Signal alternatives without a phone number

Signal is the gold standard for encrypted messaging. Its protocol is excellent and it collects almost nothing. There is one catch that sends a lot of people looking for alternatives: you cannot use Signal without a phone number.

Why a phone number is a problem

A phone number is a real-world identity. It's registered to a person, tied to a carrier contract, and easy to correlate with everything else in your life. For a private messenger, that creates four concrete problems:

• SIM swapping. If someone takes over your number, they can often take over your account with it.
• Carrier records. Your carrier knows when you registered, from where, and often who you contacted (via SMS).
• Contact discovery. Many apps upload your address book to find friends — meaning your contacts' numbers end up on someone else's server, whether they use the app or not.
• Number recycling. If you lose the number, whoever gets it next may be able to take your account.

Username-based accounts remove that entire class of problem. Your identity in the app is just a name you chose — not something tied to a contract in your name.

The real alternatives, compared

Here is an honest comparison of the main options. "Phone required" means the app will not let you register without one.

*Telegram's default chats are cloud chats without end-to-end encryption; only "secret chats" are E2EE.

Session

Session is built on a fork of Signal's protocol and uses no phone number or email. It routes traffic through an onion network to reduce IP exposure. The trade-off: it relies on a network of incentivised nodes, and recovery of your account/ID is essentially your responsibility — lose your recovery phrase and the account is gone.

SimpleX

SimpleX goes furthest on paper: it has no user identifiers at all, even random ones. You connect by exchanging invite links or QR codes. That's excellent for privacy, and a little awkward for usability — if you don't have the link, you can't be found.

Element / Matrix

Matrix is a federated protocol: you can register on any server, or run your own. Encryption is available but not on by default in every room, and your server operator sees a lot of metadata. It's the best choice if you want federation or to self-host.

Threema

Threema uses a random 8-character ID instead of a phone number, and is based in Switzerland. It's paid (a few dollars), which is a reasonable business model.

Markero

Markero is our own project, so treat this section as a pitch and verify it: registration is a username and password only, messages and files are encrypted on your device with PGP (Curve25519) before they reach the server, and MFA is optional. There is no contact upload, no email, and no ad tracking. Voice calls, one-to-one video calls and group calls for up to six use WebRTC with TURN credentials issued per user; calls are not available over Tor.

Which one should you pick?

• You just want Signal without the phone number: Session or Markero.
• You want maximum anonymity and don't mind invite links: SimpleX.
• You want to run your own server: Element / Matrix.
• You want to pay for a polished, independent service: Threema.
• You want a browser and Android app with nothing but a username: Markero.

FAQ

Can I keep Signal and add another app?

Yes — and many people do. Keep Signal for contacts who insist on it, and use a username-based app for everything else. There's no need to delete anything.

Does a username-only app still leak my IP address?

Any app that connects to a server can see your IP. Markero's origin does not write access logs; its application request logs exclude IP addresses, request paths and user agents, while the session and rate-limit needs are described in the privacy policy. If your threat model requires network anonymity, use a VPN or Tor in front of any messenger.

Are these apps free?

Session, SimpleX, Element (with a public server) and Markero are free. Threema is a one-time purchase. Free services still have running costs — if you rely on one, consider supporting it.