Signal

Signal Desktop is the desktop companion to Signal's private messaging service. It lets you send messages and attachments and make voice or video calls from your computer using a linked Signal account. It suits people who want to continue their Signal conversations on a Mac rather than creating a separate desktop-only messaging identity.

Conversations and calls

Signal-to-Signal communications are end-to-end encrypted. The desktop interface supports individual and group conversations, media sharing, reactions and calling. Message recipients and linked devices still receive readable content; encryption does not prevent a recipient from saving or sharing a message or protect a compromised, unlocked device.

Use chat and notification settings appropriate for your environment, and review linked devices regularly. Disappearing messages help manage message retention but are not a guarantee that recipients cannot keep copies. Signal is an internet messaging service, not an SMS/MMS replacement through this desktop application.

Install and link your phone

Install the Mac package with brew install --cask signal, or download the appropriate official Mac ZIP, extract Signal.app and move it into Applications. Signal Desktop must be linked to Signal already installed and working on your primary Android or iPhone device. Installing the desktop app alone does not complete account registration.

Open Signal Desktop to display its linking QR code. On your primary device, go to Signal Settings, Linked Devices and Link a New Device, authenticate as prompted and scan the code. Current linking instructions let you choose Transfer Message History or Don't Transfer; they describe synchronizing all chats and the last 45 days of media from the phone. If you decline transfer and later change your mind, the guide requires reinstalling the linked app and choosing transfer during setup.

Link only a computer you control. Signal permits up to five linked devices per account. Its current guide says the primary phone must come online at least once every 30 days, and linked devices unlink after 45 days of inactivity. Linked desktops have their own internet connection; the primary phone is required for registration, linking and periodic account continuity, rather than serving as a continuously connected relay for every desktop message.

Mac requirements and permissions

Current official requirements and the recorded Cask require macOS 13 or later. The package has separate arm64 and x64 Mac builds for Apple Silicon and Intel. Signal also offers Windows and Linux desktop packages separately; this Mac package is not a phone app or a replacement for the primary device. The official installation guide currently describes Linux desktop support as amd64/x86_64; do not infer broader official Linux support solely from package metadata variants.

The 8.30.0 Apple Silicon ZIP is 153,090,323 bytes according to the official HTTP HEAD response. Installed files, message history and downloaded attachments require additional local space. The Cask declares no extra formula dependency or conflicting Cask and identifies the application as auto-updating.

Camera permission is needed to show your video during calls; microphone access is needed for calls and voice messages. Notifications control message and call alerts. Screen Recording permission is used for sharing your screen or an application window. These are feature-specific permissions, not blanket prerequisites for typing a text message. Configure the in-app settings and macOS privacy settings required for the functions you use.

History, backups and local data

A linked desktop stores its own message and media history. Linking and history transfer are different from restoring every possible backup to every platform. Current official Desktop Backup guidance describes encrypted desktop backups that can restore to a primary Android device; restoration to iOS is not currently supported. Protect the generated recovery key and follow the current backup guide before replacing or erasing devices.

Signal Secure Backups are an optional separate feature with free and paid media-retention tiers. A paid backup option is not a requirement for ordinary Signal messaging, and linking a desktop does not automatically activate a paid backup plan. Keep operating-system accounts, recovery keys and devices protected; end-to-end transport encryption alone does not secure all local data and exports.

Account, cost and license

The desktop client requires your registered Signal mobile account and a network connection. Follow the current registration process on the primary device; desktop linking does not create an independent account or turn an email login into a Signal identity. There is no per-desktop messaging subscription. Signal-to-Signal messages and calls are free over the internet, while your network provider can charge for connectivity or mobile data. Optional donations support the nonprofit service.

Signal Desktop's tagged source license is GNU Affero General Public License version 3, with dependency-specific notices and separate Signal trademark rules. Open-source availability does not grant unrestricted use of the Signal name or logos. Review the applicable license and service terms when redistributing or modifying the application.

The screenshot is an official Mac desktop product illustration showing a group conversation. It is illustrative publisher material and is not a fresh capture of version 8.30.0.

Sources: Official download, Installation and platforms, Linked devices, Feature permissions, Desktop backups, Backup choices, Tagged license, Terms and privacy.