Signal launches in-app sustainer program to accept donations from users

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Signal, a secure messaging software, has announced the launch of a new feature that allows users to donate directly from the app. Signal, as a charity, receives no funding from advertisements or stockholders, according to a new blog post, and is entirely reliant on user donations.

According to the blog post, users can make monthly or one-time payments within the app using Apple Pay or Google Pay, and their payment information will not be linked to their Signal account because the firm will utilize the same anonymous credential mechanism it uses for private Signal groups:

Clients make payments and then attach a badge to their profile, allowing the server to verify that the client belongs to the group of persons who made a payment, but not whose payment it belongs to.

Signal, which has long been a popular messaging program for those who wish to protect their text conversations, began adding some of the more consumer-friendly features that other messaging apps have had for a while, such as stickers and wallpapers, earlier this year.

Users can donate to Signal at three different sustainer levels, each with its own badge, for $5, $10, or $20. Sustainer subscriptions will only renew if you use Signal for a month; if you delete or stop using the app, the payments will be stopped before the next cycle to “remove the ‘dark pattern’ of subscriptions you’ve forgotten about,” according to the firm. In the future, Signal intends to offer support for additional payment options.