Why Does Signal Desktop Keep Logging Me Out or Say It Is Unlinked?

Why does Signal Desktop keep logging me out or say it is unlinked? #

Because Signal Desktop is a linked device rather than a login of its own. It belongs to the account on your phone, and Signal's Help Center sets conditions for keeping that link alive. Most unlinking comes from one of the causes in the table below; the sections after it give the steps.

What do the 30-day and 45-day rules mean in practice? #

The Linked Devices page (updated 22 September 2026) sets two timers. Once a Desktop is linked, the phone has to get online at least every 30 days or the linked devices are cut loose. Separately, a linked device that sits idle for 45 days is unlinked as well. In both cases only the registered primary device can link them again.

Two related timers sit on other pages. An account that stays inactive for 120 days is deleted (Delete Account page, updated 8 September 2026), and Signal releases expire after 90 days, so a phone that has sat unused needs an update before Signal will work on it.

The safety page (updated 16 August 2026) offers a quick test: message yourself in the Note to Self chat. At least one check mark means Signal is working. A yellow banner above the chat list that asks you to re-register or link your device means the account is no longer active.

What should you do when a yellow banner asks you to reconnect your phone? #

The page Open Signal on your phone to keep your account active (updated 2 August 2026) explains the banner: the account's original phone has not been updated or has not connected for a while, while a linked device such as Desktop stays in use. The steps:

1. Find the phone you originally used to register Signal.
2. Turn it on and install the latest Signal update from the app store.
3. Open Signal and let it connect. You may see errors in some chats after a long gap.
4. Keep Signal open on the phone for a few minutes.
5. Close and reopen Signal Desktop. If the phone connected, the banner should be gone.

If you no longer have that phone, or you uninstalled Signal there, the page says you may need to reinstall and register again with an up-to-date app, and that the account could be deactivated if the phone falls far enough behind. An older page on a similar banner (updated 1 June 2026) concerns phones that do not support Signal's newer PQXDH encryption and says the account will be deactivated if nothing is done; follow the newer page where they differ.

What about PIN prompts, registration lock and verification codes? #

These live on the phone, not on Desktop, but they are what many people mean by being locked out.

• Verification codes. When you register a number Signal sends a code by SMS or call. The Help Center says never to share it and that Signal will never ask for it.
• PIN reminders. Signal asks you now and then to confirm your PIN because it cannot recover or reset it.
• Registration lock. A forgotten PIN combined with an active lock can keep you out of the account for up to 7 days. The lock lapses after 7 days without activity, and a new PIN can then be set.
• Too many attempts. Wait some time, such as an hour or a day, before registering again.
• Signal Login accounts. These sign in with a Signal Login and Recovery Key and can add authenticator or passkey second factors. The Help Center notes that Signal stores no recovery codes for them.

A safety number changed alert is shown per chat, not at login. The Help Center says it most often appears when a contact switches to a new phone or reinstalls Signal, so your own contacts may see one after you do either. Messages left undelivered before the change are not resent.

What if linking or syncing still fails? #

• Update and count. Run the latest Signal Desktop and confirm the account has not reached five linked devices.
• Check the network. Signal's firewall page asks for *.signal.org to be reachable on TCP port 443 and on all UDP ports, and says any proxy has to handle WebSockets. It names a missing QR code when linking Desktop as a sign to look at network settings.
• Moved to a new computer. Do not copy folders. Quit Desktop on the old computer, unlink it from the phone, link the new one, then uninstall the old one and delete its data. Desktop menu names differ between pages: Settings > General > Delete Data on one, Preferences > Privacy > Delete application data on another.
• A device you do not recognise. Review the phone's linked devices list and remove each unfamiliar one; when in doubt, remove them all.
• Still stuck. Use Contact Us in the app (Settings, Help) or the web form. Signal says Support never reaches out first.

Where ADSSPEED fits #

Nothing in ADSSPEED replaces the steps above: Signal's timers, banners and registration prompts belong to Signal and your phone. What ADSSPEED can add is order. It is a desktop app for Windows and macOS that manages many browser profiles, with Android phone profiles for mobile apps on a PC, and profile data stays on your own computer. Profiles can be opened, stopped and organised in bulk, which helps when several accounts you manage share one PC. Use only accounts you own or are authorised to manage, and follow Signal's rules. ADSSPEED is not affiliated with Signal.