Signal phone app

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ronw

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#301991 20-Oct-2022 21:41

The recent announcement from Signal that the app will be dropping SMS messaging leaves one in a quandary. Should we dump Signal now and move to a RCS client or switch to another client. I don't want to use WhatsApp. What are other Signal usres planning on doing?

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#2985513 20-Oct-2022 21:47

Signal for Signal messages. Google Messages for SMS messages. Same as I do now.

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michaelmurfy

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#2985515 20-Oct-2022 21:47

Well, I’ll still be using Signal.

SMS is considered insecure and I know the Signal Android app would fall back on this but it seriously isn’t any biggie. Contacts already on Signal will not suddenly move away because SMS is unavailable. Just use your phones standard messaging app for that.

I use an iPhone and use Signal and iMessage / SMS.

It’s surprising that signal still supports SMS on Android IMHO.

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ronw

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#2985522 20-Oct-2022 22:04

Doesn't it get confusing. At present you want to send a text message there's of only one app Signal. If you have one for Signal users and another for sms how the heck do you remember who is on Signal or not. Am guessing all the sms users will disappear from Signal but that would mean I would search Signal and if I don't find the person then go to Google message. It sounds confusing. And if I send a message via Google messages and should of been sent via Signal the message will disappear and never get delivered.

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#2985575 20-Oct-2022 23:07

I'm sticking with Signal, & I'm not bothering with an insecure SMS app. You've had enough time to adapt to a fully-featured, privacy-centric messaging app & I can't be bothered lowering my standards for those who can't adapt. I've always thought having SMS combined with Signal messages was quite handy, but understand the risk of accidentally sending insecure messages from Signal is real &, according to Signal ethos, shouldn't exist. The argument is only for Android users, Apple refuses to let another messaging app receive SMS on iDevices, iMessage is locked in.

It's a push into the future - although SMS is still the dominant platform for messaging, it shouldn't really be & won't be for much longer. SMS is a very basic platform, lacking so many vital features - I've sent & received over 20 photos in Signal today for free, MMS charges 50c per image. On top of the whole privacy issue.

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Dratsab

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#2985630 20-Oct-2022 23:47

I'm on Android. I don't think I've ever sent an SMS with Signal. Always used either the built in SMS app on my phone or Messages For Web (Google) on the computer. I have a number of convo's going on via Signal, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and SMS - Line has recently been ditched. I don't find it confusing at all, but would prefer to stop using WhatsApp.

nzgeek

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#2985636 21-Oct-2022 02:23

ronw: And if I send a message via Google messages and should of been sent via Signal the message will disappear and never get delivered.

The message shouldn't disappear. It should get sent via RCS (if supported and enabled by both you and the recipient) or SMS/MMS. It'll simply show up in the recipient's RCS/SMS/MMS app rather than Signal.

And to your point about multiple messaging apps: if you only chat with people via Signal or SMS then yes, things will get harder. But it's not uncommon for people to need Signal and WhatsApp and FB Messenger and Google Chat and who knows what else to connect with everyone. Dealing with multiple apps is just par for the course these days.

hotsupes

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#2989634 30-Oct-2022 10:51

Any reason Telegram isn't being mentioned here? I thought it did SMS as well, not that I use SMS at all anymore.

ronw

1222 posts

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#3056286 29-Mar-2023 19:28

An update, after some reluctance I have moved from Signal to Google Messages which does SMS and RCS messaging. Will miss Signal but its good to have only one app for Text messaging. Will be interesting to see how Signal survives in the nest year or so

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dfnt

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#3056322 29-Mar-2023 20:12

Signal will survive just fine, it's an encrypted messenger not an SMS client.

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#3056375 30-Mar-2023 07:47

@ronw

FYI

Signal & WhatsApp use mobile data, very much like surfing the web & streaming video or music.
SMS / TXT was designed to transport messages on the signalling paths needed to control the telephone traffic. That means it doesn't use "mobile data".
Whilst Signal & WhatsApp encrypt their data, SMS / TXT will never be encrypted.
On Android, SMS / TXT messages are stored in a central database that multiple clients can read. Clients such as Google Messages, Samsung Messages, WhatsApp & previously Signal.
Signal have simply chosen to not integrate with that central database of SMS / TXT messages.
- You can still use Signal for secure & encrypted SMS / texting & video calls.
- You only have to choose a new client for the SMS / TXT portion of your communication
A downside of your choice to only use SMS / TXT is that you have to pay your Telco for any international communications

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ronw

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#3056402 30-Mar-2023 08:04

Thanks for the information. I was aware of sun that but SMS will be around for as long as so many people use it. As a quick messaging system or works well. I get SMS messages from many big companies when they just want to send you a quick reply. They are not going to bother using a dozen different protected messaging systems. They just want a quick easy to communicate. Three messages are not secretive. Signal was great until they made the stupid decision to stop using SMS. I not they still haven't actually stopped and they may decide the move is toi destructive. However I decided to go with Google messaging as it has the capability to have secure messaging and also have SMS as well. It may be that SMS will eventually disappear but until it does I and millions of other uses will still use SMS
As an aside very few of my contacts used Signal

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#3056434 30-Mar-2023 09:59

I use Signal more than SMS and any other messenger personally. It is great.

No idea why you'll move off Signal. If you've had contacts that have been using Signal then they may be a little annoyed too. I personally use the desktop client along with the phone app as it is very handy (and I am in the Apple walled garden). I've never had SMS capability with Signal.

You can keep both apps and just use Signal for those contacts, some of which may have iPhones and now have no way to securely message you as iPhones don't support RCS.

Signal will survive just fine. You're an edge case.

tripper1000

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#3056481 30-Mar-2023 11:59

IMHO Signal is over-rated unless you are a drug dealer or a spy - and even the secure messaging apps aimed at those types turned out the be the exact opposite to what they claimed.

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#3056484 30-Mar-2023 12:12

tripper1000:

IMHO Signal is over-rated unless you are a drug dealer or a spy - and even the secure messaging apps aimed at those types turned out the be the exact opposite to what they claimed.

It just does what it says on the tin - and has a solid desktop client that handles audio and video calls along with file transfers. The extra security is utterly seamless. It also has the advantage that it is not Messenger.

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Silvrav

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#3056512 30-Mar-2023 13:22

Signal and SMS are completely different ways to communicate. 99% of signal users use signal for signal not SMS.

No one at signal will loose sleep over this - it was a nice to have but it's not a necessity and makes sense for signal to not allow SMS communication, they should not have done it in the first place.

If you dumping signal because they dropping SMS, you completely missing the point of signal and have been using it purely as an sms broker and not what it was designed for.

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