Text Messaging app recommendations

[Rome's rightful successor]

So Verizon is ending there text messaging app tomorrow even though it was one of the reasons to having there service and they want me to use google but fuck google and fuck Verizon.
So I'm asking you all for recommendations for text messaging apps. Got any?

 

[Vecr]

Signal's crypto looks okay, I've given it a cursory check, but I don't trust the organization that runs it. Assume all metadata is compromised, but the contents of the messages should be okay unless anyone's phone in the chat is compromised, or they leak it somehow.

 

[888Flux]

Signal's crypto looks okay,

Signal requires your phone number and is closed-source software. The client is open source but the backend is not. It also is run by very shady people and ""activists"" who openly oppose freedom of speech like Katherine Maher.

For secure messaging I recommend SimpleX or Session. Session is the easiest of the two for anyone to get installed and running on their phone. Session is fully open source and you can even run your own server for it. It requires no phone number, account, or email, and all of your keys are stored locally on your device.

If what you want is something to replace your phone's native text messaging app for SMS take a look at QKSMS https://github.com/moezbhatti/qksms

 

[⚞⛇⚟]

Don't use RCS. It is a proprietary mess owned by Google and their Google Jibe server. In addition, it is only compatible with closed source texting apps such as Google Messages and Samsung Messages. While Apple technically has RCS, their version of it is missing many features.

Signal requires your phone number and is closed-source software. The client is open source but the backend is not. It also is run by very shady people and ""activists"" who openly oppose freedom of speech like Katherine Maher.

For secure messaging I recommend SimpleX or Session. Session is the easiest of the two for anyone to get installed and running on their phone. Session is fully open source and you can even run your own server for it. It requires no phone number, account, or email, and all of your keys are stored locally on your device.

If what you want is something to replace your phone's native text messaging app for SMS take a look at QKSMS https://github.com/moezbhatti/qksms

Apparently there is a continuation of QKSMS called QUIK SMS. I still use QKSMS because I haven't ran into any issues, but it probably has new features or something.

 

[Mike Matei's Penis]

Don't use RCS. It is a proprietary mess owned by Google and their Google Jibe server. In addition, it is only compatible with closed source texting apps such as Google Messages and Samsung Messages. While Apple technically has RCS, their version of it is missing many features.

Apparently there is a continuation of QKSMS called QUIK SMS. I still use QKSMS because I haven't ran into any issues, but it probably has new features or something.

Thanks. I just got a new phone and it was on by default.

 

[Hamsteroid]

I second the Signal<Session<SimpleX Chat notion and I'll add avoid Telegram. You can consider them compromised.

Good luck getting your normie friends to adopt any of those: I lost probably half my contacts just because I refuse to install WhatsApp.

 

[mister fireworks]

Wait how the fuck can verizon just stop supporting SMS? Or do you mean that they are changing their pricing structure to jew you out of more money for texting? Either is pretty fucking outrageous. The cost of routing SMS is fractions of a cent, right? so this would be either cutting one of the core functions of the product or straight up demanding more money for the same service with zero justification?

Good luck getting your normie friends to adopt any of those: I lost probably half my contacts just because I refuse to install WhatsApp.

Can someone explain to a humble retard like myself why apps like signal or other privacy oriented messaging platforms are useful? I'm in the US so I was thinking maybe in other countries with more aggressive speech laws is where people derive utility but I know Americans use it too. Unfortunately I had to cuck to Whatsapp or I would lose communication with all my foreign contacts and I need some for business. Other than not wanting to be Meta users/niggercattle, what are the major issues with using whatsapp? I know the government doesnt even bother tapping phones anymore because the warrant process for texts is much easier and cheaper, but I guess I'm just confused about the basic motivations that people have for deciding which ways to message are the best and why.

 

[Hamsteroid]

Other than not wanting to be Meta users/niggercattle

Not wanting to be nigger cattle isn't enough for you?

aggressive speech laws

That is one selling point, yes.

Americans use it too

What good is the First Amendment if the three letter agencies can simply skirt free speech protections by using your messages as a reason to "take a closer look"? And if they want to find something incriminating, they will find something.

 

[cipheranarchist]

P

Thanks. I just got a new phone and it was on by default.

Pretty sure it's enabled by default on all new devices now.

 

[⠠⠠⠅⠑⠋⠋⠁⠇⠎ ⠠⠠⠊⠎ ⠠⠠⠁ ⠠⠠⠋⠁⠛]

Wait how the fuck can verizon just stop supporting SMS? Or do you mean that they are changing their pricing structure to jew you out of more money for texting? Either is pretty fucking outrageous. The cost of routing SMS is fractions of a cent, right? so this would be either cutting one of the core functions of the product or straight up demanding more money for the same service with zero justification?

Google have taken steps that make it difficult for third party apps- like the one Verizon has previously had that offered additional features- to send and receive SMS. Also none of them can access the new RCS messages. Probably partially for that reason, and partially because they're cunts, Verizon are no longer maintaining their third party messaging app.

RCS. It is a proprietary mess owned by Google and their Google Jibe server. In addition, it is only compatible with closed source texting apps such as Google Messages and Samsung Messages

Samsung Messages doesn't support RCS and is being discontinued.

 

[mister fireworks]

What good is the First Amendment if the three letter agencies can simply skirt free speech protections by using your messages as a reason to "take a closer look"? And if they want to find something incriminating, they will find something.

You mean the fourth amendment, which is supposed to protect civilians from unlawful searches. The issue is that the NSA specifically has been granted the power to obtain secret warrants and possibly none at all to spy on citizens and thus all federal agencies have access to these wiretaps because they can do almost anything under the banner of "national security".

 

[boards of canada]

Does XMPP count? It's a protocol, not an app, but there are plethora of apps for smartphones that act as clients.

 

[David Brown]

I use Textra on my phone for SMS but I don't know anything about it except it makes it easy to backup my messages to a database file for when I switch phones. It's only like 10 dollars. But I just assume there is zero security on it so I don't do anything secure with it. Text my buddies, work, etc. shit that doesn't matter and I don't care who see it.

 

[Osama Bin Laden]

Can someone explain to a humble retard like myself why apps like signal or other privacy oriented messaging platforms are useful? I'm in the US so I was thinking maybe in other countries with more aggressive speech laws is where people derive utility but I know Americans use it too. Unfortunately I had to cuck to Whatsapp or I would lose communication with all my foreign contacts and I need some for business. Other than not wanting to be Meta users/niggercattle, what are the major issues with using whatsapp? I know the government doesnt even bother tapping phones anymore because the warrant process for texts is much easier and cheaper, but I guess I'm just confused about the basic motivations that people have for deciding which ways to message are the best and why.

Not wanting to be nigger cattle isn't enough for you?

While this usually would be my answer, I'll educate.

People like being private, and not having their information seen and/or sold by companies for pennies on the dollar. Tracking is another big issue. Google/Meta is a monopoly that's involved in a normie's day-to-day life, so why wouldn't they keep metrics and data about each customer for whatever reason?

WhatsApp is a Meta product, which allows your data to be spread around like a filthy whore on a Friday night through other Meta products such as Facebook Ads or whatever Zuck wants. With more privacy-orientated apps, your conversations are only between you and the recipient. Not, you, recipient, and whatever copro overlord is reading it

 

[mister fireworks]

While this usually would be my answer, I'll educate.

People like being private, and not having their information seen and/or sold by companies for pennies on the dollar. Tracking is another big issue. Google/Meta is a monopoly that's involved in a normie's day-to-day life, so why wouldn't they keep metrics and data about each customer for whatever reason?

WhatsApp is a Meta product, which allows your data to be spread around like a filthy whore on a Friday night through other Meta products such as Facebook Ads or whatever Zuck wants. With more privacy-orientated apps, your conversations are only between you and the recipient. Not, you, recipient, and whatever copro overlord is reading it

But is there any reason to think that Signal isn't mining data and selling it too? I am not trying to be argumentative, I just don't really understand how an app can be provably private or secure so that the consumer can make a decision. I get what you're saying about whatsapp. Its not a matter of "what if?" we know Meta is doing exactly what you said with our data. But Whatsapp is the official comms app of niggercattle, making it convenient at the very least since everyone has it already.

 

[Osama Bin Laden]

But is there any reason to think that Signal isn't mining data and selling it too? I am not trying to be argumentative, I just don't really understand how an app can be provably private or secure so that the consumer can make a decision. I get what you're saying about whatsapp. Its not a matter of "what if?" we know Meta is doing exactly what you said with our data. But Whatsapp is the official comms app of niggercattle, making it convenient at the very least since everyone has it already.

Because signal is closed software, other alternatives that people have mentioned in this thread is open source, so it allows some trust to be there

 

[The Connected Nose]

Signal requires your phone number

Burner number, then just share your chosen username.

The client is open source but the backend is not.

https://github.com/signalapp/Signal-Server

But is there any reason to think that Signal isn't mining data and selling it too?

End-to-end encryption on every conversation, with no option to NOT be encrypted. Only the two endpoints have the keys. And for every conversation you can compare hashes (via QR scan or manually) to make sure both sides match.

There have been multiple cases where they've been subpoena'd for "all information" on a particular account, and what they handed over was the phone number (which was in the request anyway), the date that number joined Signal, and the date it was last seen on the network. That they put that information in raw Unix time was just to give a middle finger to glowbros.

 

[gampboonerisms]

Signal doesn't support SMS/MMS. I use QUIK, but I've been happy with a lot of the SMS/MMS on fdroid repos. Apparently my friends IRL don't care about privacy as much as me, and I'll just have to die with that.

 

[Rome's rightful successor]

Lol, Verizon said they'd shut down their Text Messaging App half a week ago but it still works.

 

[ArcadeFreak]

I'm currently using Next SMS, formerly Handcent SMS. Was using GO SMS PRO for years then switched to QKSMS. Unfortunately QKSMS doesn't get the love anymore. Next SMS has a ton of customization features.