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Removing SMS support from Signal Android (soon)

signal.org

471–480 of 649 posts

Re: Removing SMS support from Signal Android (soon)

#471
post #202

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

That's false: Telegram doesn't have access to secret chats.

Which no body uses and are extremely limited on purpose.

Re: Removing SMS support from Signal Android (soon)

#472
post #289
post #256

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's terrible. Every once in a while they decide to convince me that I really don't want to be sending an SMS but I want to use google's messenger of the month, that will inevitably be gone next month.

Huh, it's never done that to me. How often does it happen?

Used to happen to push duo. I installed an sms app from fdroid after that.

Re: Removing SMS support from Signal Android (soon)

#473

How do you know if your contacts use Signal and know to use that app instead of SMS/Messages or whatever? With the SMS integration it was pretty easy because it would just switch over if the other person had Signal or if/when they signed up in the future. What's the workflow now? Manually ask them on SMS if they use Signal? Just try it and see if it works? This sounds like one of those "Don't Worry! Rejoice! We're br…

Edit: after reading the explanation in the community forum linked here https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=33181636 I have instead come around to support this move 200% and have instead doubled my monthly subscription. The explanation at the blog post is an abomination, however. Leave SMS and all its shitty successors for Apple and Google and carriers to kill/maintain.

Holy crap you weren't kidding!

The blog post needs to be shelved and redone as every listed reason feels post hoc while the reasons listed at that link ([1] for anyone who dislikes friction) are grounded in reality and show Signal being proactive.

[1]: https://community.signalusers.org/t/signal-blog-removing-sms...

Re: Removing SMS support from Signal Android (soon)

#474
This is an idiotic decision. There are real issues around improving the UX for making it more clear when a message was sent as SMS instead of being encrypted and dealing with the problem of undelivered messages because the recipient uninstalled the app, but to drop SMS support entirely instead of improving those pain points? Terrible, terrible decision.

Re: Removing SMS support from Signal Android (soon)

#475

This decision is asinine and should be reversed. I have been using Signal for years. The ability to make it your default SMS client is one of the major drivers of adoption; if someone agrees that privacy matters, and you can point out that the transition to Signal is frictionless and offers all the same features as their existing SMS app, then installing, trying, and liking it become easy. I've brought hundreds of pe…

The blog post is... lacking but they have some half-decent technical reasons at [1] if you're interested.

[1]: https://community.signalusers.org/t/signal-blog-removing-sms...

Re: Removing SMS support from Signal Android (soon)

#476

Am I the only one who likes this change? I'm tired of explaining to my relatives why they can send their picture to one person but not to another, or why it requires wifi for some contacts. Mixing two incompatible messaging standards communicating via two different channels in one app is confusing for many people. Sure, it also has advantages and I think you could make it work, but the app actively asking users to ma…

I read the blog post with delight. I have been waiting for this change for a long time. I opened HN comments to join in what I thought would be a celebration, and I was surprised to find dismay. It never occurred to me to encourage my friends to use Signal for its SMS compatibility, (which isn't even supported on iOS). The whole advantage of Signal is its security, and I hated having to recommend an app that is secure, except when it's not.

Re: Removing SMS support from Signal Android (soon)

#477

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sorry, I'm not trying to be rude. But I am confused at what they want. We have continued the discussion and the picture is clearer to me. Though I'm not sure exactly how Signal can help with it. It still appears to me that the user wants both reduced storage but to maintain search history, which are at odds with one another. Unless they expect Signal to store their history, which those expectations should be shot dow…

How can you be confused? 'I'd take a decent "export my chats" option' is a very simple statement. There is no way within Signal to just export a whole conversation to a file.

GP also said they want to be able to search their chat, however, which I believe is the source of the confusion.

Re: Removing SMS support from Signal Android (soon)

#479
post #366

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Bridges break end to end encryption.

Correct. But in the case of matrix you can host them in your home if you want, or maybe on your phone(they are still checking if this is possible or not)

Maybe I am capable to do so (although I already host an XMPP server, so Matrix is rather redudant) but expecting everyone to self-host is obviously not realistic.

Currently Matrix is operating in a way that larger instances aggregate private messages from bridges in plain text. Those messages would have stayed encrypted and secure if people didn't use Matrix.

Re: Removing SMS support from Signal Android (soon)

#480

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Not sure if this is a joke given that Signal uses Blue for sms and Red for encrypted...

I am on iOS and have never seen red. Only see blue. Color can be customized though.

I didn't specifically sate "on Android" since on iOS all messages are through Signal.
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