This is going to seriously harm their user base. I've used signal for years, but will have to drop it with change. People aren't interested in maintaining several different messaging apps.
Removing SMS support from Signal Android (soon)
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Re: Removing SMS support from Signal Android (soon)
#72This is an awful decision. I've converted some friends and family to Signal over the past years (it took a while) and it is now their default messaging app on their phones. This is going to confuse them and is going to make it difficult for me to keep convincing them that Signal is the route to use. ("Why do I need 3 apps (Android Messages, Signal, Whatsapp) to talk to people?")
I absolutely agree. Personally, I've managed to convert around 3 times as many Android users as iOS users, because of this feature. And the few people who stopped using Signal after starting using it did so because of limitations in the SMS/MMS features (fewer number of users allowed in group text, etc). I fully expect to loose 2/3 of my Signal contacts as a result of this decision, and may drop it myself if the number remaining is too small to be worth running a separate app, as most of the ones left will probably be on Matrix as well.
It also puts a spot-light on the "your phone number is your username" policy. This made perfect sense when you are using Signal for opportunistic encryption of texting. It is much less justifiable when using it as a Silo'd app. I really hope they change that and give people who were waiting for that change time to join before killing SMS support.
Re: Removing SMS support from Signal Android (soon)
#73That sucks. The data fee argument makes no sense – you could just have a setting or warning or something for those who live in places where you have to pay for sms (I know every setting introduces complexity, but I that's got to be nothing compared to the level of engineering needed for all those other fancy features in Signal).
Re: Removing SMS support from Signal Android (soon)
#74I remember back when I had Android, how amazed I was that I could just make Signal the new default messaging app, and don’t worry about who were Signal-users and who weren’t.
It made it amazingly easy to get started yourself, and also convert others.
Why on earth would they decide to give up that advantage?
Re: Removing SMS support from Signal Android (soon)
#75SMS and security are simply incompatible. And either you fall into one of two groups 1. You know sms is insecure and this is a insecure method of communication 2. You think sms sent via signal is secure because it’s a “secure messenger”. It’s clear that HN users will fall into group 1, but the vast majority of people would fall into group 2. So for me this is an overall security win.
The network effect of signal not being a hub for SMS and e2ee will mean less people using e2ee, IMO.
Re: Removing SMS support from Signal Android (soon)
#76> If you do use Signal as your default SMS app on Android, you will need to select a new default SMS app on your phone. If you want to keep them, you’ll also need to export your SMS messages from Signal into that new app. This messaging seems a little tone-deaf, given that there is no way to export SMS messages from Signal . Apparently it's possible, using a third-party piece of software, to decrypt your backups and…
They are enabling the ability to export SMS from signal now: https://community.signalusers.org/t/beta-feedback-for-the-up...
The phrase "one step forward, two steps back" comes to mind
Re: Removing SMS support from Signal Android (soon)
#77... and there's the reason I will likely stop using Signal? Signal was always one of those "win-win" apps, get more security when it's available and I don't have to worry about adding to the giant bucket of messaging apps. They were a paragon of putting the user first and I was a strong supporter... but now... Why not Telegram? Or anything else? I don't need the security, it was nice-to-have. Having to switch between…
Correction, you dont need the privacy*
Telegram is absolutely the worst when it comes to privacy, it has access to everything you do and say.
If you want a master app, have a lot at matrix.org with bridges.
Re: Removing SMS support from Signal Android (soon)
#78I'm happy with the change, SMS to should be sent through native SMS app, while Signal is just another chat client. Never understood why they have decided to overtake the default SMS app.
Re: Removing SMS support from Signal Android (soon)
#79Unfortunately, at least in the U.S., most inter-OS text-messaging is still done via SMS. Signal was godsend in this field because I can slowly convince my network to switch to Signal (and this in turn had a recursive network effect as then they would do similarly). This change will mean Signal will become another bucket on my phone (along with WhatsApp) where I can talk to only a select few of my contacts.
Re: Removing SMS support from Signal Android (soon)
#80One bright side of this is that Android's (Google's) Messages app has been pushing hard on RCS (the intended successor to SMS) and by default now does auto-upgrade to end-to-end encryption with any other messages users. If you're using signal, you don't get that auto-upgrade, so for conversations with anyone using a "default" google phone setup you were actually getting less net security on your comms compared to usi…
Given that it's Google, are you sure they do true end to end encryption. I would be shocked if they don't have access to the contents of your messages.