This is a feature I would like not only in Signal, but also in platforms like Telegram and Wire. There are several valid reasons not to announce one's presence on a messaging platform to everyone who somehow has your phone number or address.
Telegram allows using a username to mask sharing the phone number with new contacts, but its initial setup is based on the phone number and it insists on notifying everyone who has your number that you've joined the platform. Messaging platforms would be much better if they considered such things as privacy issues and provided more control in the user's hands, with sensible defaults and good initial setup instructions.
Telegram allows using a username to mask sharing the phone number with new contacts, but its initial setup is based on the phone number and it insists on notifying everyone who has your number that you've joined the platform. Messaging platforms would be much better if they considered such things as privacy issues and provided more control in the user's hands, with sensible defaults and good initial setup instructions.