Yes. Signup has no phone number field. You can start an anonymous session in one click, or create a named account with just a username and password — no SMS step anywhere in the flow.

A phone number is a persistent, verified identifier tied to your real name, address, and billing info. Once a messenger has it, your account can be linked to everything else on the internet that also has it. No-phone-number messaging breaks that link at the source.

No — Signal requires a phone number at signup, even with usernames enabled. NoChat is one of the few secure messaging apps that lets you skip the number entirely.

If a messenger authenticates via SMS, an attacker who hijacks your phone number can also hijack your messaging account. NoChat's private messaging doesn't use phone numbers or SMS, so SIM swap attacks simply don't apply.

By username or by scanning a key fingerprint. Both are under your control, and neither requires handing over any phone carrier information.

Yes. An old iPad on Wi-Fi, a VOIP-less laptop, a burner device — if it can reach the internet, it can run NoChat.

Because there's no phone number to recover through, recovery is based on your password (or a locally stored key backup). That's more private but means you're responsible for backing up your key material.

It's more secure. Phone-based authentication adds a large attack surface (SIM swap, SS7 interception, carrier insiders) and a large metadata trail. Removing the phone number removes all of that.