Add to ChromeWhen comparing Signal vs Pulse , the Slant community recommends Signal for most people. In the question“What are the best SMS apps for Android?” Signal is ranked 4th while Pulse is ranked 15th. The most important reason people chose Signal is:
Signal uses an advanced end to end encryption protocol that provides privacy for every message every time.
Specs
Question Ranking
Pros
Pro Provides security and privacy
Signal uses an advanced end to end encryption protocol that provides privacy for every message every time.
Pro Free and open source
Signal is free and open source software, enabling anyone to verify its security by auditing the code. It's the only private messenger that uses open source, peer-reviewed cryptographic protocols to keep your messages safe.
Pro Supports encrypted group chats
Pro SMS/MMS support
Signal can be your default SMS/MMS text messenger. Encryption is not possible when sending SMS to your contacts, however.
Pro Supports sharing of various different media types
Signal supports: emoji, pictures, videos, audio, contacts, any location and GIF.
Pro Recommended by Edward Snowden
Edward Snowden uses this messenger and recommends it to everyone who is concerned about his privacy.
Pro You can easily view all media exchanged
You can easily view all media shared in the chat without scrolling back to when it was shared.
Pro Message mirroring on Signal Desktop
Signal Desktop is a Chrome extension that allows you to mirror messages from your phone, including replying.
Pro Note to Self feature
Allows you to "send: messages to yourself and sync to desktop so you can use Signal as a kind of encrypted Pushbullet alternative
Pro Syncs with LinkedIn to deliver content from chanels you follow and people in your network
Unlike other readers, Pulse allows users to follow LinkedIn influencers on top of blogs and publications
Pro Allows integration with more social feeds than similar apps
In addition to letting you pull from Facebook and Twitter, Pulse lets users add feeds from YouTube and Digg.com.
Pro Syncs with Pocket, Evernote, Instapaper, and Readability
What you follow and save on Pulse can become available on Pocket, Evernote, Instapaper, and Readability.
Pro Works without internet
When connected to WiFi, pulse downloads articles so you can read them when you are on the go.
Pro Fits more on the screen than similar readers
With Pulse, every pixel on the screen seems to be utilized. Depending on your preferences, this can be a good thing or a bad thing. While some users want a screen packed full of information, others have found it overwhelming.
Cons
Con Needs access to your phone number and contacts to work
Con Single device
Signal can only be registered to one mobile device at a time. But you can link Signal to Signal Desktop.
Con Servers hosted in the US
A security risk due to National Security letters, which require giving up data to the US state, and making it illegal to disclose that.
Con Unreliable notifications
Sometimes messages won't be received if the Signal app has been closed for a long time or hasn't been opened after booting the device.
Con If SMS/MMS imported, other apps can't read SMS
For those using Join, Pushbullet, or similar apps to send and receive SMS/MMS from web or desktop, putting your SMS in Signal somehow breaks this functionally. The dev is aware but plans to remedy the situation have not been named a priority
Con Uses message mirroring
Con Forces users to login with LinkedIn
Many users don't want or need a LinkedIn account. In order to use Pulse, they must create a LinkedIn account. This has made many people unhappy because it blurs the line between their personal and professional lives.
Con More bulky and less accessible after most recent update
Pulse's reviews are littered with unhappy users after their most recent update. Many users are reporting that the new layout is too busy or too bulky.
Con Unstable
Some users have reported that Pulse has started to crash after its most recent update.
Con Easy to accidently exit from
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