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Removing SMS support from Signal Android (soon)

signal.org

111–120 of 649 posts

Re: Removing SMS support from Signal Android (soon)

#111
post #29

I feel like all these messaging applications eventually mess up somehow. The one I keep coming back to is Telegram.

You do realise Telegram isn’t secure (non-e2ee), is Russian owned and is based in the Middle East. Enjoy whatever privacy that provides.

Re: Removing SMS support from Signal Android (soon)

#112

The comments here are so bizarre to me. I think this must be a USA thing. I had no idea signal even supported SMS, nor do I know anybody who uses SMS

I don't live in the US, and SMS support has been essential in convincing people from my parents' generation to give signal a try. I personally also like not ever having to open my phone's stock message app when I once in a while do get an SMS

Re: Removing SMS support from Signal Android (soon)

#113
post #8

I for one welcome the change, because my phone does not have an SMS plan (data only) and the "send by SMS" is a bit confusing. A messaging app should have one clear behavior per interface. This was "maybe secure, maybe not". I have an SMS app for that (well, VoIP-sms, because I'm weird).

> "send by SMS" is a bit confusing

Can you say more about what's confusing about this for you?

Re: Removing SMS support from Signal Android (soon)

#115

This seems to be a "bug or feature" situation where the answer depends on the user profile. The ability for messages to leave the Signal app in plaintext SMS is a "feature" for users whose top needs include a single-app UX, and a "bug" for users whose top needs include an app that is foolproof E2EE (so users don't have to consciously pay attention to which conversations are Signal-native vs SMS). Maybe SMS support co…

Never used signal, so I don't know it's UI language. Couldn't they just put a red unlocked padlock symbol next to the send button, if the sent message is going to be over an insecure channel (SMS in this case)? Maybe they already had something like this, so sorry for my ignorance.

The SMS symbol was a dull grey circle with a paper plane and an open lock, while the encrypted message was a big blue circle with a lock in the center. You had to choose purposefully with a long press on that button to use SMS if that is what you wanted, and the recipient was using signal.

Re: Removing SMS support from Signal Android (soon)

#116
> supports plain SMS/MMS to function as a unified messenger

So this is now a lie. This decision absolutely goes against how users actually use the software. Tone deaf and insulting. More cases of Signal saying "we know better than you. You're using it wrong. Do what we say.

Re: Removing SMS support from Signal Android (soon)

#117

This 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?")

No post body was provided.

Re: Removing SMS support from Signal Android (soon)

#118
post #27

I support this decision, I don't use SMS and I'm in support of everything that kills SMS. Next step: Please stop using phone numbers as a user ID. I have lots of throwaway phone numbers, but many people don't want to leak their phone number to every single person they want to have an encrypted conversation with.

> I support this decision, I don't use SMS

I lost you there

Re: Removing SMS support from Signal Android (soon)

#119

The comments here are so bizarre to me. I think this must be a USA thing. I had no idea signal even supported SMS, nor do I know anybody who uses SMS

I don't send many SMSs, but I receive them: package delivery notifications, automatic appointment reminders, a message to say my car has been repaired, 2FA codes.

I found it useful to have all these messages in a single place, although this change probably won't inconvenience me too much. However, I don't see any benefit.

Re: Removing SMS support from Signal Android (soon)

#120
post #80

One 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.

They do the same as Whatsapp. Ie. it is proper end to end encryption. Encryption keys can be verified manually. But there is no way to know the app doesn't secretly send the key to the server (although a disassembly of the app could catch them red handed if this were the case).

The big loophole is:

* The messages can be forced to be sent unencrypted if one or other end of the connection doesn't have data connectivity.

* The conversation backups are cleartext, so if either you or the other party has backups enabled, the e2e encryption is kinda pointless.

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