Messaging Apps

wedgedlemon

As a previous 10+ year iPhone user, finding a decent messaging app has been quite difficult to say the least. Going back to SMS from iMessage is a HUGE step backward. 90% of my contacts are iPhone users, and getting all of them to download Signal just to talk to me isn't a viable option.

I know RCS works with iMessage however it seems like Google Messages is the only app for this, and wouldn't that contradict a huge reason for switching to Graphene? Having to use sandboxed Play store already felt almost like a step backward. Also Google Message to iMessage doesn't even get encrypted from what I understand.

I purchased an old Mac Mini to run BlueBubbles for iMessage, which works decently. However turns out that associating your phone number is a huge PITA with SIM card swapping and such. So I either have to deal with that or get all of my contacts to add my apple ID email to the contact record they have for me. Also the messages have to temporarily get stored on Google's Firebase database so still not an ideal solution.

Can somebody please provide some input on this? What's your messaging situation look like?

ignatius

Unfortunately you have done all you can in this regard. The only other option is carrying an iPhone with your sim card while keeping your Pixel as a sensitive computing device. I am very fortunate to have most of my contacts on Signal, but I still sometimes have to send unimportant things over SMS and Email. Trade offs...

wedgedlemon

ignatius Thanks for the input. The effort required to get out of the clutches of Google/Apple is exhausting. Hopefully in the future we'll get some sort of better solution for this. Until then, guess I'll be using BlueBubbles

NetRunner88

You can use bluebubble without firebase
In any case using bluebubble you say goodbye to encryption too

Read carefully the documentation

wedgedlemon

NetRunner88 Yeah I forgot to mention the lack of end to end encryption with BlueBubbles as well. Seems like achieving E2EE would boil down to using Signal or Google Messages (if the other user is also using Google Messages)

schweizer

It seems bizarre to me that your friends do not seem to communicate with non iphone users. So they don't have Signal or Threema. I think there is no technical solution to this since it is a social problem.

The above mentioned apps work fine both on iphone and Android. They have desktop clients that work on Windows computer too.

wedgedlemon

schweizer most iPhone users I know will continue to use SMS via the default iPhone messaging app when communicating with non-iPhone users. From their perspective, the only difference is the green bubbles. The idea of using a separate app to maintain E2EE is like asking them to wear a tin-foil hat.

jackFang

You could setup (matrix) element web self hosted? That would require domain + certs and would allow your friends to login via web browser, no extra apps.

Jdeppytt

In the fall there is a very good chance RCS iOS to android is e2ee via the new standard.

When this happens I think a compromise that might work for some people is to use Google messages and play store / play services in the owner profile and have everything else in other profile(s) until there is a better solution.

https://9to5google.com/2025/03/14/rcs-end-to-end-encryption-update/

wedgedlemon

Jdeppytt Ooo interesting. Wondering if it will be true E2EE or if Google will have some sort of back door. Could be a good compromise.