‘Signal’ for iOS Lets Users Make Encrypted Voice Calls for Free [iOS Blog]

Open source software group Open Whisper Systems today released a new encrypted phone app called Signal, which is designed to allow its users to make secure calls on the iPhone at no cost.

Using end-to-end encryption, Signal secures iPhone conversations so third-parties cannot listen in. Signal uses a caller’s standard phone number to make and receive calls, and all Signal calls function like a normal phone call using WiFi or data connections.

According to a blog post on the Open Whisper Systems site, Signal uses ZRTP, a widely-used secure voice communication protocol and sends push notifications when phone calls are received to save battery life. It’s open source software, which allows anyone to improve the code and contribute to app improvements.

Setting up Signal is simple, and users only need to enter a phone number and confirm it by entering a six-digit confirmation code (sent by SMS or phone call) to begin using the app. Contacts are automatically imported after a phone number is entered, but only contacts that have the Signal app will be listed. Placing a call to a user who does not have Signal installed will prompt users to send an invite via SMS.

When initiating a phone call using Signal, the two people communicating can be assured that their phone calls are secure through a pair of words shown on the screen of the caller and the person being called. The two exchange their on-screen words to verify that the words match, signaling that a secure connection has been implemented. Were someone listening into a phone call, the two words would not match up.

In an interview with Wired, Open Whisper Systems founder Moxie Marlinspike said the team’s goal was to make secure phone calls as easy to place as regular phone calls. Encrypted text messages will also be added to the app in the future.

“We’re trying to make private communications as available and accessible as any normal phone call,” says Moxie Marlinspike, the hacker security researcher who founded the nonprofit software group. Later this summer, he adds, encrypted text messaging will be integrated into Signal, too, to create what he describes as a “single, unified app for free, easy, open source, private voice and text messaging.”

Wired tested the app during the development phase and aside from a few early bugs, determined calls were “indistinguishable from any other phone call,” and MacRumors had the same results when testing the app. Signal also works Open Whisper Systems’ RedPhone app for Android, allowing both iOS and Android users to make secure calls with one another.

Signal can be downloaded from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

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Instagram’s Snapchat Competitor ‘Bolt’ Soft Launches in Three Countries [iOS Blog]

Instagram today soft-launched its new Snapchat competitor Bolt in Singapore, South Africa, and New Zealand. First hinted at last week, Bolt is a one tap photo and video messaging app that allows users to send temporal images to friends, much like Snapchat.

As described by The Verge, Bolt is a “carbon copy” of Taptalk, another temporal messaging app. Users tap on a friend’s profile photo to send a photo, or use a long tap to send a video. As with Taptalk, Bolt focuses on sharing with only a few friends — users can only communicate with one person at a time, while in Snapchat mass snaps can be sent out.

Though designed by Instagram, which is owned by Facebook, Bolt is largely a standalone app. It does not require a Facebook log-in, instead letting users add contacts via phone number. As with Snapchat, users can caption images using a text editor.

According to an Instagram spokesperson, Bolt will be expanded to other regions in the near future after being tested in Singapore, New Zealand, and South Africa, three countries chosen for their geographical diversity and tight-knit communities.

Bolt is actually the second Snapchat competitor to launch this year under Facebook’s umbrella. In June, the company launched Slingshot, a Snapchat clone with a twist — after receiving a photo, users must send an image or video in return before being able to view content.

Users in New Zealand, South Africa, and Singapore can download Bolt from the App Store for free. [Direct Link]

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