, or family and friends I rarely see. That's a sign of respect for my values and preferences.

Undoubtedly, there are more than these five ways to nudge your contacts toward Signal. Any technique requires a basic understanding of psychology and the ability to patiently improvise. Much of this comes down to benign social engineering and personal confidence.

Lastly, don't forget that a 100% conversion rate is an unrealistic and virtually impossible goal. Move as many contacts as you reasonably can, and thoughtfully manage your communications with the rest. If not Signal, perhaps another app is more realistic, even if not as ideal. Evaluate your threat model and adjust accordingly.

In conclusion, remember: when you make a new connection, check to see if they're on Signal first and, if so, express your intent to communicate there. If not, try a simple social engineering tactic, such as claiming you have a data-only plan and can't text. Be mindful of the potential pitfalls this may present, and be ready to improvise and experiment with other, similar techniques. If that fails, disincentivize the use of other apps by responding slowly or irregularly, and reward the use of Signal with timely replies, fun conversations, and making use of rich features. You can also try suggesting Signal as a platform for group chats with your connections, creating an on-ramp for one-on-one chats with those same people. And if nothing else seems to be working, simply be honest about your preference for Signal and ask your contacts to join it as a favor to you.

Your success or failure at recruiting people to Signal is not guaranteed, but important transferrable skills are.

Stay curious, be diligent, become private.
-Michael

Do you have a particular trick to persuade your contacts to use Signal? We want to hear about it! Let us know what you do, consider submitting an article for publication on our blog, or guest appear on the podcast to share it with your own voice!