How to link Signal to my desktop without a cellphone? (lemmy.world)

submitted 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) by Zeon@lemmy.world to c/privacy@lemmy.ml

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To my understanding, Signal requires that you have a physical phone to use the desktop version. Is there any way to scan the QR code without a physical device? I'm trying to make an anonymous Signal account.

My idea:

1.) Set up Android VM on Linux laptop

2.) Use laptop camera to scan the QR code on my desktop

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[-] onlinepersona@programming.dev 2 points 2 hours ago

Just use android on Linux: waydroid

[-] bad_news@lemmy.billiam.net 1 points 10 hours ago

In my experience it won't let you make a new account if it can't access the SMS stack on the phone itself to see the confirmation code come in, so you'd need to somehow get the Signal confirmation code forwarded from a real number into Waydroid or whatever you're virtualizing in. Not sure that is possible, but it may be. There would still be a 1-1 phone number to account association, though.

[-] sudoer777@lemmy.ml 1 points 58 minutes ago

I've used Signal with Google Voice before installed on separate profiles

[-] dragnucs@lemmy.ml 8 points 1 day ago

Virtualbox would allow you to forward the webcam device to the webcam so you can use it as a regular camera on your virtual android. You then just need to figure out how to scan the qr code. If you search deeply enough, you will find ways to. Make android use an image or video as the camera source.

[-] LeapSecond@lemmy.zip 6 points 23 hours ago

Also OBS studio with the virtual camera extension lets you use its output as a camera input in other programs so you can pass literally anything to the camera.

this post was submitted on 12 Feb 2026

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