Signal

Signal is the choice for privacy-focused users. End-to-end encrypted, no metadata collection, no phone number exposure to the bot.

Setup Overview

Signal integration uses the signal-cli tool, which needs to be installed separately and linked to a phone number.

# channels/signal.yaml
channel: signal
enabled: true
signalCliPath: /usr/local/bin/signal-cli
phoneNumber: "+15559876543"
dmPolicy: allowlist
allowedContacts:
  - "+15551234567"
groupPolicy: never

Tips and Gotchas

Setup is the most involved of any channel. You need to install signal-cli, register or link a phone number, and handle the Signal protocol’s key exchange. Budget 30-60 minutes for first-time setup.

Dedicated phone number recommended. Do not use your personal Signal number for the agent. Get a separate number (Google Voice, Twilio, or a prepaid SIM) to avoid conflicts with your personal Signal account.

Group support is limited. Signal groups work differently from other platforms, and the integration has less mature group support. For group use cases, Slack or Telegram are better choices.

Privacy guarantees are real. Unlike other channels, Signal messages are end-to-end encrypted even in transit. If privacy is your primary concern — especially for sensitive personal assistant tasks — Signal is the right choice.

Next Steps

• Channel Overview — Compare all channels and build a multi-channel strategy
• Telegram — A simpler alternative with fast BotFather setup
• DM Policies & Pairing — Lock down DM policies and tool permissions across all channels