BERLIN: Signal, the privacy-oriented alternative to WhatsApp, has optimised both voice messaging and its “Note to Self” feature for any users who like to save reminders, pieces of text and photos in their messenger app.

While recording voice messages, all other sounds on the smartphone are now automatically muted, according to the Signal Foundation.

That means anyone listening to the recording won’t hear interruptions from ringtones or music while you record. The update is available now for Android versions 6.2 and up, and is set to arrive soon on the iPhone app.

The same applies to Signal’s optimisation of the Note to Self function, which is also already available in the Android version.

While messages to yourself already appear in your chat history on all your devices using Signal, these could only be deleted on one device at a time. In the new Android app version, however, Signal now lets you delete chat history from all devices.

The new feature comes weeks after Signal began letting users post Stories with pictures, videos and texts like on Instagram and other social media platforms.

 - dpa