Sending photos and videos
From your gallery
1
Tap the attachment icon
In the conversation compose bar, tap the paperclip or the gallery icon to the left of the text field.
2
Select media
The media picker opens showing your recent photos and videos. Tap one or more items to select them. You can select multiple items to send in a single message.
3
Add a caption (optional)
Tap the caption field at the bottom of the preview screen and type a message to accompany the media.
4
Send
Tap the send button to deliver the media.
From the camera
1
Tap the camera icon in the attachment keyboard
This opens the in-app camera.
2
Capture a photo or video
Tap the shutter button to take a photo, or hold it to record a video. Tap the flip icon to switch between front and rear cameras.
3
Review and send
After capturing, you are taken to a preview screen. Add a caption if needed, then tap the send button.
Signal does not upload media to any server before sending — attachments are encrypted on your device and sent directly to the recipient.
Media quality
Before sending, you can choose between Standard and High quality. Standard quality reduces file size for faster sending; high quality preserves the original resolution. Tap the quality icon (three horizontal lines or a diamond) on the media preview screen to switch.Drawing and annotating photos
Before sending a photo you can draw on it, add text, or apply a crop.1
Open the photo in the preview screen
After selecting or capturing a photo, it appears in the send preview.
2
Tap the pencil or crop icon
The image editor opens. Available tools include:
- Draw — freehand drawing with colour and stroke options.
- Text — tap to add a text label anywhere on the image.
- Crop / rotate — trim the photo or rotate it before sending.
- Blur — tap the blur icon to blur faces or other areas for privacy.
3
Apply changes and send
Tap the checkmark to accept your edits, then send the photo as usual.
Sending voice notes
1
Hold the microphone icon
In the compose bar, press and hold the microphone icon to record a voice note. Recording starts immediately.
2
Release to send or swipe to cancel
Release your finger to send the recording, or swipe left to cancel without sending.
3
Lock to record hands-free
Swipe upward while holding the microphone to lock the recording. You can then record without keeping your finger pressed. Tap the stop button when finished.
Listening to voice notes before sending
After locking a recording, a preview player appears. Tap play to listen before sending.Sending documents and files
1
Tap the attachment icon
Tap the paperclip icon in the compose bar.
2
Select File
In the attachment keyboard, tap the File button to open your device’s file picker.
3
Choose a file
Navigate to the file you want to send and select it. Signal supports most common document formats (PDF, DOCX, XLSX, ZIP, etc.).
4
Send
The file appears as an attachment in the compose preview. Tap send.
Signal enforces a maximum attachment size. Large files may need to be compressed or split before sending. The exact limit depends on the attachment type.
Stickers
Using stickers
1
Tap the sticker icon
In the compose bar, tap the sticker icon (smiley face or square smiley). This opens the sticker picker.
2
Select a sticker
Browse your installed sticker packs and tap a sticker to send it immediately.
Adding sticker packs
1
Open the sticker picker
Tap the sticker icon in the compose bar.
2
Tap the plus icon
At the bottom of the sticker picker, tap the + icon to open the sticker pack browser.
3
Install a pack
Browse available packs and tap Install to add one to your collection. Installed packs appear in your sticker picker.
Removing sticker packs
In the sticker pack browser, tap the installed pack, then tap Remove. Stickers you have already sent are not affected.GIFs
Signal includes a built-in GIF search powered by Giphy.1
Tap the GIF icon in the attachment keyboard
Tap the paperclip icon and then tap GIF, or tap the GIF button if it is visible directly in the compose bar.
2
Search for a GIF
Type a search term in the search bar. Scroll through results and tap a GIF to send it.
GIF search connects to Giphy’s servers to retrieve results. If you have privacy concerns about this, you can disable GIF search in Signal Settings > Chats > GIFs.
Link previews
When you type or paste a URL into the compose bar, Signal generates a link preview showing the page title, description, and thumbnail image before you send.Disabling a preview for a single message
Tap the × on the preview card that appears above the compose bar to dismiss it for that message only.Disabling link previews globally
Go to Signal Settings > Chats and turn off Generate link previews. With this setting off, no previews are generated and Signal does not contact remote servers to fetch preview metadata.View-once media
View-once media can be opened only one time by the recipient. After they close it, the photo or video is permanently deleted from their device.Sending a view-once photo or video
1
Select a photo or video to send
Open the media picker and select one item.
2
Enable view-once on the preview screen
On the send preview screen, tap the infinity icon (∞) or the eye icon to toggle view-once mode on. The icon changes to indicate the media will be view-once.
3
Send
Send the message. The recipient sees a sealed-envelope or eye icon indicating it can only be opened once.