Signal Not Working: What’s Going On and What to Do

Why Is Signal Not Working?

Signal sends every message, call, and notification over your internet connection, so anything that weakens or filters it can break the app. Missing permissions, battery-saving modes, firewalls, VPNs, and country-level blocks all play a part, and each Signal release stops working 90 days after it comes out. Start with these quick checks.

Is Signal Down, or Is It Just You?

Signal does have outages, often when its hosting provider runs into trouble. During one, people in many countries report the same thing at once: messages won’t send or arrive, and the app keeps trying to connect. The official status page at status.signal.org can lag behind a fast-moving incident, so compare it with outage reports.

Signal Not Loading

When Signal opens but chats won’t load, new messages don’t appear, or the app seems stuck trying to connect, it can’t hold a steady link to Signal’s servers. Weak Wi-Fi, a network that filters traffic, or a VPN or firewall app are the usual reasons.

Signal needs *.signal.org on TCP port 443 plus open UDP ports, which some office, school, and hotel networks restrict.

Signal Won’t Open

If the app closes as soon as you tap it or says the version is too old, check the version first. Signal releases expire after 90 days, and the app needs Android 6.0 or iOS 15 or later.

Signal Desktop can also refuse to start after a long break, after its data is copied to another computer, after a password reset, or on a restricted corporate network.

Signal Verification Code Not Received

Registering needs an SMS or phone call to your number, and a mistyped number, an unknown-senders filter, a carrier short-code block, or a VPN can stop it from arriving. After too many attempts, Signal also makes you wait an hour, a day, or longer.

If Registration Lock is on, you’ll need your Signal PIN to register again. Signal can’t reset it, and a forgotten PIN can lock you out for up to 7 days.

Signal Messages Not Sending

Signal shows a status under every message. A circle means it is still sending, one check means it reached Signal’s service, and two checks mean it reached your contact’s phone. A message stuck on the circle points to your own connection, while one stuck on one check usually means the other phone is offline or restricting Signal.

Signal Notifications Not Working

A common complaint is that Signal messages only show up when you open the app. The cause sits on the receiving phone: battery optimisation, a data saver, or blocked background data stops Signal from waking up.

On Android, Signal relies on Google Play services for push notifications, so that app needs updates and background data too. On Desktop, messages queued for a copy left unused for 30 days are dropped.

Signal Calls Not Working

A Signal call only rings when both you and your contact are online, so if messages between you fail too, fix that first. Calls also need more network access than chats, with group calls using UDP port 10000, so strict firewalls, DNS-filtering apps, and some VPN setups can let messages through but stop calls.

Signal Desktop Not Working

Signal Desktop and the iPad app are linked devices that depend on your phone, and one phone can have up to 5 of them. Linking often fails on corporate networks or when a VPN, proxy, or antivirus tool gets in the way.

If your phone hasn’t connected to Signal for a long time, Desktop warns you to reconnect it. Signal deletes accounts after 120 days of inactivity, so open Signal on your phone regularly.

Signal Not Transferring to New Phone

Direct Transfer moves your chats to a new phone, but only if you have both phones, both on the latest Signal version, on the same platform: Android to Android or iPhone to iPhone. It only starts during setup, and an interrupted transfer can leave chats unrecoverable.

Common Signal Errors

Signal’s error messages usually tell you whether the trouble is your network, your registration, or a linked device. Here are the ones you’re likely to see and what to do about each.

Error	What it means	What to do
Too many attempts	Signal has paused registration after repeated tries	Wait an hour, a day, or longer before trying again.
Unable to connect to service	Signal can’t reach its servers during registration or sign-in	Update Signal, switch networks, and pause any VPN or firewall.
Error 0 (iPhone)	Registration couldn’t finish	Update Signal, turn off VPN or data-monitoring apps, and check Unknown Senders in Messages.
A message from [contact] could not be delivered / Chat session refreshed	A message, reaction, or media didn’t arrive; chat security isn’t affected	Ask the contact to resend. If it repeats, unlink and relink Desktop and iPad.
Signal cannot link this device using your current network	The network is blocking the linking process	Leave the corporate network or check VPN, firewall, and proxy settings.
Device no longer registered	Your number is now active on another device	Tap the banner and re-register Signal on this phone.
Re-connect your primary device	Your phone hasn’t connected to Signal for a very long time	Open an updated Signal on your phone and keep it running for a few minutes.

Why Can’t I Access Signal?

Sometimes Signal is fine and the network around you is the problem. Office, school, and public Wi-Fi may restrict the ports Signal uses, and some countries block it nationwide: Russia restricted Signal in August 2024, and OONI network tests have recorded blocking in Iran, China, and Uzbekistan.

Signal has two built-in options for this, the Censorship circumvention setting and Signal proxies, and your messages stay end-to-end encrypted with either. A VPN is another practical route, but check local laws first.

When a VPN Can Help with Signal

A VPN helps when something between you and Signal is getting in the way. It can restore access on school, work, hotel, or public Wi-Fi that blocks Signal, help when your ISP or country restricts it, and route around DNS filtering or poor routing. It also protects the rest of your traffic on public Wi-Fi, though Signal’s messages are already end-to-end encrypted.

A VPN can’t fix a Signal outage, a verification code your carrier won’t deliver, a forgotten Registration Lock PIN, an expired app version, or battery settings on your phone. If you want to try one, Planet VPN has servers in 60+ locations. See the VPN for Signal page for setup details.

Signal Not Working With a VPN

Signal doesn’t fight VPNs the way streaming services do, but its own guides list VPNs among the things that can stop registration, sending, linking, and Direct Transfer. The usual cause is a VPN or firewall that doesn’t pass *.signal.org traffic on TCP port 443 or the UDP ports calls need.

Why Is Signal Not Working on My Phone?

Phones add their own layer of trouble, because mobile systems limit what apps can do in the background to save battery. iPhone and Android handle this differently.

Signal Not Working on iPhone

iOS has no cache to clear, and deleting Signal without a transfer or backup wipes your chats, so leave reinstalling for last. Most iPhone fixes come down to notifications, Low Power Mode, and permissions.

Signal Not Working on Android

Android gives you more control, but phone makers such as Samsung, Xiaomi, Huawei, and OnePlus add their own battery managers that stop apps in the background. Check those alongside the standard settings.

How to Prevent Signal Problems in the Future

Turn on automatic updates, because Signal versions expire after 90 days. Open Signal on your main phone regularly so your account and linked devices stay active.

Write down your Signal PIN if you use Registration Lock, and turn on Secure Backups before you switch phones. If you travel somewhere Signal is restricted, set up a proxy or VPN before you go.

Conclusion

When Signal isn’t working, go in order: check status.signal.org and outage reports, test your connection, update the app, then look at permissions and battery settings. Registration trouble often traces back to the carrier or too many attempts, and Desktop trouble to the phone it’s linked to.

If Signal works everywhere except your current network or country, you’re dealing with a block. That’s where a VPN like Planet VPN, a Signal proxy, or the Censorship circumvention setting can get you connected again.