.. title: Videocalls for Cryptomessenger Signal
.. slug: videocalls-for-cryptomessenger-signal
.. date: 2017-02-15 18:20:16 UTC+01:00
.. tags: signal, android, crypto
.. link: 
.. description: 
.. type: text

According to the `Open Whisper Systems blog
<https://whispersystems.org/blog/signal-video-calls-beta/>`_ the
Signal messenger (previously known as TextSecure under Android) now
includes support for video calls.  To use it, one needs to explicitly
enable the beta feature.  Of course both ends of a call need to do
this.

.. image:: /images/Signal_Blue_Icon.png
   :alt: Signal for Android Icon
   :align: center

.. TEASER_END

According to the blog entry, the app uses a lot of the `WebRTC
<https://webrtc.org/>`_ infrastructure that was developed to bring
real time communications to more applications.  I always wondered when
I can finally uses a WebRTC based solution instead of the proprietary
tools like Skype, Hangouts or others.  The "Hello" app contained in
Firefox certainly didn't catch on.

Ah and by the way - in case you didn't know - Signal can be used from
a desktop system `within the Chrome browser
<https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/signal-private-messenger/bikioccmkafdpakkkcpdbppfkghcmihk?hl=en>`_. This
is very nice alternative for me as I still try to dodge the virtual
keyboard on mobile devices as best as I can.