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


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.