Text Messaging App
-
@Madchatthew Most technology firms view SMS as a legacy product - which in fairness, it actually is if you consider the lack of encryption etc, which is a staple and standard on today’s messaging technologies. I do agree with the article though. SMS is still hugely popular around the globe, and you’re right in the respect of it just “working” without having to worry if the recipient of your message is using the correct platform.
@phenomlab It is too bad that they can’t just upgrade it to include the security, but then maybe the other messaging apps are the upgrade. It would be nice to be able to add people by phone number. Then you could use whatever messaging app you liked and it would just route through the phone number means, but not using sms.
-
@phenomlab It is too bad that they can’t just upgrade it to include the security, but then maybe the other messaging apps are the upgrade. It would be nice to be able to add people by phone number. Then you could use whatever messaging app you liked and it would just route through the phone number means, but not using sms.
@Madchatthew I think it’s mostly the protocol and infrastructure not supporting those functions to be honest. As a developer myself, I too would not be interested in writing code or improving functions for code that was developed in the 80’s.
-
@Madchatthew I think it’s mostly the protocol and infrastructure not supporting those functions to be honest. As a developer myself, I too would not be interested in writing code or improving functions for code that was developed in the 80’s.
@phenomlab said in Text Messaging App:
I think it’s mostly the protocol and infrastructure not supporting those functions to be honest. As a developer myself, I too would not be interested in writing code or improving functions for code that was developed in the 80’s.
This makes sense. I also tried out the two messaging apps from above, and with both of them the text messages were delayed severely. I didn’t get a text message for two hours after it was sent. So for now I went back to google messages. I just may switch to a messaging app and invite people and tell them they can get a hold of me on there. See what happens I guess. I am thinking Signal. That way I am not being mines by Meta (Facebook) or google. Then use google messages as backup texting.
-
@phenomlab said in Text Messaging App:
I think it’s mostly the protocol and infrastructure not supporting those functions to be honest. As a developer myself, I too would not be interested in writing code or improving functions for code that was developed in the 80’s.
This makes sense. I also tried out the two messaging apps from above, and with both of them the text messages were delayed severely. I didn’t get a text message for two hours after it was sent. So for now I went back to google messages. I just may switch to a messaging app and invite people and tell them they can get a hold of me on there. See what happens I guess. I am thinking Signal. That way I am not being mines by Meta (Facebook) or google. Then use google messages as backup texting.
@Madchatthew said in Text Messaging App:
tried out the two messaging apps from above
I actually did the same. I have to admit that I wasn’t exactly blown away.
-
I also found this
https://news.itsfoss.com/quik-sms-app/
Note that this isn’t available on Google Play - you need to get it from F-Droid.
@phenomlab that’s interesting!!!
-
Very nice! Thanks for the two options. I have also read some reviews about Signal. You can’t do sms with that one though. It seems like people are moving away from sending texts and moving more towards apps that just do messaging and are more secure.
I installed the Quik Messages from F-Droid. I am going to try that one out and see how I like it. There are a lot of nice features with Google messages. They have the RCS for encryption and such and there are a couple other things that I like about it, but I just hate that they steal your data and sell it.
@Madchatthew currently using a mixture of Telegram & Signal for the none SMS focused apps.
I do have WhatsApp installed but I cringe whenever I use it
. -
@Madchatthew currently using a mixture of Telegram & Signal for the none SMS focused apps.
I do have WhatsApp installed but I cringe whenever I use it
.@JAC I use WhatsApp because literally everyone I know uses it, and they won’t be moving over anytime soon. They don’t really care it’s a Meta product - just that it works and is very convenient. To be fair, during the pandemic, these apps came into their own and were considered critical when people couldn’t physically meet but still wanted to keep in contact with loved ones.
The plus side of WhatsApp is the native end-to-end encryption, as with Telegram. I just don’t like the idea of transmitting sensitive information over something “Meta owned” - the same applies to @Madchatthew whom I know has privacy issues with anything Google related (and I don’t blame him either).
-
@Madchatthew currently using a mixture of Telegram & Signal for the none SMS focused apps.
I do have WhatsApp installed but I cringe whenever I use it
.@JAC said in Text Messaging App:
I do have WhatsApp installed but I cringe whenever I use it .
Yeah, it’s that Meta part that gets me every time. I think I might start using Signal and just start inviting people to it and see what happens. If I absolutely have to, I guess I could switch to whatsapp, but I won’t go down without a fight LOLOL
@phenomlab said in Text Messaging App:
The plus side of WhatsApp is the native end-to-end encryption, as with Telegram. I just don’t like the idea of transmitting sensitive information over something “Meta owned”
You know this is so important, especially now days when it seems like information is so easily hacked by nefarious people. Then you have these big companies that are focused on selling your information to others to stuff more money in their pockets.
-
@JAC said in Text Messaging App:
I do have WhatsApp installed but I cringe whenever I use it .
Yeah, it’s that Meta part that gets me every time. I think I might start using Signal and just start inviting people to it and see what happens. If I absolutely have to, I guess I could switch to whatsapp, but I won’t go down without a fight LOLOL
@phenomlab said in Text Messaging App:
The plus side of WhatsApp is the native end-to-end encryption, as with Telegram. I just don’t like the idea of transmitting sensitive information over something “Meta owned”
You know this is so important, especially now days when it seems like information is so easily hacked by nefarious people. Then you have these big companies that are focused on selling your information to others to stuff more money in their pockets.
@Madchatthew said in Text Messaging App:
Then you have these big companies that are focused on selling your information to others to stuff more money in their pockets.
And that’s the key point right there. Meta don’t exactly have the best track record when it comes to privacy.
-
@Madchatthew said in Text Messaging App:
Then you have these big companies that are focused on selling your information to others to stuff more money in their pockets.
And that’s the key point right there. Meta don’t exactly have the best track record when it comes to privacy.
@phenomlab and then you take into account how these big tech companies admitted into withholding news and events that could have swayed people to vote a different way and messing with election information. It is to the point where you can’t even trust these big tech companies. Anytime these companies get any kind of funding or favors from the government, you know that the government is gonna come knocking at their door asking for favors at some point.
-
@phenomlab and then you take into account how these big tech companies admitted into withholding news and events that could have swayed people to vote a different way and messing with election information. It is to the point where you can’t even trust these big tech companies. Anytime these companies get any kind of funding or favors from the government, you know that the government is gonna come knocking at their door asking for favors at some point.
@Madchatthew Yes, exactly. A bit like encryption with “backdoors” if you like.
-
@Madchatthew Yes, exactly. A bit like encryption with “backdoors” if you like.
@phenomlab Yeah you go that right and one they can kick open anytime they see it would benefit them. Although at that point is is probably just left open all the time with a huge door stopper in it to keep it from closing haha
-
@JAC I use WhatsApp because literally everyone I know uses it, and they won’t be moving over anytime soon. They don’t really care it’s a Meta product - just that it works and is very convenient. To be fair, during the pandemic, these apps came into their own and were considered critical when people couldn’t physically meet but still wanted to keep in contact with loved ones.
The plus side of WhatsApp is the native end-to-end encryption, as with Telegram. I just don’t like the idea of transmitting sensitive information over something “Meta owned” - the same applies to @Madchatthew whom I know has privacy issues with anything Google related (and I don’t blame him either).
@phenomlab Agree with all points here. Anything related to Facebook I hate with a passion unfortunately.
I have it installed on my phone but I rarely read the messages, now you may say that’s over the top but there’s even people I haven’t spoken to in years trying to get back in touch with me and I just can’t bring myself to reply
. -
@Madchatthew said in Text Messaging App:
Then you have these big companies that are focused on selling your information to others to stuff more money in their pockets.
And that’s the key point right there. Meta don’t exactly have the best track record when it comes to privacy.
@phenomlab said in Text Messaging App:
And that’s the key point right there. Meta don’t exactly have the best track record when it comes to privacy.
This is it, their record is awful and I for one don’t trust them. I don’t particularly trust Google either but my life is essentially stored on a Google (android) product and there is no real way to get away from that.
I guess all you can try and do is use the best practices yourself and then in your mind you may be satisfied
. -
@phenomlab said in Text Messaging App:
And that’s the key point right there. Meta don’t exactly have the best track record when it comes to privacy.
This is it, their record is awful and I for one don’t trust them. I don’t particularly trust Google either but my life is essentially stored on a Google (android) product and there is no real way to get away from that.
I guess all you can try and do is use the best practices yourself and then in your mind you may be satisfied
.@JAC said in Text Messaging App:
there is no real way to get away from that.
Not entirely true. Search “degoogle your life”.
-
@JAC said in Text Messaging App:
there is no real way to get away from that.
Not entirely true. Search “degoogle your life”.
I try not to use Google as much as I can. I use Duckduckgo as my search engine, although generally I use an android handset on a daily basis 🤪.
-
I wonder if a linux phone OS can be installed on those nothing phones? I would be interested in that and then you would be able to 100% get away from google. You would just have to make sure and not go to their site.
-
I wonder if a linux phone OS can be installed on those nothing phones? I would be interested in that and then you would be able to 100% get away from google. You would just have to make sure and not go to their site.
@Madchatthew According to the below, there is Paranoid and Lineage
Rob Braxman also has some pretty decent videos on de-googling your phone
For info, LineageOS is de-googled
-
I try not to use Google as much as I can. I use Duckduckgo as my search engine, although generally I use an android handset on a daily basis 🤪.
@JAC the problem with Proton is that their “solution” to de-google your life only extends to email sadly.
-
@Madchatthew According to the below, there is Paranoid and Lineage
https://nothing.community/d/2993-your-experience-running-ubuntu-touch-on-nothing-phone
Rob Braxman also has some pretty decent videos on de-googling your phone
https://www.youtube.com/@robbraxmantech
For info, LineageOS is de-googled
@phenomlab Lineage is good. No Google play or anything like that. My brother tried it a few months back on a Samsung model and now his phone cuts out mid-call. I’m sure there’s a way around it. I also have it installed on an old Samsung tablet which uses F-Droid as the app store alternative.
Hello! It looks like you're interested in this conversation, but you don't have an account yet.
Getting fed up of having to scroll through the same posts each visit? When you register for an account, you'll always come back to exactly where you were before, and choose to be notified of new replies (ether email, or push notification). You'll also be able to save bookmarks, use reactions, and upvote to show your appreciation to other community members.
With your input, this post could be even better 💗
RegisterLog in
