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Ask HN: Best encrypted messaging app with mobile and native clients?

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Ask HN: Best encrypted messaging app with mobile and native clients?

#1

Post by mellamoyo »

I've been looking through different messaging apps lately (iMessage, WhatsApp, Telegram, Wire, etc.), looking for one that has end to end encryption as well as native clients for mobile and desktop.

So far, I haven't found anything that meets both major requirements, everything has a drawback. I want to like Signal, but the lack of desktop clients is a major drawback (and the Chrome extension isn't quite there yet--no iOS support, weird firewall requirements).

So what are you all using? Are you happy with what you're using?

Re: Ask HN: Best encrypted messaging app with mobile and native clients?

#6

Post by skrowl »

mellamoyo wrote: post #4
ryck wrote: post #3

What's wrong with Telegram?

No private chats for Windows/Linux.

I'd also recommend Telegram.

Whether or not secret (end-to-end encrypted) chats are implemented is up to the client's author.

Not having secret chats in Telegram Desktop was a decision of the author - https://github.com/telegramdesktop/tdesktop/issues/5

They work in cutegram (qt based client. OS X, Linux, Windows, OpenBSD, Arch AUR, etc) - http://aseman.co/en/products/cutegram/

They work in the pidgin plugin (which works on all of the platforms supported by Pidgin) - https://github.com/majn/telegram-purple#readme

They also work in telegram CLI (which many bots are based on) - https://github.com/vysheng/tg

Re: Ask HN: Best encrypted messaging app with mobile and native clients?

#7

Post by zurn »

Terminology nit: s/encrypted/secure/ - lots of systems that have encryption are pretty insecure.

As to the question, how about OTR+XMPP or Signal. Signal desktop is in beta. I don't think you need to worry about running the desktop Chrome extension on iOS since there's a native iOS app too?

Re: Ask HN: Best encrypted messaging app with mobile and native clients?

#8

Post by mellamoyo »

zurn wrote: post #7

Terminology nit: s/encrypted/secure/ - lots of systems that have encryption are pretty insecure. As to the question, how about OTR+XMPP or Signal. Signal desktop is in beta. I don't think you need to worry about running the desktop Chrome extension on iOS since there's a native iOS app too?

I'll have to look into OTR+XMPP. I was hoping for something straightforward for non-technical folks to use as well. Any recommendations on clients?

What I meant by iOS/Chrome is that you currently can't setup the desktop (Chrome) app with an iOS device, it's Android only.

Re: Ask HN: Best encrypted messaging app with mobile and native clients?

#9

Post by skrowl »

blindrooster wrote: post #2

self hosted IRC

Since OP mentioned mobile, which IRC client would you recommend on Android. Maintaining a persistent connection is battery draining. Weechat + https://www.glowing-bear.org is what I've been using but you don't get notifications that way.
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