To my understanding, Signal requires that you have a physical phone to use the desktop version. Is there any way to scan the QR code without a physical device? I’m trying to make an anonymous Signal account.
My idea:
1.) Set up Android VM on Linux laptop
2.) Use laptop camera to scan the QR code on my desktop
Just use android on Linux: waydroid
You can’t make an anonymous Signal account, it is one of the biggest red flags that Signal has. You need a phone number.
this stopped me from joining and it makes me wonder why it’s so heavily endorsed in privacy circles.
Because privacy is a spectrum, and it makes a good stepping off point for the people that still use text messages and social media chat clients to stay in touch. I can’t convince half of my nerd friends to leave Discord for literally anything less shit, but I can convince even my tech-averse mother to use Signal instead of FaceTime.

