No new Signal users in Belarus? Registration problems no longer just with A1
The registration code is also not reaching MTS subscribers.
Photo: itdaily.com
Recently, information emerged that users of the mobile operator A1 in Belarus and in roaming abroad cannot register in the Signal messenger. The problem arises at the number confirmation stage: the six-digit verification code does not arrive on the phone.
Readers of "Nasha Niva" report that similar difficulties are also experienced by MTS subscribers. The code also does not arrive for these subscribers.
According to user testimonies, in the case of MTS, the problem at the operator level is not happening for the first time.
"Sometime in 2023, I tried to install Signal — the code didn't arrive for a long time. It only worked with a new attempt the next day," says one reader.
Another notes that she encountered a similar situation already in 2025:
"In autumn, I changed my phone and wanted to install Signal again. The app downloaded, installed, but the code never arrived. I tried several times — without success."
We also tried to register Signal on a Belarusian MTS number in roaming. The result was the same — the SMS with the confirmation code did not arrive.
Instead of a code, users receive such a message suggesting they try again in a few hours.
In Belarus, Signal has long had a complex reputation. During detentions, interrogations, or "conversations" at the border, security forces traditionally inspect the contents of phones. There are known cases where the presence of the Signal messenger caused additional questions and even an aggressive reaction, as such applications are used for secure communication. It is believed that a "common" person simply would not have such a program. And if it is installed, then, allegedly, there is something to hide.
In some digital security instructions, Belarusians are even advised to delete Signal before potential checks to avoid attracting unnecessary attention.