The encrypted messaging app signal continues to watch the spike download as a result of the messaging scandal added by Atlantic Editor-in-Chief Jeffrey Goldberg to a group chat where Trump administration officials are debating attacks on Yemen's Hauch and rebels. The resulting coverage of these sensitive plans leaks has driven more people to check Signal's app for the first time, leading to double downloads.
Downloads rose 26% on the day the news broke, according to App Intelligence Provider Appfigures. This indicates that users are interested in Trump administration members using the app. The next day, the download jumped to 193,000, and by Wednesday it had hit an all-time high of 195,000, the company noted.
By comparison, the signal usually sees an average of 95,000 downloads on average day.
Image credits: AppFigures
AppFigures has been tracking the impact of the scandal on Signal's apps from day one. Previously, we found that signal app downloads across iOS and Google Play increased by 28% on Monday when news first smashed.
The Trump administration has dismissed the seriousness of the incident that Atlantic journalists accidentally added to group chats between staff.
Defense Secretary Peter Hegseth, who chatted with VP JD Vance and others, denied the sharing of “war plans” through encrypted chat apps, but the Atlantic later released a full message thread shown by officials discussing the times, places and weapons the US will use in their attacks. Since then, Trump has attacked the media for ongoing coverage of the incident.
The Signal app itself was not compromised to allow this leak. Instead, the journalist was accidentally added to the thread. National Security Advisor Michael Waltz initially accepted the responsibility for group chats, but is responsible for an embarrassing mistake.
Appfigures praises the doubled download to “All Press Is Good Press” as the scandal increased signal visibility and introduced the app to perhaps thousands of users for the first time.