Access Signal from anywhere

Signal is blocked precisely because it works. Its end-to-end encryption means governments can't read messages or monitor calls, which makes it a target in countries that demand access to communications.

China blocked Signal in March 2021.¹ Before the block, Signal had been one of the few Western encrypted messengers still accessible in mainland China. The block was implemented at the network level through the Great Firewall.

Russia blocked Signal in August 2024, with Roskomnadzor citing the need to prevent "terrorist and extremist purposes."² The block coincided with Russia's broader crackdown on encrypted communication tools. Signal was removed from both the Apple App Store and Google Play in Russia, and new accounts can't be registered without a VPN.³

Iran has blocked Signal since at least 2018. Signal initially tried to work around the block using domain fronting through Amazon CloudFront, but Amazon shut down that capability. Signal later switched back to Google-based circumvention, but access remains unreliable.⁴

Other countries where Signal is blocked or restricted include:

• Cuba (blocked at the network level)⁵
• Uzbekistan (blocked intermittently)⁵
• Egypt (blocked since 2016, though Signal's built-in circumvention has helped some users reconnect)

Signal has its own censorship bypass. Why use Lantern too?

Signal deserves credit for building censorship circumvention directly into the app. It supports TLS proxies and has a built-in bypass feature that's enabled by default in several blocked countries.

But Signal's built-in circumvention has limits. It relies on domain fronting and proxy infrastructure that governments have learned to detect and block. Iran, China, and Russia all actively target Signal's specific bypass methods. When those methods fail, you need a VPN that can handle the underlying network-level blocks.

Lantern fills that gap. It runs underneath Signal, encrypting all your device traffic so that your ISP and government filters can't tell you're using Signal at all. Lantern's protocol switching means that even as governments adapt their blocking techniques, your connection adapts too.

Think of it this way: Signal encrypts your messages so no one can read them. Lantern encrypts your connection so no one can tell you're using Signal in the first place.

Why Lantern works where other VPNs don't

Most VPNs rely on one or two protocols, usually WireGuard or OpenVPN. In countries that block Signal, these protocols are already well-known to filtering systems and get shut down quickly.

Lantern runs more circumvention protocols than any other VPN, including Shadowsocks, VLESS, Hysteria 2, and WireGuard. When one gets blocked, Lantern automatically switches to another. No manual configuration, no troubleshooting.

Lantern also uses Smart Routing, which only routes blocked or sensitive traffic through the VPN. Everything else goes direct. Signal works reliably without slowing down the rest of your connection.

Lantern and Signal share a mission

Lantern is a nonprofit VPN, built by a 501(c)(3). Signal is built by a nonprofit foundation. Both exist to protect people's ability to communicate privately and freely.

Lantern has been keeping people connected since 2013, trusted by over 250 million people worldwide. It's open source, independently audited, and maintains a strict no-logs policy. Every Pro subscription helps fund free access for people in the most restricted regions.

Footnotes

1. China blocks Signal — TechRadar (2021) ↩

2. Russia blocks Signal messenger — The Moscow Times (2024) ↩

3. Russia blocks access to Signal — Freedom of the Press Foundation (2024) ↩

4. Signal users by country — World Population Review ↩

5. How countries attempt to block Signal — OONI (2021) ↩ ↩