signal-headless for VS Code
Signal in VS Code: notifications, a conversation list, and chat tabs.
Messages keep arriving while VS Code is closed.
Unofficial. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Signal Messenger or the
Signal Technology Foundation.
Features
- Notifications, shown once across all VS Code windows, or on the desktop
when VS Code isn't focused. Reply right from the notification.
- Conversations view with unread counts, mute and archive. Shows
recently active conversations by default.
- Chat tabs with replies, reactions, attachments, link previews, read
receipts and typing indicators.
- Search all conversations, or just one.
- Send to Signal… a file or selected text from the explorer or editor.
- Status bar unread count; click it for the next unread conversation.
- Delete Old Messages… from this computer, or from all linked devices.
Getting started
- Install the extension and open the Signal view in the activity bar.
- Click Link This Computer…. A QR code appears.
- On the phone: Settings → Linked devices → Link new device, and scan
it. Choose Transfer message history to bring over past messages.
Conversations appear once the phone confirms.
The extension runs signal-headless,
a small background service that holds the Signal connection and stores
messages on this computer. If it isn't installed, the extension offers to
download it (checksum-verified, from its GitHub releases). Once it has, each
extension update brings the matching signal-headless without asking again.
An install from install.sh/install.ps1 is used instead when it's new
enough, and updates with signal-headless --update.
Requirements: Linux (x86-64 or arm64), macOS (Apple Silicon or Intel) or
Windows (x86-64). In Remote-SSH and container windows the extension runs on
the local machine, so that is the one that needs to be supported.
Privacy
Messages are end-to-end encrypted by Signal and stored on this computer
(~/.local/share/signal-headless). The extension itself only talks to the
local service, apart from the one-time download. The service connects to
Signal's servers, and fetches a page's preview when a link is typed (see
signalHeadless.sendLinkPreviews). To clear old messages, use Delete Old
Messages… in the Diagnostics section of the Signal view.
Keys
|
|
Ctrl+Alt+S |
open a conversation |
Ctrl+Alt+N |
next unread conversation |
Enter / Shift+Enter |
send / new line |
:joy: |
emoji shortcodes (→ 😂) |
In a chat tab, Esc moves to the message list: j/k select, r reply,
e react, y copy, o open attachment, D delete for everyone, i back
to typing.
Settings
| Setting |
Default |
|
signalHeadless.notifications |
all |
off silences everything; mute single conversations from the view |
signalHeadless.desktopNotifications |
true |
notify on the desktop when VS Code isn't focused |
signalHeadless.notificationPreview |
true |
show message text in notifications |
signalHeadless.enterSends |
true |
false: Ctrl+Enter sends |
signalHeadless.activeDays |
30 |
how far back the Active conversation filter looks |
signalHeadless.chatPanels |
perConversation |
single: one Signal tab that switches conversations |
signalHeadless.sendLinkPreviews |
account |
previews on sent links: follow the Signal account setting, on, off |
signalHeadless.downloadDaemon |
ask |
download signal-headless when needed: ask, always, never |
signalHeadless.autoStartDaemon |
true |
start signal-headless when it isn't running |
signalHeadless.executablePath |
|
a specific signal-headless binary |
signalHeadless.socketPath |
|
a non-default service socket |
signalHeadless.releasesUrl |
GitHub |
a mirror to download signal-headless from |
Uninstalling
Uninstalling the extension leaves signal-headless alone: this computer stays
linked, and the message history and keys stay where they are. The only
cleanup is the copy of signal-headless the extension downloaded, if it was
using one: it is stopped and deleted.
To remove everything, run Signal: Remove signal-headless from This
Computer… first. After confirming with the account number, it unlinks this
computer, deletes the message history and keys (stored unencrypted), and
removes the program. It uses the installer's uninstaller when signal-headless
came from install.sh or install.ps1. The phone and other linked devices
keep their messages.
Troubleshooting
- "The phone removed this device": stop the service
(
signal-headless --stop), run signal-headless --unlink --force, then
link again.
- Something else: the Diagnostics section of the Signal view shows
the account, connection and storage; Signal: Show Log has details.
Donate
signal-headless and this extension are free and made in spare time. If
they're useful, support helps keep them maintained:
Signal itself runs on donations too:
signal.org/donate.
License
Copyright © 2026 Jeff Mattson. AGPL-3.0-or-later; see LICENSE.
Building from source: see CONTRIBUTING.md.
The signal-headless logo (media/icon.png) is not covered by the AGPL: it is
© 2026 Jeff Mattson, all rights reserved, except that it may be shown
unmodified to refer to this extension or signal-headless. Forks and modified
versions should use their own name and icon.
