Signal uses your phone's data connection (WiFi/3G/4G) to communicate securely, optionally supports plain SMS/MMS to function as a unified messenger, and can also encrypt the stored messages on your phone.
*[](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.thoughtcrime.securesms)*
Instructions on how to setup your development environment and build Signal can be found in [BUILDING.md](https://github.com/WhisperSystems/Signal-Android/blob/master/BUILDING.md).
If you're new to the Signal codebase, we recommend going through our issues and picking out a simple bug to fix (check the "easy" label in our issues) in order to get yourself familiar.
This repository is set up with [BitHub](https://whispersystems.org/blog/bithub/), so you can make money for committing to Signal. The current BitHub price for an accepted pull request is:
This distribution includes cryptographic software. The country in which you currently reside may have restrictions on the import, possession, use, and/or re-export to another country, of encryption software.
BEFORE using any encryption software, please check your country's laws, regulations and policies concerning the import, possession, or use, and re-export of encryption software, to see if this is permitted.
The U.S. Government Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), has classified this software as Export Commodity Control Number (ECCN) 5D002.C.1, which includes information security software using or performing cryptographic functions with asymmetric algorithms.
The form and manner of this distribution makes it eligible for export under the License Exception ENC Technology Software Unrestricted (TSU) exception (see the BIS Export Administration Regulations, Section 740.13) for both object code and source code.
