install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install signal-cli

local Homebrew formula metadata

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%

sudo apk add signal-cli

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · signal-cli · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#signal-cli

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/si/signal-cli/package.nix · source: api.github.com

Windows

Scoopverified · 92%

scoop install main/signal-cli

Scoop official bucket manifest trees · bucket/signal-cli.json · source: api.github.com

overview

Package summary

CLI and dbus interface for WhisperSystems/libsignal-service-java

Project links

Commands and aliases

signal-cli

history

Project history and usage

signal-cli is an unofficial, independently maintained command-line, JSON-RPC, and D-Bus interface for the Signal messenger.

Project history

signal-cli grew as an independent command-line interface around Signal protocol libraries derived from Signal's Android implementation. It supports account registration or linking, message exchange, and automation-oriented interfaces.

The project has repeatedly adapted to Signal server and libsignal changes. Its changelog records continuing additions to messaging features and compatibility fixes.

Adoption history

The project is packaged by Homebrew and several community distribution channels and offers JVM and native release artifacts. Its daemon, JSON-RPC, and D-Bus modes have made it useful for server-side notification and automation workflows.

Because Signal's server protocol evolves, the maintainer warns that signal-cli must remain current; releases more than roughly three months old may stop working correctly.

How it is used

Users register a phone number or link signal-cli as a device, then send and receive messages from scripts or run its daemon interfaces. The official README highlights server notifications as a primary use case and recommends receiving messages regularly for efficient encryption and state updates.

Why package nerds care

signal-cli provides a scriptable Signal endpoint despite not being an official Signal client. Its combination of local encrypted account state, daemon interfaces, and frequent protocol-compatibility releases makes version freshness operationally important.

Timeline

2015: Early public signal-cli releases established command-line Signal messaging.
2026: The 0.14 series continued adapting registration, messaging, and storage behavior to current Signal services.

Related projects

Signal Android and libsignal are upstream sources of protocol behavior and native cryptographic components.
signal-cli-rest-api and other community wrappers commonly expose signal-cli to containerized or HTTP-based automation, but are separate projects.

Sources

Official changelog: https://github.com/AsamK/signal-cli/blob/master/CHANGELOG.md
Official repository and README: https://github.com/AsamK/signal-cli
Official wiki: https://github.com/AsamK/signal-cli/wiki

security posture

Risk level: green

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals.

Risk classifier

green risk · low confidence · appliance

Why

narrow executable package without higher-risk signals

Signals

metadata:no-higher-risk-signals

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 5 platform targets.
Build metadata lists 7 build dependencies.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

local files

Configuration and credential file locations

These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.

Configuration files

Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.

Unix: $XDG_DATA_HOME/signal-cli~/.local/share/signal-cli

Credential files

Credential-bearing paths to review before unattended agent runs.

Unix: $XDG_DATA_HOME/signal-cli~/.local/share/signal-cli

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure	Note
`signal-cli`	cli	global executable

freshness

Version and freshness

These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.

page generated2026-09-19

manager version0.14.8

manager updated2026-09-13

local dataok

upstreamcurrent

latest detectedv0.14.7

https://github.com/AsamK/signal-cli

okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:signal-cli
Version	0.14.8
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/signal-cli
Homepage	https://github.com/AsamK/signal-cli
Repository	https://github.com/AsamK/signal-cli
License	GPL-3.0-or-later
Source archive	https://github.com/AsamK/signal-cli/archive/refs/tags/v0.14.7.tar.gz
Last updated	2026-09-13T02:48:15Z
Pulse	updated
Build dependencies	asciidoc, cmake, docbook-xsl, graalvm, gradle, protobuf, rust
Bottle	available (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-install	not defined
Service	none declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source Database	Homebrew formula API
Tap	homebrew/core
Full Name	signal-cli
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

Nix95%

signal-cli

nix profile install nixpkgs#signal-cli

normalized package name match
Matched by: Signal Cli

nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/si/signal-cli/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

apk95%

signal-cli 0.14.7-r0

commandline interface for libsignal-service-java

https://github.com/AsamK/signal-cli

sudo apk add signal-cli

License: GPL-3.0-or-later
Architecture: x86_64
Source Package: signal-cli
1 dependencies
1 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Signal Cli

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: signal-cli from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz

Scoop95%

main/signal-cli

scoop install main/signal-cli

normalized package name match
Matched by: Signal Cli

Scoop official bucket manifest trees · api.github.com · Scoop official bucket manifest trees: bucket/signal-cli.json from https://api.github.com/repos/ScoopInstaller/Main/git/trees/master?recursive=1

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

source trail

Generated from repository data

This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.

Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub.

combined/signal-cli.yml

Used sources

Geiger risk classifier
cross-ecosystem install command graph
curated configuration and credential file locations
curated package history
external package-manager database matches
package relationship graph
package version freshness
package-page enrichment
pkg.so package database
pkgdb category and tag curation

Install signal-cli with Homebrew, apk, Nix, scoop