Cross-platform messaging app Signal restored services on Saturday a day after it faced a global outage due to millions of downloads in the last few days.
However, Signal users might see errors in some chats for the time being. Signal has seen a rise in downloads following a change in WhatsApp’s privacy terms, which required WhatsApp users to share their data with both Facebook Inc and Instagram. Users across the world since Thursday reported they were unable to send messages on both the mobile and desktop applications.
On Saturday, it tweeted, Signal is back! Like an underdog going through a training montage, we’ve learned a lot since yesterday and we did it together. Thanks to the millions of new Signal users around the world for your patience. Your capacity for understanding inspired us while we expanded our capacity.
However, the company also said Signal users might see errors in some chats as a side effect to the outage, but will be resolved in the next update of the app. In another Tweet, it said, as an unfortunate side effect of this outage, users might see errors in some of their chats.
This does *not* affect your chat’s security, but you may have missed a message from that contact. The next Signal app updates will fix this automatically.
Here’s what you can do now
On Android if you see “Bad encrypted message,” tap the menu in the top-right & tap “Reset secure session.” On iOS tap the “Reset Session” button below “Received message was out of sync.” The errors do not affect chat security and will be automatically fixed in the next app update it adds.
Earlier this week, the company posted on Twitter that it was experiencing technical difficulties and was “working hard to restore service as quickly as possible.” Ever since its rival WhatsApp, owned by Facebook, unveiled its new privacy terms last week, Signal has seen a huge interest from new users.
Signal said that it has been adding new servers and extra capacity at “a record pace” every single day this week nonstop. “…but today exceeded even our most optimistic projections. Millions upon millions of new users are sending a message that privacy matters. We appreciate your patience,” the messaging app tweeted.
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