The research is vital for the technology field since it addresses specific issues that aid in forming a reliable Social Private Messenger app that has recently gained popularity among American citizens seeking more private and confidential apps for sharing information. Many people registered with the app after the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which encouraged more people to subscribe to the use of social media platforms. Many people joining the demonstrations during the COVID-19 pandemic downloaded the app due to its ability to secure their messages. Encrypting the information allows people to transfer sensitive information without fearing being arrested for inciting others to join the demonstrations. The pandemic season saw more than one million people download the app.
Despite people being protected by the First Amendment, they sought more secure platforms to facilitate their communication. The research below verifies information about the app and scrutinizes its SWOT analysis, giving the reader a general view of its performance strategy and helping various professional viewers to understand how they may improvise on the app to obtain maximum utility from its functions.
The Signal Private Messenger app is a significant invention whose primary function is to offer encrypted communication and enhance personal privacy in storing and spreading information. The app improves users’ dignity by helping them achieve maximum privacy while communicating. Therefore, the app offers its subscribers some features to help secure their data based on their preferences, making it an incredible invention in the communication world. The application allows users to blur the images and photographs as they send them, making them more comfortable sharing information with others.
In addition, the Signal application improvises on other features of WhatsApp, such as allowing a group membership to be 1000 people, unlike in WhatsApp, where the maximum number of group members is 250. The application is free for users, allowing them to engage more through their gadgets. Signal Private Messenger application has aided people in communicating with the privacy they deserve by offering encryption of their data as they send it to other users.
However, the application has experienced specific downgrades that have lowered user interaction and hence requires a further upgrade to enhance the experience with the application. First, despite the application offering video calling features, it does not integrate with most of the regular phone applications; hence tricky for users to multitask with the video calls. Moreover, one has to be connected to the internet to receive calls on time.
However, the failure to access internet connectivity prevents the relaying of video calls hence not secure for emergencies when one is not connected to the network. The Signal Private Messenger application users must know other users of the same app. One can not interact with people lacking the application because it does not offer encrypted SMS or MMS messages; hence non-signal users lack access to the information. Another challenge the company admitted to experiencing is hiccup hiccups to technical problems, relaying identical emergency messages to the users. Hence the company indicates weaknesses in responding to emergent issues limiting its efficiency and downgrading the number of reliable users.
Another demerit that users experience is that the encryption turns the messages and the calls into gibberish hence a distraction to the users. Location sharing limits the privacy that users may require. A lower user base than other applications such as Facebook and WhatsApp prevents the maximum utilization of the application and lowers its efficiency since it attracts low-interested participants. These adverse effects require more research and recommendations on how the company may improvise to make the application more reliable with better ratings and a growing number of subscribers. Therefore, this research provides a deep analysis of the performance of the application and provides recommendations to the readers on the strategies they can use to have an excellent experience with the application and offer the technical team more improvised solutions for the challenges they experience in managing the extending number of new participants.
Methods
The research below utilizes different methods of data collection to research the application under review to provide reliable information and good recommendations for the reader. The research strategy regulates the significant concerns in the utilization of the application. Furthermore, the approach ensures that the information received is cheap as the people involved in the surveys and interviews are willing respondents and have received no pay to provide the information on their experience with the application. This research aims to provide reliable data, aid in the honest and truthful review of the Signal Private Messenger application, and provide recommendations on the solution to users’ main problems. The most reliable methods to apply in research about the impacts of the Signal Private Messenger app include online surveys, personal experience with the application, and observation of the loyal customers’ comments on the dating sites.
Persona
First, it was extremely necessary to create a persona to aid in determining whether the application was perfect for use in communication. The persona is an imaginary profile to help the researcher interact with the program. James Michael is the name of the profile and helped to conceal the identity of the researcher for the interest in upgrading the website by eliminating the challenges that normal users face while communicating, is 26 years old and lives in Saginaw, Michigan. Below is an image of the profile.
Break It Session
Understanding the application’s scope is vital for the researcher since it helps portray the research ideas. Therefore, I downloaded the application and utilized it to identify the concerto draw benefits and challenges experienced when using the application by spending hours navigating through it. This research method helped me gain insider information on what most t app users experience when accessing it. The strategy was vital for the research since it compared the complaints addressed by the majority of the reviewers, making it easy to navigate and understand more about the customers’ desires. Utilizing the application exposed its strengths and weaknesses, allowing me to identify areas requiring changes and recommendations to make the experience more impressive. It was essential to use the application to conduct various activities, such as video calling and messaging, to understand the main features that make the application uneasy for some users.
Usability Test
A usability test is a tool that I used to identify the strengths and weaknesses of this application. The facility involved generating questions that would facilitate in the formulation of scenarios and identifying their responses. The main scenarios I generated in the process include:
- After visiting the Google Playstore, I identified that most users complain about the application’s failure to enable easy and fast navigation. This drew attention and resulted in the questioning of how efficient the application is in responding to the commands.
The main questions I asked in the process include:
- What are most customers complaining about regarding the application?
- Does the signal enable fast communication between the users and whether the speed in its response to user demands is as fast and efficient as customers wish?
The above scenario is obtained from the user experience and complaints obtained from the interaction with the Signal Private Messenger applications. Most of the users complained about the difficulties they face while utilizing the application. They claim the application is slow while responding to their commands as they navigate from one section to another hence creating difficulties in fast communication.
RITE
This is a process I used in the research to identify areas in the application that I should modify to obtain a better application in its navigation and application. Identifying areas that customers are less comfortable in helps point out the most special sectors of the application that require correction and improvement. Another challenge was the provision of additional information on how to use different options within the application to develop the best outcome. User information is very critical in the research as it helps one to identify specific features in their activities. Hence, RITE is a critical approach in the research that helps identify areas for an upgrade.
The Use of Surveys
The research utilizes information from people who have experience with the application before. The researcher issued online surveys to the audience and regulated the replies based on key demographic factors like age to ensure that the respondents met the criteria for being used in the research. The survey collected information from many respondents by providing links to other social media platforms, such as Facebook. Survey research is a valid and helpful method with evident advantages in describing and exploring variables and areas of interest. It allows the respondents to follow specific guidelines to provide their views on the topic under research. Survey research portrays several causes of mistakes. However, there are various ways available to limit the possibility of error. Advanced practitioners who are aware of potential causes of inaccuracy and techniques for improving survey research may better decide how and how the findings apply to practice. The process was used for the research since it obtained a response from a vast audience, creating reliability in the information received.
Observation
Another critical strategy I used to verify the information the customers provided was observing and monitoring the application’s review and response from its improvisers and customers on the reviewing platforms. For instance, previous announcements by the technical team to pass apologies for the application’s failures and speed lowering through their official communication pages, such as the Twitter account, was vital in accounting for most users’ challenges. The observation process is effective in the research by enhancing the interaction between the researcher and the comments by the users.
The comments section in Google Providers provides all the necessary information to rate the application and identify the main issues of concern for the application. Recent reviews indicate the current performance, helping to address the most recent complaints that aid in upgrading the features within the app. Hence as the researcher, observation was a critical role player in determining the accuracy of the rating.
Results
Persona
James Michael is a highly industrious person and loves creating new friends through social media platforms based on the character I awarded him while designing a persona. The character fits the research application as James will spend most of the time creating new friends while interacting via the Signal Private Messenger app. Hence, I will easily identify the strongholds and weaknesses of the platform. Creating the profile helped me experience the application broadly and allowed investigate whether what the customers were complaining about was factual.
User Satisfaction
After thoroughly evaluating the response, I understood that a section of the users was not satisfied with the services the application offers. Many complained of the lack of critical features that would enhance their exploration of the application, limiting their satisfaction with the services offered. The dissatisfaction arose from the navigation process in the application since many of the respondents in the reviews were not entirely convinced that the application provides the best communication services. Some complaints stated that the application did not merge appropriately with other communication apps, limiting its applicability in secretive communication.
Whereas some of the users requested the company to upgrade the features in the application, others opted to terminate their interaction with the application hence declining the number of registered users. The observation process identified negative compliments from unsatisfied customers concluding that the company needs to conduct frequent alterations on the features limiting the application’s success in becoming the world’s most powerful communication software.
Break It Session
I encountered some challenges in performing specific communication practices with people who do not subscribe to this application. Despite navigating through the app quickly, I experienced a deficiency in information since there were no independent experts to provide critical information regarding the company and its application. This creates doubt when using the application since one lacks details on where to pass their complaints about the functionality and accessibility of the software. In addition, I had to seek people using the application to communicate since there is a deficiency in the number of users across the globe. Therefore, compared to other applications like WhatsApp and Facebook. Furthermore, I doubted its ability to share location information with other users, cautioning against its ability to uphold a person’s privacy.
Usability Test
Based on the usability test the upgrading process period key attention to the users’ reaction towards the accessibility and utility of the application. The process identified the main complaints as containing limitations in frozen time, frequent breakdowns, limited upgrades, lack of Bluetooth connectivity, and the application being limited to specific models of phones. The limitation due to the increased app freezing cases has led to many members coming discouraged from utilizing the application to communicate. In addition, the process causes panic among users as most question the application’s efficiency.
Frequent breakdown cases cause unreliability on the application leading to the users seeking alternative communication media such as WhatsApp and Facebook. The application rarely underwent upgrades to provide alternative features that allow users to exploit them to generate sufficient and reliable information. Therefore, due to the challenges experienced by the users, it is necessary for me to identify new features that motivate them to use the application. Furthermore, the application has to be enhanced to get accommodated in all models of phones hence allowing more subscribers to use them.
RITE
This is a method I used during my study to pinpoint areas in the program that I should change to improve its usability and navigation. Customers’ lack of comfort in certain areas of an application can be used to identify the areas that need the most adjustment and improvement. Providing more information on how to use the application’s various choices to produce the best results was another difficulty. User data is essential to the research since it enables the identification of particular elements in users’ activity. RITE is therefore a crucial methodology in the research that aids in pinpointing regions that require an update. This strategy identified the main areas that need correction as the appearance, the navigation tool and the speed at which the item loads.
Discussion
Signal Private Messenger is a communication company that allows people to share encrypted information with their partners. The encryption affirms that no third-party sources, including the company itself, access the messages or calls that people share. The company ensures that the notes are only accessible to the sender and receiver only. It allows the sender to set a timeline in which the recipient can only access the information in the message. Thus, the data sent is more secure and protected from being accessed by external users. The application is a crucial communication platform for people with security concerns.
It facilitates calls and video calls between people and allows the receiver some privacy by prohibiting direct camera linkage in case of a video call. The recipient has time to adjust to the video call before accepting the camera to display their images to the caller. From the findings, most users were satisfied with the encryption of the messages. However, they complained of the encryption process turning the messages and calls into gibberish hence no distinction of the sensitive information contributing to dissatisfaction.
The Signal Protocol uses essential elements such as the double ratchet algorithm, prekeys, and an Extended Tripple Diffie Hellman (X3DH) handshake to encrypt signal packets. Curve25519, AES-256, and HMAC-SHA256 are used as primitives. The protocol exhibits confidentiality, secrecy, integrity, causality preservation, and repudiation. It does not maintain anonymity and necessitates using servers for message relaying and storing public key material. The Signal protocol allows for end-to-end encrypted group chats. The group chat protocol employs a pairwise double ratchet and multicast encryption. In addition to the characteristics provided by the one-to-one protocol, the group chat protocol offers speaker consistency, out-of-order resilience, dropped message resilience, computational equality, trust equality, and message consistency.
Another advantage that the user’s celebrated is the ability of the application to demand less personal information. The customers felt secure from this characteristic but complained about its inability to disclose the location by sharing it with other users. The position-sharing feature contributes to enormous dissatisfaction from customers making others give a 3-star rating on the Google Play store software. The process discourages other beginner users from registering with the site. In addition, users complain about low registration of members, requiring them to selectively use the application based on other people’s choices of platforms. The Google Play store indicates that the application has witnessed 100 million downloads, a relatively lower amount compared to rivals such as WhatsApp, which has had over 5 billion downloads.
The Signal Private Messenger platforms also target making the consumer experience more secure and private than other platforms. The company ensures a structured security figure to protect the information from leaking to irrelevant recipients. However, despite the robust effort to secure the report, the firm does frequently experience technical hitches that lead to the freezing of operations. This denies the customers flow of information, causing some of them to display their outrage and discontentment in the application openly. The firm has openly accepted and declared its Twitter handle’s weaknesses publicly, verifying the user’s dissatisfaction with the use of the application.
Signal software is open source and free to its mobile clients and was recently released under the GPL-3.0 license, whereas the desktop clients and servers are released under the AGPL-3.0 license. The firm has registered fewer interested parties to join the platform than those reported on other sites like WhatsApp and Facebook. In addition, Apple company has sold extremely high numbers of iPhones compared to the users of this application.
Signal has some limitations because the users have to use phone numbers to authenticate their accounts, eliminating the need for usernames and passwords. This makes the application prone to external attacks and sending of phishing messages. The Internet Society conducted a survey in July 2016 that evaluated Signal users’ capacity to identify and repel man-in-the-middle attacks. According to the study, 21 out of 28 individuals failed to accurately compare public key fingerprints to authenticate the identity of other Signal users. Most of these users thought they had succeeded, yet they had failed. Four months later, Signal’s user interface was changed to make it easier to authenticate the identity of other Signal users.
However, the authentication process enables contact enabling, ensuring that the members do not utilize unnecessary information, making it possible to track the users. The number used does not need to be similar to that of the Sim Card. It can be a VolP or a landline number, provided the user can access the verification code and has a separate device to install the software. The mobile number is only registerable under a single phone at a time, thus creating difficulty for users to create backup accounts under similar details. Therefore, users are only limited to utilizing a single gadget to access the software. Account creation is possible for all iOS or Android devices; hence easy for willing members to participate.
Recommendations
I recommend specific actions to the communication firm to improve the interaction between the users and eliminate their discontent with the services the application offers. First, we must stop the location-sharing process. This ensures that the registered members do not experience fear in the disclosure of their location to others, affirming full encryption and privacy. The process will not require extreme use of resources to run the operation but will motivate more people to join the community since their information is secure. Secondly, the company must conduct frequent application upgrades on the key features to encourage more members to retain their registration and attract new members to register with the platform. The upgrading process must incorporate new features and eliminate the harmful elements that lower user commitment and satisfaction with the use of the application.
Another essential activity to encourage people to register with the application is to promote the installation of the signal pin that eliminates the use of extra information to access the information in the application. Moreover, the company must conduct advertisements to promote the user base. The firm must regularly interact with the public through the social media platforms such as Twitter. Mobile app marketing is critical in driving user engagement. The most effective technique is to provide a specific discount when customers make a purchase through the app. It is preferable to set a reasonable price so that people will be willing to pay for it.
Text messages sent via app marketing are easy and affordable. Compared to traditional advertising tactics such as television and print advertisements, SMS is less expensive, easier to distribute, and does not require technological understanding. SMS and app marketing communications have a high click rate or CTR. People, for example, believe mobile device communication to be more private than email. Thus, they check their phones frequently and do not disregard messages. Furthermore, customers already exchange phone numbers with their preferred local businesses and enterprises, making them more available for advertising. Local companies use SMS to swiftly notify loyal consumers about hot bargains, new arrivals, and special offers. Customers will not pass up this opportunity to check out their requests. This ensures that the application is sustainable and is efficient for the customer experience.
Core
The core is critical and was the main area I focused on. This provides the user with information on how to navigate and maximize utility on the application. The users complained of the lack of proper manuals to provide them with relevant information. Therefore, James Michael had to navigate through the application to identify the main areas that require user expansion knowledge. James Michael identified that it is more frustrating to the users when the application undergoes frequent freezing hence limiting their utility. The figure below indicates that the application lacks user manual and hence an essential feature to work on.
Appendix I
