Signal Downloads Soar After Trump Admin Scandal

The accidental inclusion of The Atlantic's editor in a Signal group chat used by Trump administration officials to plan a Yemen bombing, dubbed 'SignalGate', has led to a massive surge in downloads for the encrypted messaging app. The incident, which exposed secret plans and raised concerns about security protocols, caused Signal's US downloads to double their usual rate, marking the app's largest ever US growth spurt. This surpasses even the growth seen in 2021 when WhatsApp's privacy policy changes spurred a mass exodus to Signal. Sensor Tower data confirms a 105 percent increase in US downloads compared to the previous week, and a 150 percent increase compared to the average week in 2024.