“When you use Signal, your data is stored in encrypted form on your devices. The only information that is stored on the Signal servers for each account is the phone number you registered with, the date and time you joined the service, and the date you last logged on.”
This isn’t an ad, I wasn’t paid for this post. Just to clear the air: fuck facebook, fuck elon musk and twitter, fuck anyone who thinks this is a paid advertisement. I wish I was paid for this shit, I just wanted to spread the word. Thank you. 😀 👍
I use Signal but it’s on its own path to becoming enshittified too. Less like Reddit, more like Firefox, the people in charge are just clueless about the signal userbase.
It won’t be long until there’s a shift to an alternative because the current president of the signal foundation is one step away from turning it into Snapchat.
Instead of pumping money into increasing awareness or enhancing reliability of the service, the Signal team have wasted effort on features that nobody asked for, including its very own crypto shitcoin (a major red flag for any company). They also remove features people relied on, such as SMS support.
It’s hard to trust the Signal team when they continually disappoint in such egregious ways.
I have been disappointed by Signal a lot.
- They tie themselves very closely with Google services, to the point that they refuse to be on FDroid by design
- There was a long period when they stopped publishing server side code when they were bashing others like Telegram for not open sourcing their server side code
- Their Linux desktop client is absolutely horrible.
They tie themselves very closely with Google services, to the point that they refuse to be on FDroid by design
While they do push the Play Store version, they also have an APK, and my understanding is that it does not rely on Google Play Services, though it might be buggier without them. If I recall correctly, the origin of Signal not being on F-Droid was related to the building and signature model that F-Droid used (builds by F-Droid, then signed by F-Droid’s keys), as mentioned in, eg, this issue. With that said, it has been pointed out that there are alternatives, like a separate repository, than, eg, the Guardian Project uses, and F-Droid apparently does now have a process for developer-signed apks.
Their general hostility toward outside developers and forks, however, and that the awkward server side code availability seemed to be related to the brazenly problematic cryptocoin advertisement, are extremely disappointing, however.
Just to confirm what you said, I used Signal on LineageOS for over 6 months with no Google Play Services (installed through Aurora Store) – definitely doesn’t rely on them.
All fair complaints. I’ve managed to switch over all of my contacts to Signal (that I care to talk to, at least).
My biggest gripe is no back up support on iOS, meaning that if I lose my phone I lose everything. People have tried hand waving it away as a privacy feature, but I think backing up messages is a bare minimum for a messaging app - especially with the released of Advanced Data Protection for iCloud.
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Is this an ad? It feels like an ad.
Anyway I much prefer Signal but thanks to boomer co-workers I’m still also forced to use Whatsapp.
It’s an ad and it’s not even subtle about it.
This isn’t an ad, I wasn’t paid for this post. Just to clear the air: fuck facebook, fuck elon musk and twitter, fuck anyone who thinks this is a paid advertisement. I wish I was paid for this shit, I just wanted to spread the word. Thank you. 😀 👍
Isn’t Whatsapp encrypted end to end?
Facebook owns it.
That doesn’t bother me as long as the messages are encrypted end to end.
The worst part of using Signal is to try and convince all your friends/family to use Signal. Otherwise it’s a pretty great messaging app. You can’t edit messages once they’re sent, but other than that it’s pretty great.
I used to donate to Signal, and they made the stupidest fucking decision I’ve ever seen.
You used to be able to use signal (at least on Android) as your default messenger app, sending encrypted Signals to other users, or SMS to non-signal users. Have a normie family member who doesn’t know about computers? Easy, set it & forget it.
Now? They removed that functionality, so it only works for other signal users. Someone else had a good metaphor: imagine if http and https needed different web browsers & you couldn’t see one on the other. How well do you think https uptake would have been?
So fucking stupid.
Lmao WHAT? They seriously did this? Yeah say goodbye to having my boomer parents understand anything else other than what’s loaded on their shitty $50 android phone they got for free from their shitty CDMA provider…
I hear you, but, SMS is the farthest from secure you can get - so I can see why they chose not to support it.
A really secure messaging system is worthless if it’s not used. SMS too insecure? Ok, change the UI to reflect that. Have an open lock symbol or eye. Notification reminders that it’s insecure & nudge to invite your friend to Signal.
Boomer parents using Signal & now it doesn’t support SMS? Congrats, now the app doesn’t work to message the majority of their contacts. The average user isn’t going to check if someone’s on signal, send them an invite, then wait to message until they get the app. They’ll just move to their (Android) default message app that literally works with all US phones. Congrats, now less signal users, gj .
I think that might be a narrow view though. Most of the world likely doesn’t use SMS anymore (for probably a decade). So removing SMS didn’t make much of a difference there, but increased security. Especially when people are used to use multiple apps anyways.
So the better analogy would be “imagine if gopher and http needed separate browsers”. Except they do.
Most of the world likely doesn’t use SMS anymore
Wow, so I guess all the countries in the world that DO still use it primarily, including the US, most of Europe, canada, etc, can go screw themselves?
Nobody wins when you try to gatekeep security. Stop doing that.
German here. Nobody ever uses SMS, literally nobody. They are only used for 2fa.
I’m aware of few people who use SMS in Europe, and very few people who use it as their primary means of texting; I’ve even seen people outright ask that they not be sent SMSs. WhatsApp is almost ubiquitous, and it often feels like it’s assumed everyone has it, even if they don’t use it as their primary texting method.
It does seem very common in the US, however.
Yeah. That’s my experience as well. I will also ask people to stop sending me SMS. The last time that happened was probably over 10 years ago though. Everyone I ever met (except for US folks) uses messengers nowadays. I mean even a lot of US folks use iMessage instead of SMS. Even though that’s weird as well. Since I would expect folks to use some universal app that isn’t restricted to a specific phone brand.
Most of the world likely doesn’t use SMS anymore
That has not been the case from what I’ve seen (I’m Australian). The only widespread methods of communication I see are SMS and iMessage. Things like Discord and Instagram are only used among younger people.
Edit: Actually people do use Facebook messenger. Don’t know how many though
50% of the US uses Android. All android phones can text each other & iPhones by default via SMS in the US. The United States is 300 million people, and also the literal home of the Signal Foundation.
You’re right, that is a good analogy. Https used the same browser as http, and now https is widespread. Gopher needs a whole separate browser. It’s niche. Good security only works if people actually use it.
The US is a weird place. Feels like such a modern country but then they use technology from the last century and no one seems to question that …
i miss SMS, makes it easy to sneak in a change. swap them to signal, where they do their SMS, and as people become signalified, then they start sending them signals. It was such a market creator for little cost.
Oh well.
But you CAN delete messages for after they are sent if the chat is set up that way. You can also set chats up so that messages can’t deleted. Or so that all messages expire and disappear after a period of time.
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First ad I’ve seen on Lemmy so far
nature is healing
I’m fine about ads on Signal. It is a none profit. 😉
What about Matrix? Much better, IMO
I wish they hadn’t gotten rid of SMS though, that was the biggest sell for me over other options. I’m never going to get more than 2 or 3 people I regularly text to switch…
Yes lol same. And because of the verification code that needs to be typed in every so often, my messages never reach them. I have to text them, “hey go to signal”, and then it finally goes through.
Fun fact: on Android after not using an app for more than three months (the exact time can vary by manufacturer) the OS will remove permissions including notifications (suppressing the app’s ability to run in the background) to save battery. So the app will literally stop working.
For a seldom used app like Signal that’s hurt from a lack network effect, this triggers a death spiral outside of the privacy enthusiast community. When it had SMS support this guaranteed some usage, but now that’s gone.
i too miss this. capture the messaging market, and keep the stock SMS function!
With this move, i am more keen to see matrix make it to the big leagues.
Question though? Why did they get rid of sms functionality?
Because they turned away from the original founder’s philosophy, which is that ‘perfect security’ is a pie-in-the-sky novelty that isn’t actually useful to anyone, and what’s actually important is security that people actually use. Even if it’s slightly less secure, it’s still a net positive because people are actually using it.
When he left, a google CEO took over and frankly it’s just been one terrible decision after another- cryptocurrencies, ‘stories’, stickers, removal of SMS, all kinds of stupid shit that drove people away.
I used to have nearly 50 people on my signal contacts list. Now there are 3.
Here in the Netherlands no one uses SMS, purely Whatsapp. So removing this functionality, though often complained about by people presumably from the US, did not hurt functionality at all here. I also like the features like Stories, it’s a direct competition with Instagram/Snapchat, though just like Whatsapp Stories, barely anyone will use it.
Yes I am in the US and I understand that this is a US centric problem though SMS is the feature that set signal apart from other secure messaging apps and made it slightly easier to get people to join. It was a nice alternative to imessage on android as opposed to yet another messaging app. Even in the US I have had to use SMS, WhatsApp, fb messenger, instagram’s DMs, Line, Group me, Matrix, etc, to talk to different people and I was not going to convince many to switch to signal (I tried).
Tried to switch to signal. But it’s useless without everyone i know switching over from Whatsapp. Which is like merged with our country at this point.
Yeah I really wanted to switch to Signal from Whatsapp but people don’t want to try new messaging apps. Nowadays I use telegram but it’s just bots and 2 or 3 friends.
Welcome to life after 40 - I’ve been an early adopter all my life, but my network hasn’t moved with me.
As a result joining Snapchat has no value for me.
So I tend to use apps that are friend-agnostic like this and TIkTok.
Side note: my fave messaging app is Confide, it only reveals redacted words as you run your finger over them, and then deletes. So it’s impossible to screenshot.
It sounds like you’d still be able to take a video of it, then do a little bit of filtering and you’d have an image of the whole message. It’d take slightly more effort, but it’s not “impossible to screenshot.”
I just wasn’t budging. Refused to use WhatsApp and texted people instead. Slowly a lot of my friends switched and realised signal is better in every way. Even my parents find it the best as it is the easiest for them to use.
Yeah not going to happen for me unfortunately
It’s not really that tall of an ask to install one more app - especially one that asks for nothing, you’re not taking away anything, you’re adding.
People are weird.
I don’t know. People can’t keep up with everything (like tech privacy news) in life and now out of their 100+ contacts this one person wants them to switch to this different app that nobody else seems to be using.
From their perspective it’s kinda pointless
I do not like the fact that Signal requires a phone number to be used. If I want to talk to someone on Signal, I need to give him my Signal registered phone number. I do not understand why can’t they introduce User name like Telegram so we do not have to reveal our phone number to others.
Telegram requires a phone number too. So I don’t understand your point.
It does not require to share it with other people tho. Still as far as I know they save it on their servers. Signal tries to not save any metadata at all. That’s great.
Signal frustrates me, because Signal Foundation is clueless on what people actually want and it just feels like their product direction is so baffling it somehow turned into another failed Google messaging app without being a Google product(they even hired a former Google exec to run Signal!) I’ve never touched their crypto or stories, and I thought the SMS support removal makes zero sense and their justification is flimsy at best, it gave me Hangouts flashbacks.
The main problem with removing SMS support isn’t that I can’t convince my friends and family to switch any more(though very annoying), it’s that since Signal has marketed itself as a highly private messaging app, it now has a certain reputation of being used for… particular things. Without SMS support, even having Signal installed on your phone looks suspicious, since you can’t say that you’re using it as a nicer SMS app anymore.
I prefer matrix since no phone number is required for signup there.
I personally prefer apps on the matrix network! Www.Matrix.org has a list of client apps, but I’ve found Element is great on windows, steam deck, and android! Call quality and chat stability can get weird sometimes, but overall it’s very very secure and pretty feature rich! 🙂
From the little bit I researched, it’s kinda similar in the way that the fediverse works! It’s decentralized, and one account works everywhere. Good stuff!
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Do they still require your phone number to sign up?
Yep.
That sucks imho
Yeah, I don’t really get why they can’t make that optional. Session and SimpleX are running just fine with no phone numbers, so I don’t think that’s a technical problem. If Signal wasn’t audited and recommended by tons of privsec enthusiasts and experts, I would have believed it’s a honeypot
