Signal – an ethical replacement for WhatsApp
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It used to function as a fallback SMS/MMS messenger (like how iMessage does) but when Google started moving to convert Android from SMS/MMS to RCS Signal made the hard decision to cut the fallback functionality rather than follow Google's new framework.
I personally hope once the dust settles Signal designs a RCS engine and restores the fallback functionality.
Yeah killing the sms function was basically a deal breaker for me, no matter how much I tried I could only get three people to use Signal, the rest were all sms. When the sms feature was removed 2 of the 3 dropped Signal completely, so now the only person I know who still uses it is my mom and even she still flips back and forth between Signal and Google messages when texting me.
I still have Signal on my phone and suggest it people when they ask how to contact me, but everyone just wants to text my phone number.
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No. XMPP would be the best choice.
Tell me you don't know anything about security without telling me you don't know anything about security.
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Wish more of my contact list would switch over to Signal. It's nearly the same. I don't see why it's so hard for some people to just start using Signal instead of WhatsApp.
Oh well.
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You can download the APK once from the website, after that it updates automatically.
https://signal.org/android/apk/I know I can. But the hostility of Signal devs to open source and F-Droid makes me uncomfortable. Why use an app with such hostility?
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Wish more of my contact list would switch over to Signal. It's nearly the same. I don't see why it's so hard for some people to just start using Signal instead of WhatsApp.
Oh well.
Because people are beyond stupid. "i dont want to download another app" - while having an app for almost every other store and bullshit game and whatever
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Wish more of my contact list would switch over to Signal. It's nearly the same. I don't see why it's so hard for some people to just start using Signal instead of WhatsApp.
Oh well.
My dad won't switch from Facebook messenger so now we have to talk via unencrypted sms
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signal requires a phone number and won't even allow you to send sms to those that aren't on signal.
its better, but still not great.
If you need to send sms to someone not on signal, why not just send them an sms
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Because people are beyond stupid. "i dont want to download another app" - while having an app for almost every other store and bullshit game and whatever
I think what they really mean is "I don't want another account".
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Jami*
Matrix isn’t necessarily p2p
Oh yes that too
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I think what they really mean is "I don't want another account".
Hell I've been getting rid of accounts lately. Feels good.
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There is threema, a Swiss messenger that gained some popularity earlier since they had end to end encryption before whatsapp.
Unfortunately the source code is not open (even though they do get annual audits with public reports), and the client costs 3 EUR or something (once).
Until Facebook buys them like they did with WhatsApp...?
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Tell me you don't know anything about security without telling me you don't know anything about security.
I guess that sucks because I make a living working in cyber security. What do I know, amirite?
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signal not being on fdroid is a strike against them
You can always install a release of any Android APK from a git repo using Obtainium.
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If you need to send sms to someone not on signal, why not just send them an sms
if they need my phone number to have an account anyway, they can offer both.
i dont need more apps that do the same thing. i need less.
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if they need my phone number to have an account anyway, they can offer both.
i dont need more apps that do the same thing. i need less.
It's arguably a very bad idea for a secure messenger to also provide an SMS interface, since those are basically cleartext
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It's arguably a very bad idea for a secure messenger to also provide an SMS interface, since those are basically cleartext
exactly. so I'm wondering what the purpose is for its need.
(edit: apologies- the phone number. needing the phone number.)
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Anyone using Session? I finally got most of my friends and family on Signal so I'm not gonna switch but I just heard about it, seems pretty good.
The only thing I don't like about Session is, it runs on a underlying crypto token, incentivizing the network to keep on going. https://getsession.org/blog/migrating-from-the-oxen-network-to-session-network imo
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Hell I've been getting rid of accounts lately. Feels good.
It's super cathartic, I agree. Feels extra good when it's big tech and fascist-owned as well.
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The exit plan from WhatsApp is quite simple. Start by installing Signal and setting it up – it takes only a couple of minutes. Then, resume any WhatsApp conversations on Signal if that person is already a Signal user. If they are not, then switch to regular text messaging and gently suggest to that person to switch over to Signal.
Sadly for me, this doesn't really work for some relatives as
- They live abroad and the cost of sending text messages abroad is not insignificant
- Some are so tech un-savvy that even installing a new app by themselves is too much.
All I can do for those relatives is to leave WhatsApp installed but take away basically every permission I can, including running in the background.
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That’s not even what it is lol.
And as the other commenter alluded to, defaults matter. You’re not replacing the thing everyone is already using by pitching “here’s an alternative that is better in ways which don’t affect your usage at all, and also you have to dig into the settings to turn off the optional daily popups”
Yeah someone who cares enough about security to switch to Signal in the first place will be willing to go into the settings to get everything just the way they like it, but everybody else will only keep the app if it doesn't bug them.
