SMS app

turmoil2750

january was a long time ago. plus latest stable release is from 2021

[deleted]

turmoil2750 Yes the stable release of QKSMS dates back to 2021, but it still undergoes occasional development in the V branch, and QKSMS is just an open-source alternative for the stock messaging app on Android.

Not all apps require continuous updates to maintain the appearance of being up to date. For instance, if I were to develop a calculator app, I may not find it necessary to continuously update it solely for the sake of appearing up to date. As a calculator, its core functionality remains intact, and users may not expect frequent updates beyond occasional bug fixes.

wuseman

turmoil2750 there's a fork now, named Quik. Works okay to me.

turmoil2750

[deleted]
fair enough

csis01

E24 Signal makes too much metadata available to untrusted third parties, including those who run the servers through which messages are relayed, google/apple through which notifications are routed, as well obviously as any organization who potentially has access to data from those sources, such as the US government.

There are tons of private and secure SELF HOSTED messaging services available. I'd suggest looking into those and picking one that you like, and using THAT instead of untrustworthy semi-public services.

turmoil2750

csis01
you're right in theory, but in practice signal is something people are actually using or are willing to install because it already achieved a level of brand recognition (in the eyes of the normies). people are only interested in superficial good feelings of using a brand something they already heard "people are using" and are unwillling to install anything else. xmpp and matrix are "obscure" and "hacky" in their eyes. so if you actually want to have contacts in your messaging app (or actually bump into people who are on it) then signal is a good compromise.

kebuchan

I got a few immediate family to start using Signal about 3 yrs ago.... Trying to switch to Session.... so far my wife uses it because I put the app on her phone :-) The session app on my work laptop (windblows) keeps hanging... would be convenient to have that working consistently. Thanks for the heads-up on QKSMS @turmoil2750

csis01

turmoil2750 A few fringe wackos use signal, and that's ALL. The reality is that virtually NOBODY has heard of it, and it doesn't have any substantial brand recognition.

GrapheneLover

Signal is pretty popular in North America and even the older generation has started to hear about it since the COVID days as most people had nothing to do besides be on their phones so Signal got more popular than before, pretty much like how Telegram became popular.

XMPP is still unheard of for most of the people. XMPP with Omemo and hosted by your own server is pretty solid though.

csis01

GrapheneLover XMPP is a protocol, not a service.

de0u

GrapheneLover Signal is pretty popular in North America [...]

How popular? 1% of phone owners? 5%?

casualmilkenjoyer

de0u
I would hesitate to make a guess, but most of my extended family has it installed. And I frequently run into people that use it or at least aware of its existence. Probably still a minority, but it's not as niche here as you might expect.

GrapheneLover

casualmilkenjoyer Exactly, more and more people are aware of Signal since the COVID days. I know a lot of older people 50+ years of age who became aware of Signal during the lockdown times. Definitely became popular during those times a lot of people downloaded the app at the time, which is what I was stating.