Signal, the leading encrypted messaging app, is preparing a major change that many users have been requesting for years: the ability to create an account without a phone number. However, this option, currently in development in the server code, will not be free. According to recent discoveries in Signal's source code, it will require a one-time payment designed to act as an anti-spam barrier. Here’s what we know, what we don’t, and why this decision is already a topic of debate.

“Signal Login”: a name found in the code

On August 7, 2026, the specialized site aboutsignal.com revealed that new references appearing in the source code of Signal refer to the future feature as “Signal Login.” This would be both the internal name and likely the public name of the phone number-free signup option. The code clearly indicates that Signal Login will be offered as a paid option, in the form of a one-time payment — not a recurring subscription.

The exact amount is not yet known: the code currently only contains example amounts. But the intent is explicit. The payment is designed as an additional barrier against spam and abuse, a central issue that Signal has been trying to solve for a long time. The collected fees would also help support the mission of the non-profit organization.

The anti-spam challenge, explained by Signal's CTO

As early as July 30, 2026, aboutsignal.com reported that recent commits in the Signal-Server GitHub repository showed active work on accounts without a phone number. Among the changes noted:

  • prohibition of setting a registration lock on accounts without a number;
  • addition of utility methods for managing country/region codes for potentially number-free accounts;
  • pessimistic locking of accounts without a number;
  • inability for these accounts to perform certain operations related to numbers (PNI).

One commit even specifies that “accounts without a number can never obtain a number, and accounts with a number can never lose it.” In simple terms, currently, there would be two distinct types of accounts: a user will not be able to turn an existing account into a number-free account, nor vice versa. The option would only concern new accounts for the moment.

But the cornerstone of the context is an intervention by Signal's CTO, Ehren Kret, during the FUTO Don't Be Evil conference (recorded in March 2026, published at the end of July). He explained that the main obstacle to signing up without a number was not technical but related to the fight against spam:

“We need to find a way to impose a cost for signing up without a phone number.”

At that time, it was unclear whether this “cost” would be monetary or take another form (CAPTCHA, proof of work, etc.). The latest elements in the code now suggest that it is indeed a payment that has been chosen.

Why the phone number is (really) expensive for Signal

To understand Signal's logic, we need to return to a foundational blog post published in November 2023 on the official blog, titled “Privacy is Priceless, but Signal is Expensive.” Signal detailed with rare transparency its operating costs, which were then estimated at around 50 million dollars per year by 2025.

One of the most surprising lines concerned the signup fees: Signal was spending about 6 million dollars per year solely for sending verification codes via SMS or voice call when creating accounts. These costs, far from decreasing, tend to increase. Signal explains this by two phenomena:

  • the rise in SMS rates by telecom operators, who have realized that SMS is now primarily used for app verification and 2FA, and have thus increased their prices accordingly;
  • “toll fraud,” a practice where some operators share their revenues with fraudulent actors who generate fictitious SMS traffic, artificially inflating costs for Signal.

Thus, the phone number now plays a dual role: it authenticates the user and costs Signal each time an account is registered. Eliminating this number without replacing it with another cost mechanism would open the floodgates to massive account creation by spammers, rendering the service unusable. The one-time payment thus appears as a way to shift this cost of SMS verification onto the user themselves, while preserving the anti-abuse barrier.

An evolution, not a revolution: SMS registration remains

It is crucial to emphasize that the classic registration by phone number will not disappear. Signal Login will be an additional option. Users who wish to continue signing up for free with a number will be able to do so, just as they do today.

Let’s also recall that Signal has already made significant progress in protecting phone numbers since February 2024, with the launch of usernames. These usernames already allow for communication on Signal without sharing one’s number, via a QR code or a link. But — and this is the nuance — a number was still required for signup. Usernames are not permanent identifiers or public pseudonyms: they are protected by a custom hashing algorithm (Ristretto 25519) and zero-knowledge proofs, so that Signal cannot easily reconstruct the list of usernames associated with accounts.

Signal Login would thus fill the last missing link: registration itself without a number, reserved for those willing to pay for this extra layer of anonymity.

Reactions: between relief and skepticism

The announcement quickly circulated on Hacker News, where it sparked a lively debate (39 points and more than 30 comments in a few hours, on August 10, 2026). Reactions are mixed.

On the critics' side, a recurring argument is: a payment potentially links real identity more closely than a phone number. One user points out that “in 99% of cases, a payment method is more strongly linked to identity than a phone number.” Others wonder about the modalities: will Signal accept cryptocurrencies like Monero, known to be more anonymous? Will the payment be designed so that it cannot be traced back to the created account?

On the defenders' side, it is noted that Signal has never aimed to be an anonymous service, but a private service. The Sealed Sender protects contact metadata, and Signal does not retain communication metadata. In the face of a judicial subpoena, Signal can only produce the account creation date and the last login date — nothing else, as documented on the Government Requests page of the official site.

Some more radical commentators criticize Signal for its centralized model and its historical refusal to support reproducible builds via F-Droid, arguing that the requirement for identification and the use of proprietary platforms (Google Play, App Store) contradict the stated goals. In contrast, others praise the simplicity that allows non-technical users — “my 70-year-old retired teacher mother has put her whole family on Signal” — to access truly private messaging.

What remains to be known

Several questions remain unanswered:

  • The exact price of the one-time payment is not yet defined in the code.
  • The accepted payment methods are not specified, which is a central point for users concerned about anonymity.
  • The availability date is unknown, but Ehren Kret mentioned in March an objective “later this year,” and the acceleration of the commits suggests a forthcoming arrival.
  • The status of existing accounts: at this stage, an account created with a number could not be converted into a number-free account, and vice versa.

For now, Signal has not made an official announcement on its blog — the information comes from the analysis of the open-source code and statements by the CTO. On August 4, 2026, the official blog was still publishing an update on support for linked devices (Android, tablets, iPhone), with no mention of Signal Login. So it will be necessary to closely follow the upcoming versions of the application.

One thing is certain: by introducing a paid option for signup without a number, Signal is seeking a delicate balance between accessibility, privacy, and resistance to spam. The stakes are high for an organization that aims to be the free and privacy-respecting counterpart to messaging giants — and that must, however, find ways to finance each registration to survive.

Sources:

  • aboutsignal.com — “Signal Login: optional registration without a phone number will require a one-time payment” (August 7, 2026)
  • aboutsignal.com — “Signal is working on registration without a phone number. But what form will it take?” (July 30, 2026)
  • Official Signal Blog — “Keep your phone number private with Signal usernames” (February 20, 2024)
  • Official Signal Blog — “Privacy is Priceless, but Signal is Expensive” (November 16, 2023)
  • Hacker News Discussion — “Signal is working on a paid option to create an account without a phone number” (August 10, 2026)
  • GitHub — commits Signal-Server (ef2d257, 78e7e99, d7447b1, 29c5f8b)
  • Signal.org — Government Requests page (bigbrother)