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Remotely controlling Signal Messenger app on Win11 running Host
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David DeBrota,
User (Posts: 3)
Jul 21, 2025 1:15:05 pm EDT
Support level: Free or trial
Host computer running Win11 24H2 (with all updates installed) and Remote Utilities Host 7.6.2.0. Installed Signal Messenger app, it seemed to work properly when being operated by someone physically at the host computer. When remoting in (from a Windows computer running Remote Utilities Viewer), however, the Signal app does not start properly on the host computer. It seems to produce a window with a black screen (because this shows in a thumbnail on the taskbar), but nothing can be interacted with or seen from Viewer. Only option is to close the Signal window via right click on the Signal taskbar icon.
have tried invoking Signal on the host computer with:
C:\Users\<<username here>>\AppData\Local\Programs\signal-desktop\Signal.exe --disable-gpu --disable-screen-security
Any other ideas? Remote controlling Signal has been possible on other host computers in the past (such as running Win10).
have tried invoking Signal on the host computer with:
C:\Users\<<username here>>\AppData\Local\Programs\signal-desktop\Signal.exe --disable-gpu --disable-screen-security
Any other ideas? Remote controlling Signal has been possible on other host computers in the past (such as running Win10).
Hi David,
Thank you for your message.
Please try enabling the Use legacy capture mode feature in the Host Settings -> Other tab following the steps listed here. After enabling the feature please restart Host to apply the changes.
Let us know if this helps.
Thank you for your message.
Please try enabling the Use legacy capture mode feature in the Host Settings -> Other tab following the steps listed here. After enabling the feature please restart Host to apply the changes.
Let us know if this helps.
David DeBrota,
User (Posts: 3)
Jul 23, 2025 7:07:19 am EDT
Support level: Free or trial
I tried "legacy capture mode" as you suggest but it had no effect. I then set Signal on the remote computer to run in Windows 8 compatibility mode. Signal then runs as it did before, but with a warning box that Signal will stop supporting the computer's operating system on Oct 20, 2025.
Here are additional details:
local computer (running Remote Utilities Viewer 7.6.2.0):
Windows 11 Pro
Version 24H2
Installed on 4/19/2025
OS build 26100.4652
Signal Desktop 7.63.0 production installed (working just fine)
remote computer (running Remote Utilities Host 7.6.2.0):
Edition Windows 11 Home
Version 24H2
Installed on 7/15/2025
OS build 26100.4770
Signal Desktop 7.63.0 production installed
Here are additional details:
local computer (running Remote Utilities Viewer 7.6.2.0):
Windows 11 Pro
Version 24H2
Installed on 4/19/2025
OS build 26100.4652
Signal Desktop 7.63.0 production installed (working just fine)
remote computer (running Remote Utilities Host 7.6.2.0):
Edition Windows 11 Home
Version 24H2
Installed on 7/15/2025
OS build 26100.4770
Signal Desktop 7.63.0 production installed
Hi David,
Thank you for the follow up.
Just to confirm, you mean that the Signal app runs as expected when you enable the compatibility mode but not when you run it as normal on Windows 11 system? If this is the case, we can only suggest that you contact the Signal support team to see whether it’s going to affect the compatibility mode as well.
Let us know if you have more questions.
Thank you for the follow up.
Just to confirm, you mean that the Signal app runs as expected when you enable the compatibility mode but not when you run it as normal on Windows 11 system? If this is the case, we can only suggest that you contact the Signal support team to see whether it’s going to affect the compatibility mode as well.
Let us know if you have more questions.
David DeBrota,
User (Posts: 3)
Jul 24, 2025 8:40:16 am EDT
Support level: Free or trial
I have been able to use Remote Utilities Viewer to run Signal on remote computers (running Remote Utilities Host) without problems until very recently. Something has changed, quite possibly in the Signal app for Windows. It appears that I am not the only person experiencing this problem... here's a Reddit post, for example:
https://www.reddit.com/r/signal/comments/1l41d39/signal_windows_app_black_scree
The problem may have to do with changes in Signal and/or in the latest updates of Windows 11. See this fairly recent post from the Signal organization:
https://signal.org/blog/signal-doesnt-recall/
To be clear, Signal runs on a remote computer just as it used to run if the remote computer is told to run Signal in Windows 8 Compatibility Mode, but does not run remotely otherwise.
This is the only example I have of an application which runs for a local user without problems, but not for a remote user of the same computer. "Signal Desktop" is for some reason not being transmitted properly to the remote user?
https://www.reddit.com/r/signal/comments/1l41d39/signal_windows_app_black_scree
The problem may have to do with changes in Signal and/or in the latest updates of Windows 11. See this fairly recent post from the Signal organization:
https://signal.org/blog/signal-doesnt-recall/
To be clear, Signal runs on a remote computer just as it used to run if the remote computer is told to run Signal in Windows 8 Compatibility Mode, but does not run remotely otherwise.
This is the only example I have of an application which runs for a local user without problems, but not for a remote user of the same computer. "Signal Desktop" is for some reason not being transmitted properly to the remote user?
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