2y ago

what messaging apps do you use?

Hi friends,

I'm new to Lemmy but I think I like where it is heading in general. I would like to ask, do you have any specific apps used for ?

As a community that seems more focused on decentralized platforms, I thought this could spike up an interesting discussion

I have been using mainly Viber and FB messenger. I did try to convince friends and family to move over to simpleXchat, as it seems the most privacy focused alternative I have found, but basically failed.

I would love to hear your input!

93 comments

Signal
- I dropped it when they decided to get rid of SMS. I don't want to be treated like I can't be trusted to be responsible for my own privacy and security. I understand the difference between an SMS and an encrypted Signal message and was fully aware of which contacts had Signal and which did not have it.
  In my opinion they should have disabled SMS by default and made it an option with warnings to enable in the settings. They had already been doing borderline questionable things with crypto and the stories that I did not want in a messenger app... this was the straw that broke the camel's back for me.
  I'm patiently waiting for a decent fork of Signal with SMS enabled, or a decent open source RCS client... unfortunately I landed on Google Messages for now.
  
  Correct me if I'm wrong, but I belive the reason why SMS was dropped was because of the unreliable interaction between two endpoints: If you're communicating with a contact over RCS in Google messages, and you'd send them a message over signal- they'd receive an SMS. But throttling reply would be over RCS and signal wouldn't be able to display that since there isn't an open API for signal to interact with RCS messages. So the whole reason to drop SMS support was due to inconsistencies of how messages in androids would be handled.

I use Signal kinda exclusively. Managed to migrate my friends and family away from WhatsApp a few years back (I am living in Europe).
- How did you do it ? I cant get them to migrate.
  
  I just started selling them drugs, and told them we use signal now.
  
  Around the time when Meta announced some big privacy changes to WhatsApp, it became a hot topic in the news since everyone here uses WhatsApp.
  I took advantage of that situation to talk to my friends and family about how much better Signal is. I set up our existing groups like Family Chats, Friends, and Sport Groups on Signal, and helped some people install the app. I kept reminding and urging them to switch and assured them we would continue using Signal, everything will stay the same just super secure.
  To make it clear to everyone still on WhatsApp, I changed my profile picture to say "please contact me via Signal." Surprisingly, within 1-2 weeks, everyone I care about made the switch and, to my surprise, they still use Signal today.
  Honestly, if it wasn't for all the privacy concerns about WhatsApp in the news, I think convincing them to switch would have been much harder.
  
  To be real, getting someone to change their habit is near impossible and when that happens, just send them SMS.
  
  The way I did it was getting rid of the apps I no longer wanted on my phone. This forced people to send text messages. If they try sending a good pic/video it would obviously fail. Their only option was usually something more difficult than just installing Signal. I don't provide Whatsapp as an alternative. I did lose some contacts, but close friends/family will obviously opt for the better messaging experience compared to default SMS.
- Managed to migrate my friends and family away from WhatsApp
  Please tell my how I beg you
  
  Uninstall WhatsApp
  Family+friends will get notification that you left in every group you were in, and lose their shit. They will call you asking wtf is happening
  Try to calm the waters by telling them you found out Meta is a bad company and you don't want to participate it
  Get confusing looks and asked wtf is wrong with you
  Try to divert the complexity of the subject by mentioning that they can just download Signal and reach you there
  Get scoffed and manage to get one or two nearest friends on your Signal app
  Still get contacted by everyone's else on whatsapp and by your grandmother on FB messenger , although you ain't there
  Sucessfully managed to keep your 2 contacts on Signal and even see it growing to 4 over a year.
  Wait till Signal fucks up, delete it, install SimpleX, start over again
  
  Around the time when Meta announced some big privacy changes to WhatsApp, it became a hot topic in the news since everyone here uses WhatsApp.
  I took advantage of that situation to talk to my friends and family about how much better Signal is. I set up our existing groups like Family Chats, Friends, and Sport Groups on Signal, and helped some people install the app. I kept reminding and urging them to switch and assured them we would continue using Signal, everything will stay the same just super secure.
  To make it clear to everyone still on WhatsApp, I changed my profile picture to say "please contact me via Signal." Surprisingly, within 1-2 weeks, everyone I care about made the switch and, to my surprise, they still use Signal today.
  Honestly, if it wasn't for all the privacy concerns about WhatsApp in the news, I think convincing them to switch would have been much harder.
- My brother got everyone to switch from FB messenger to WhatsApp and then FB bought whatsapp and prompted a second switch to signal
- It's not perfect, but it is the best alternative for the masses.

I wish more people in my life would use Signal but I've given up on converting people from WhatsApp.
I pretty much just use everything. my messaging folder has Signal, Telegram, WhatsApp, Discord, SMS, etc lol.

Elements (Matrix) as much as much as possible. I bridge a lot services through it. Though Signal would be the second most.

Whatsapp is the norm here so I begrudgingly use that. Wish more people were on Signal, Matrix or Telegram.
- You can apparently bridge Whatsapp and Matrix. I have looked into it for a few evenings but got nothing running despite having some experience with self hosting stuff. It was a while ago though.
  
  There is an Ansible repo. It does all you need. It's just some configuration in one file. Maybe takes a few hours to read through, but it can set up early everything Matrix has to offer and is well documented... It just really is a lot.
  
  Something like this where you can bridge into other RCS apps, just with phone number, is what I would need for both private and work stuff.

I mainly use Signal, but sometimes have to fall back to SMS for people that aren't on Signal. I also have matrix accounts, but I never really use them since I don't have anyone among my friends and family that uses matrix.
- Does signal allow two phones yet?
  I have two phones and signel can't comprehend me signing in on both of them at once. Such a stupid limitation IMO.
  
  No, I don't think so. I still think that it requires a different phone number on each phone. But I agree with you that it is annoying that they do not allow it, especially since they could simply imitate the functionality that exists on the desktop apps.

Signal. I refuse to use whatsapp even though that's what most people I know use.

I tried to migrate friends and family to Signal a couple of years back. Only managed with 3 people :/.
Unfortunately here (Italy), WhatsApp is too much widespread as reach out method now. Especially for businesses, from restaurants to, say, the family doctor.

Signal is my go to. Some of my friends refuse to download it, so I just text them. I'll use iMessage on iOS and Google Messages on Android. But if I can use Signal, I will

Element (Matrix)

Delta Chat is awesome encrypted/secure messaging via imap and thus compatible with anyone who has an email address.
Conversations is an excellent XMPP client.

I use Signal!

I use Cinny. It's a desktop app for Matrix.

Signal and WhatsApp. WhatsApp only because a lot of people won't switch to Signal (or Threema, or Matrix).

Signal,
Whatsapp only for groups on a free prepaid Number nobody knows, on a 2nd phone bridge to matrix.
Threema for 1Person ;)
remaining via SMS.
- How'd you get the free prepaid number?
  
  We have some offers here, free Sim with 1€ credit. So only can recieve sms and calls.
- Phone bridge!? can you elaborate please?
  
  The messages of these WhatsApp groups are forwarded to Matrix chats and their responses are forwarded to WhatsApp which means they can use their Matrix chat client (Element or FluffyChat or whatever) for messaging their friends on WhatsApp.

XMPP (with omemeo) is the classic (and also what FB messenger uses behind the scenes, without omemo), Matrix is the new kid on the block taking over. Both are decentralized sorta like the fediverse (but separate from said fediverse.)
Used to use Signal, but they're removing SMS support so everyone might as well switch to matrix. Wickr was bought by amazon (and they say they won't ruin it, riiiight), so that's out. Idk enough about briar or session, and telegram isn't as secure as people seem to think.

The most secure app I know is SimpleX. It is like Matrix but without an identifier, so you really interacting only with people you want. No one can reach you unless you gave him a link to connect to you.
Two different people cannot be ensured they are talking to the same person since there is no identifier they can compare to.

unfortunately it is whatsapp.. Had everyone move to signal, but it didn't last :(
- yeah, most people here use WhatsApp so I, reluctantly, have it too.
  some friends wouldn't even consider Telegram though it's better feature-wise; i can't think of swapping to Signal, Matrix, or others mentioned here though they may have more perks.
  even if friends don't use it, to me Telegram is king with the group and channel features. you can easily connect with other telegram users almost anonymously (although scammers are to be expected).
  what other apps have these sort of community chats? I found an asexual community on Matrix, but that's kind of it.

Signal and Telegram

Waiting on SimpleX to have desktop client and sync to migrate from Signal. Meanwhile Molly and all the major platforms sadly
- The cli fulfills everything I need, but a desktop GUI would be nice too.

For your friends and family, Signal is probably the best. It's simple to use and set up, unlike SimpleX which some might have trouble with. For people who refuse to switch, iMessage.

aa
- Does FluffyChat support encrypted rooms/chats now? Last I tried it didn't and was the reason I went back to Element.
  
  aa

Has anyone tried using Revolt or Spacebar? Kind of curious how well those work. I have been thinking of setting up something other than Discord for friends and family.

Eh, mostly sms and telegram.
The only people I care about use sms, and I've convinced them to use telegram for thighs sms can't do, like file sharing.
I have and use matrix for specific tasks, and I got suckered into discord for gaming and reddit. But neither get used much nowadays. There's one discord server I stay vaguely active on because internet friends use it. Post reddit implosion, the matrix isn't very useful since they were for mod chats and I'm only modding one sub until the end of the month, and that's mostly solo (no need for chats lol)

😆 I'd have to have friends to talk to to use a messaging app.
- Textra for SMSwhich is almost all of my messaging out side of...
  Discord. My friends and I constantly use the discord we created and that's how I communicate with most of them.
  I want to get my fiancee/close friends on signal because it's encrypted but haven't been able to convince them

Telegram, most of my family/friends use iphones but I use android, so I convinced them to use telegram so we can send videos, gifs, pictures, etc.

I use SMS and Matrix. I'd love to see something like Briar become more popular, or maybe XMPP make a resurgence as it's been a great federated chat protocol for a long while.
- I would use Briar if it had an iOS app, i dont consider any messenger that is android-only a real option for my main messenger.

Element for that one friend who's also privacy conscious Telegram, Discord and Facebook Messenger (yuck) for everyone else.

I'm only Discord at this point. Over time I've just wanted to stay within a select few platforms for mental health and security. I would move to Matrix but most people I know are on Discord. But I still have an account there incase anyone wants to contact me.
- Setup Matrix and add a bridge for Discord.
  
  I'll look into that one.
- You can bridge from Matrix to Discord.
  
  I'll look into it.

I only message my spouse on a regular basis. Been using Signal for the last few years. Otherwise I just stick to iMessage for everything else. I don’t text anyone else that much to try and convince them to switch to Signal or another alternative.

Whatsapp and Google Messenger for RCS. I wish other apps could use RCS or I'd use third party.

A mix of FluffyChat (backed by Matrix) and Discord.

WhatsApp, because in my circle of friends and family there's no other way to use it, Matrix for groups and I have Signal installed for the future, who knows?

WhatsApp and Telegram.

Unfortunately it's whatever the other person uses. So iMessage, WhatsApp, Instagram, line, and FB.

I use the message app that came with my phone, lol. No one in my life seems to use anything else, either.

I sadly still use facebook as that's the only way I can keep up with family. Instagram because everyone who competes in my sport uses it, and lemmy.

Telegram almost exclusively, SMS for stubborn family, and Discord for stubborn communities that won't use something better.

https://movim.eu/ is a cool web-based XMPP client.

I used fb messenger for anything communication in my family, friends, and my class. I kinda used discord, but non of my friends use it.

Telegram almost exclusively. I love thé sheer number of features it offers and pay for Premium.
- Telegram is feature-richh for sure. In my country it does not have a large audience for some reason

almost exclusively Snapchat, and a little bit of Telegram, then Teams and outlook for work.

Signal Telegram Threema Briar Conversations for XMPP Element for Matrix Jami SimpleX
At the moment, as they come and go a bit as I'm testing out new ones.

93 comments