Enable THIS Setting If You Use Signal!
By Naomi Brockwell, Founder and Director of NBTV
If you’ve ever hesitated to share your phone number to connect with people, Signal usernames offer a simple way to protect your privacy.
Keeping your real number private helps reduce the risk of spam, data harvesting, unwanted contacts, and even SIM swap attacks.
This new feature lets you stay anonymous on the platform—whether you want a permanent username or a temporary one for short-term chats, the choice is yours.
In this article, we’ll cover how Signal usernames work, how to set yours up, and why this change is a big win for privacy.
Creating a Signal Username:
Username ≠ Profile Name
First things first: Don’t confuse usernames with profile names.
Usernames are used to connect with someone on Signal—like a unique identifier.
Profile names are what people see once they’re already chatting with you.
Your username is never visible to others; it’s just a way to initiate contact.
Your profile name is visible to anyone you’re connected with.
How to set up your username
Getting started with Signal usernames is easier than you might think.
Open your profile: Tap the profile icon in the top-left corner of the app.
Click your profile name again at the top of the screen.
You will see a field labelled “Username”. Select a name of your choice. Signal will generate a random number at the end of your chosen name, but you can change this number (up to 9 digits).
Signal will let you know if the username is available or already in use.
Finding Others via Their Username
Searching for usernames on Signal isn’t as intuitive as you might expect, but it’s actually simple once you know how. Here’s what to do (and what not to do).
Don’t:
❌ Use the main search bar – This only searches your contacts and message history, not usernames.
Do:
✅ Tap the compose message icon (the pencil).
✅ Select “Find by username.”
✅ Enter the username and tap the forward arrow.
That’s it! You’ll instantly open a new chat with the username you searched for.
3 Tips
Signal’s introduction of usernames offers several important privacy advantages. However, like any feature, it also has some limitations.
By default, your phone number is hidden from anyone you connect with on Signal, unless they already have it saved in their contacts. To maximize your privacy, I recommend you lock down your number visibility and consider getting a VOIP number. There is also a great feature Signal has that allows you to offer once-off, time-limited usernames that can amplify your privacy. Let's look at all three:
Tip 1: Privacy Settings for Your Phone Number
Signal offers two key settings to control who can view your phone number and whether others can find you by it.
Hide Your Phone Number
Go to Settings > Privacy > Phone Number
Set "Who can see my number" to "Nobody" to keep it hidden from your profile.
Optional: Adjust Discoverability
There’s another setting labeled "Who can find me by number."
I recommend keeping this set to "Everyone" so people in your contacts can see you're on Signal and message you privately instead of via SMS.
If you want to prevent anyone from associating your number with your Signal account, you can set this to "Nobody"—but keep in mind this makes it harder for existing contacts to find you on the app.
Tip 2: Use a VoIP Number
Signal still requires a cell number to get set up. The reason is to prevent large-scale spam and abuse that often plagues systems with easy account creation. The good news is that you can use any VoIP number for account creation, and it will still be accepted.
Why should you use a VoIP number instead of your real cell number?
#1 Because we need to get out of the habit of giving everyone we interact with the same cell number as a unique identifier.
#2 A cell number can be used by anyone to find your real-time location because it’s constantly chattering with cell towers. A VoIP number uses the internet and, when used behind a VPN, doesn’t reveal your location. I encourage people to use a VoIP number for everything they do, if possible, instead of using their cell number.
If you set up your Signal account with a new VoIP number, just make sure it’s a number that you’ll always have access to.
Tip 3: Ephemeral Usernames
One of the best features of Signal’s new username system is that usernames are not permanent—you can change them at any time, and your existing connections won’t even know. If you need a username for a brief period—say, for a one-time chat—you can set it up and change it when you're done. This gives you complete control over how long your username is visible to others.
You can change your username as many times as you like, and none of your contacts will be notified of the change or see your new username. This is a great way to keep your digital footprint minimal and prevent others from linking your account to a persistent identifier.
Takeaways
Reclaiming your digital identity starts with controlling who has access to your personal information. Signal’s username feature is a powerful step away from the outdated habit of using the same cell number for everything—a practice that makes it easy to link all your activities together.
The introduction of usernames marks a significant leap forward in protecting your privacy. It’s a small change that can have a big impact.
If you haven’t set up your username yet, now is the perfect time.
Consider supporting our nonprofit and helping us create free educational content that teaches people how to reclaim control over their digital lives. Visit LudlowInstitute.org/donate to set up a monthly, tax-deductible donation.
Yours in privacy,
Naomi
NBTV. Because Privacy Matters.