WhatsApp has some practical functions, the competition at Signal has finally copied one of them.
The WhatsApp alternative Signal We have often recommended it to you at CHIP, and IT security expert Edward Snowden is also a fan of the app – due to its focus on security and data protection.
However, there are sometimes functions that users are still missing.
Fortunately, Signal is regularly being developed further, so a long-awaited feature is finally on board: pinned messages. We’ll show you how it works.
Pinning messages in Signal is finally possible
At Signal, the function has a slightly different name: Pinned messages help you find important information in chats more quickly if you need it again later.
This can be practical for invitations, appointments and events that won’t take place for a few months. Then you have to No more scrolling through the message history foreverto find the correct message.
- long-tap a message until the context menu opens
- select the “Freeze Message” option
- Now you can set the duration, you can choose from 24 hours, 7 days, 30 days or permanently
The pinned chat messages then appear in a small banner at the top and have a thumbtack symbol. Tap the message and the chat will automatically jump to the corresponding point in the history.
According to the Signal Foundation, you can pin all types of messages, regardless of whether
- pure text
- Pictures
- videos
- Surveys
- Stickers
- Voice messages
- GIFs
- files
Messages that disappear on their own are also possible as a pin; these are then automatically no longer fixed as soon as the timer expires.
According to Signal, a maximum of three fixed messages are possible per chat. If a fourth is added, the oldest will be lost. This is practical because too many pinned messages would render the purpose of the function obsolete.
Of course, the pinned messages can also be removed from the chat manually; you can even do this with several at once.
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