I was thinking about getting a different version of Signal, too. So I checked F-Droid without success and after your hint I checked the Signal website, too. Unfortunately all links to Signal for Android there lead me to the Play Store.
When I had the issue again recently I checked what happens when I’m called. That was very interesting because my phone still rang but it used a ringtone that I have never heard before. And the screen didn’t turn on, either, so I couldn’t accept the call, either. So it really seems like Signal has the power to completely block my phone. I should try removing the memory card just to be on the safe side there…
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Unfortunately all links to Signal for Android there lead me to the Play Store.
Here is the link: Signal >> Signal Android APK
At the bottom (“Danger zone”).
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Thanks for the link. I didn’t find that one via the website. But I have downloaded the APK and just tried to install it. The phone recognized it as an update to the existing Signal installation (so the package name seems to be identical) but refused to install in the end most likely because this version of this package name already is installed. Therefore I assume it is the same APK as in the Play Store unfortunately.
Still need to run my phone without memory card, but since I can hardly control when someone sends photos to me it’s also hard to leave the memory card away at the right time…
No, it isn’t the same apk, but it just has the same package name and same version name. But if you install it from the website, it should come without the google stuff IIRC, and maybe auto-updates. But for this you would need to uninstall Signal and download it again from the website.
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I have seen other apps that had a different package name for Play Store and non-Play Store, therefore I assumed that the same name implies that it’s the same package.
But okay, then let’s try it. The first message with picture attached was received without any issues but let’s still wait for some more to evaluate if this makes the important difference.
Edit: It doesn’t 
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Do you use microg?
Signal can work with GCM (by default) or use websocket. It depends on if the app sees GCM on your phone when you open it for the first time.
If you use microg (and everything is configured as it should), then Signal works with GCM.
I would suggest to change the mode from GCM to Websocket (or opposite) to test if there is a difference. To do so, you need to reinstall Signal. I have read (but not tried myself) that you can change the advanced settings in Signal after having changed the GCM option with microg: switch off and on again “Signal messages and calls”.
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No, I don’t. Therefore I assume that this option is out of the game?
Currently I’m testing without memory card. I had my wife sending me several photos and until now everything is fine. Still I wouldn’t trust that result yet.
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Also this option is out of the game after my phone was blocked by a picture a few minutes ago without the card. I’m not too sad about this somehow as it means that I can leave the memory card in the phone without having limitations from this.
Well, you could try the opposite. You could install microg to check if the problem still occurs when Signal uses GCM. If not, either you stick with it or at least you will have more info to submit to the bug-tracker.
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But does this make sense when GApps are installed, what I would guess is the case, as the Google Play Store is mentioned above?
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Aha, I thought Play store was only mentioned as opposite to the website’s APK, and that @Martin_Anderseck had used Aurora store.
If @Martin_Anderseck used the Play Store, then I guess that they would have GApps, you’re right, which means that the phone would use GCM.
If so, then you still could try to deactivate GCM and install the APK from Signal’s website.
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To be honest I don’t know how to disable GCM on my phone. But today I’ve learnt that this problem might be wider spread than I originally thought because my wife’s unfair Japanese phone got locked up by some photos received via Signal, too. For the same photos in the same group my phone didn’t have any problems this time btw.
I think it’s time to wrap up all findings and write them down in the issue on GitHub. Thank you all for the hints and ideas what to check!
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Well, this is some important news. Does your wife use regular Android or a custom rom like Lineage?
If she also uses Signal with GCM, I wonder if the problem could be related to your Wifi or your network coverage. Did you make some tests with or without wifi? Or on another wifi? With or without cellular network (for example a whole day/evening in airplane mode with wifi on)?
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She has the Android 9 (or 8?) that came with the phone, no custom ROM. For me it has happened in different WiFi networks already and I’m just thinking if it happened in mobile data, too. Can’t remember anymore but will keep an eye on this.
Since in the end it’s a phone that we are talking about I wouldn’t like to put it into flight mode for the whole day.
I found at least one more report about this behavior in the Play Store user comments about the app but there we don’t know any more preconditions like OS etc.
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Maybe it will be fixed in the next official release of Signal, namely version 5.21.6:
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Doesn’t seem to be the same issue though… In this case it’s only when sending a picture for the first time by MMS and doesn’t freeze the whole phone.
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You are right. However, there is an update of Signal available in the Google Play Store, released yesterday…
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Yes, if I open the Play Store in Firefox I can see a version 5.21.6 from September 1. When I open the Play Store app the last update is from August 23 but the version is 5.21.6, too. Now I’m not sure if this data is puzzled because I installed the APK from the Signal website. But at least it pretty much looks like I already got the latest version (in the app under help I can see this, too) if their version strings are not wrong.
Apart from that I didn’t get many pictures via Signal during the last days, so no new findings.
One more remark on that topic: As the latest update didn’t fix the issue for me I went into the settings and disabled the automatic download of pictures, videos and everything. Now I still get a notification for incoming media but I need to tap onto it to download the content. Since then I didn’t have my phone blocked by Signal anymore. It’s rather a workaround than a solution but for me that’s perfectly fine.
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I do not use Signal, but in case someone does and reads your post, I guess it will be much appreciated. Thanks a lot!