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Removing SMS support from Signal Android (soon)

signal.org

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Re: Removing SMS support from Signal Android (soon)

#501

Post by caf »

betwixthewires wrote: post #443
daedalus_j wrote: post #149

I've been using Signal for a long time. I have repeatedly been unable to convince iOS users to use Signal because "I don't want another app". Android users have been much more willing to give it a shot. As an android user myself, I much prefer having SMS built in because I use the search feature often to look back through all my SMS/Signal chats. I also regularly forward an SMS message to a Signal user, or vice versa…

This "I don't want another app" thing is senseless to me. Why? What does it hurt having more than one communication channel? In my experience people that say this generally have no space on their phone, usually because of an unfettered willingness to install the taco bell app and the Starbucks app and whatever else. Their underlying reasoning is correct. SMS sucks, really really bad. They're a secure communications c…

Maybe in the circles you move, saying "Sorry, I don't SMS, you'll have to download this other app to message me" would fly, but I for one have to interact with a lot of people for which it would not.

Re: Removing SMS support from Signal Android (soon)

#502

Post by nl »

chungy wrote: post #401
alerighi wrote: post #331

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> all my messages is easier than making a context switch per-contact A user already has: - WhatsApp - Telegram - Facebook Messanger - Instagram that has direct messages - the good old email, or better, many of them - Microsoft Teams for company communications - Discord for communications with group of friends - the old SMS (that I didn't even know that in some parts of the world were still used, since I receive them…

Does anyone actually have all those? I certainly don't. I have Signal, Element, Telegram and I even think that's excessive. I can at least manage it, most RL contacts I know would not.

I have all those apps listed plus Slack, Snapchat and Kik(!) and I use them all at least weekly.

Also use DMs on Twitter relatively frequently.

Re: Removing SMS support from Signal Android (soon)

#503

Post by aaronsnoswell »

FFS. I've been fighting uphill this past 5 years to get my colleagues, friends, and family onto Signal. This single decision will tank any hope I have of keeping them there. Literally the only reason I'm able to convince non-privacy advocate types to switch to Signal is because it is a drop-in replacement for their existing SMS application.

This decision is idiotic and will cause a mass migration off the platform. Why not take a better approach and work on a better UX to make it clearer when a message thread is secure or not?

Re: Removing SMS support from Signal Android (soon)

#504

Post by Wowfunhappy »

daedalus_j wrote: post #499
Wowfunhappy wrote: post #477

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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

Yes, exactly. It's fair, I was not specific enough with my feature request.

But I think that's what godelski is saying is a bit of a contradiction.

If this "accessible searchable archive" is stored "off of the device", how exactly would the device access and search the archive? Facebook can store your Facebook Chat history on their servers no problem, but E2E encryption makes this much more complicated for Signal!

It's not impossible, Apple does it with iMessage, although that was actually a pretty recent addition despite all of Apple's resources!

Re: Removing SMS support from Signal Android (soon)

#506

Post by WorldPeas »

chasil wrote: post #128
eatwater123 wrote: post #10

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?")

I use Silence. It hasn't been updated in a while, but I like the way it looks. I don't know anybody else who uses Silence so I could exchange encrypted messages with them. Oh well. Maybe somebody here could resurrect this? https://f-droid.org/en/packages/org.smssecure.smssecure/ https://git.silence.dev/Silence/Silence-Android/

this or briar would be my first choice in jumping ship

Re: Removing SMS support from Signal Android (soon)

#507

Post by betwixthewires »

caf wrote: post #501
betwixthewires wrote: post #443

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This "I don't want another app" thing is senseless to me. Why? What does it hurt having more than one communication channel? In my experience people that say this generally have no space on their phone, usually because of an unfettered willingness to install the taco bell app and the Starbucks app and whatever else. Their underlying reasoning is correct. SMS sucks, really really bad. They're a secure communications c…

Maybe in the circles you move, saying "Sorry, I don't SMS, you'll have to download this other app to message me" would fly, but I for one have to interact with a lot of people for which it would not.

I have SMS, right, you kind of have to have a phone number, but to me it's legacy support, I pay for the mobile data. I'll do SMS as a sort of fallback.

The people you want to send you SMS like companies that need your phone number can't do SMS, and the ones you'd rather message you elsewhere sometimes insist on SMS. It's annoying.

Re: Removing SMS support from Signal Android (soon)

#508

Post by kornhole »

This is great. People should never use the number associated to their SIM card anyway as it allows telcos and others to track location and more. You can switch your real number to a VOIP provider such as voip.ms and use Linphone or other app for SMS. Use burner sims you pay for with cash such as Mint Mobile and only activate/use them away from home network when needed.

If Signal does enable creating accounts with non-identifiable user names instead of phone number, then it will be a great improvement and a protocol that can be used for activists.

Re: Removing SMS support from Signal Android (soon)

#509

Post by dendrite9 »

_dark_matter_ wrote: post #500
caf wrote: post #490

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If they have to use 2 apps, they'll just end up communicating with me in the clear using their "default SMS" app on their phone. That's what this is going to result it...a reduction in overall message security due to people defaulting to what's easier...which is to _not_ have to remember which app to use for which "send a message" purpose. Fuck. Exactly right. In fact, I will be doing this too. Right now, I use Signa…

Holy crap, this 100%. I am absolutely distraught. I give monthly donations, have moved mountains to get family and friends over to Signal, and viewed it as a last bastion for security and interoperability between iOS and Android. Now we will get neither. Gutted. I will end up switching to a different provider. Absolutely don't know if I'll be able to convince family and friends to switch again.

Yep. What a drag.

I don't really see Signal as a useful tool for my uses after this change. I liked the SMS and encrypted messages in one place thing even though some friends rarely check it. For those friends I send SMS through Signal. There are certainly issues with group chats and media but nothing bad enough to consider using two apps. Now I have to look for a new tool, and figure out what to do with certain archive conversations I'd like to retain.

Re: Removing SMS support from Signal Android (soon)

#510

Post by wardedVibe »

velosol wrote: post #473
fluidcruft wrote: post #453

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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...

Its more understandable, but its still a major headache for those of us not forced into google's RCS walled garden.
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