Registration without a phone number on Signal will use zero-knowledge proofs
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Signal will use zero-knowledge proofs to enable registration without a phone number.
A long-running Signal community feature request shows progress toward phone-number-free registration. Recent commits to Signal-Android add scaffolding for a "Signal login" screen, allow setting a username during registration, and implement basic numberless account registration using a "new zkgroup credential." Signal staff member alex-signal confirms ZKP is used to verify username character set and length without revealing contents. Discussion notes this will require a purchase via Google Play Billing to mitigate spam, while keeping SMS verification as an option.
What commenters are saying
Commenters are split: some welcome the privacy improvement, while others criticize the reliance on Google Play Billing, arguing it undermines privacy by requiring a Google account and credit card. Several suggest Monero or other crypto payments instead. Others defend Signal's approach, noting ZKP prevents linking payment to account. A few note Signal can already deliver notifications without Google Play Services via WebSocket. Some recommend Molly (a hardened Signal fork) for those wanting to avoid Google services entirely, though caveat that Molly updates sometimes lag behind Signal's.