I only use it because there’s no way I could convince my friends and family to move to anything else.
There’s no point in switching to another app if I then literally couldn’t communicate with the people I need to through it.
I’ve been using Beeper a month or two. They had a long waiting list, and initially it was subscription only, but they are working on smashing through the waiting list and have changed to a freemium model where you get it for free and (eventually) they will have extra features for subscribers.
Basically, it’s one chat app that connects to lots of different chat services.
If you’re technical, the app is a fork of Element, and the service uses matrix bridges to connect to different chat services, but it’s all presented in a (somewhat) polished way. The wait list is because they are still struggling with scaling and quirks but if you’re on Lemmy you’re probably already well familiar with putting up with this.
It covers heaps of chat networks. Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Signal, Telegram, and more. It also will let you SMS (unlike Signal 😬).
You can also connect to Matrix rooms but you don’t seem to be able to connect to an existing Matrix account (it uses a Beeper matrix account to connect).
It doesn’t do video/audio calls so they recommend you leave the original app installed and disable message notifications (but leave on call notifications) if you use this.
app is closed source :/
Looks cool though
Yep. But if you’re keen on this stuff, you can self host matrix and the bridges and do it yourself. Their bridges are open source, just not their apps whose features are their business model.
That’s interesting!
I’m just not sure the “security” of WhatsApp is preserved in that case but it’s certainly better than not being able to talk to certain people at all.
Also I think these kind of meta chat apps have been tried before and it usually doesn’t end very well so I’m not sure I would be super optimistic.
Any of the chat provider can break their link to beeper and since they probably don’t really care about it it shouldn’t very reliable.
But a cool find nonetheless!
I remember I used to have Pidgin, but facebook closed the messenger API (I think, this was a while ago) How does this work?
For pidgin I think you can host your own xmpp server?
I’m afraid I don’t know the details 🙁
Nice. Looking into this one. Although in reality I use about 95% whatsapp just because everyone else does. Wish we could all just switch to Signal or even Telegram but nah… Whatsapp is so engrained everywhere that it is not going to go away anytime soon.
A modern-day Trillian.
Well, that’s super neat and very useful for my circumstances. I’m moving outside of the US soon to a place where WhatsApp is dominant, but I still want to use SMS/MMS with family and friends in the US since I doubt they’ll make the switch. I’ve been using WhatsApp for about a year now while coordinating stuff for my soon-to-be home and I’ve come to the conclusion that WhatsApp is complete garbage.
deleted by creator
deleted by creator
Signal kinda put themselves out of the messaging app battle when they dropped SMS support
I totally get why they did it, but I think a lot of people stopped using it for this reason, unfortunately
I don’t really want to start a debate on the Signal SMS dropout but …
They could have put a big red warning and a disclaimer you have to read once for the unsecured SMS. It would have been fine.
Yes, you would have to maintain that but I think it would definitely have been worth it considering how much reach they lost dropping this feature.
I stopped using Signal when they did, and that’s one less tech user advertising their secure app.
It’s a shame because I think this will slowly kill the project.
I tend to agree
I don’t think anyone uses or cares about SMS where I live
Lucky you. SMS is still the primary way people message each other where I live.
same here. Heck, even Nextcloud Talk is more sophisticated than frickin’ WhatsApp these days…
Same but replace WhatsApp with messenger and iMessage.
I literally installed Telegram/Signal on my families devices, synced their contacts with the app, and said “if you want timely responses, message me here”
I think this could help you.
Interesting I’ll look into it thanks
Wait until you hear how many people use facebook messenger.
💀
Yeah, that’s the real “internet explorer of messaging services”. Absolutely sucks to use it (doesn’t even.deliver messages to me half the time), but 90% insist on it for chat groupa and such.
I do have like 2 people I only talk to once or twice a year that I don’t have any other known contact for. But I only use it very rarely because of that. If I ever stop talking to them, I’ll finally delete the whole account.
Basically all of Scandinavia
Signal is the best.
The thing it’s missing the most is better multi device support and an updated desktop client.
For me, I think Matrix is more complete (specially since it backs-up your chats and media encrypted). The only thing it’s lacking (at least Element specific) is encrypted chat search support on mobile.
What matrix is missing is anyone that I know. Ultimately that is way more important than features in a messaging client.
In my personal experience, everyone who has an account with Signal also has with Matrix. The main issue for me is who has an account at all.
I’ve used signal for ages but didn’t know what Matrix was until Lemmy tbh
In turn you can bet that who has one on Matrix will have one on Session, SimpleX and at least other 10 apps you’ve never heard about
It has bridges for most messaging services so you could use a matrix frontend for most of your messaging needs without having people on matrix so long as the server admin has set up those extensions
Signal client looks optimized on MacOS and Linux i don’t use Windows so not sure what’s going on there
+1 for linux cluent, absolutely no complaints
I register my Signal on off-shore phone number and i use it over MullvadVPN with multi-hop so i think is pretty private this way
I use it on windows. The client is totally fine for the most part.
Though for some reason it regularly screws up the device-connection, forcing me to reconnect the device, loosing access to every old message. Seems to be a rare bug though, as my family also uses the windows client and theirs never has this problem (out of 8 device 1 has this problem)
I use it for linux. Recently there was a bug where if you had a chat opened, it would pin one core to 100% usage. It also lacks feature parity with the mobile client (ex: gif search and send).
Well Signal Desktop client and Server is running on Java 🥲🥲🥲
Yeah, it sucks that if I were using Signal only on my phone and eventually decide to start using it on desktop, it doesn’t sync any conversation history, resulting in the desktop client showing nothing from before you set it up. It should have older devices send history to new ones. If you’re permanently switching devices, are you losing that history for good?
Nope, you can backup the chats and import them when installing Signal on the new device
Hadn’t thought of that!
There’s no way that we can have a mainstream alternative to imessage if we keep declaring a new app or protocol the new best one every two years.
iMessage can’t be “the mainstream” app by locking out most of the world tho. Plus it is definitely the ugliest thing Apple has ever made in its lifetime that I know of.
Hopefully the new MLS for app interoperability will ease the adoption of any newer app
I think have settled into what they know.
I think that iMessage is only prevelant in North America. Here in Europe (Portugal, at least), everyone uses Whatsapp.
All Google needs to do is make a public RCS API. Then we will have all the important features iMessage has on Android via regular texting. I have no fucking clue why they are making RCS exclusive to their messaging app.
SimpleX or Matrix are way better
Session is good too but is only used by IT people… Signal is used by lawyers and many more
SimpleX >>>> Matrix
I don’t think it’s really a chat app. Isn’t it just a text replacement? Or does it just use that number as your ID to use it? I have it, but only ever used it with one guy.
It has lots of nice features over SMS: read/typing notifications, image/video support, proper groups, message expiration. I think that makes it a chat app
I have all those features with Google Messages (as long as I’m not talking to an iPhone user).
Signal’s UI has improved a lot though. Still I only know one person that uses it.
Still waiting for the ability to log in one two phones, and ideally also uncompressed photo/file sending
But yea Signal is great
I wish people would stop using the Crowder meme template.
Same. We even have a nice alternative. https://postimg.cc/rzvDYFXW
From now on, I’ll adhere to the “Calvin: Change my mind” meme format. Thank you for your input. 🫡
Why?
Because he’s an asshole. A grifting asshole to be specific.
I feel like I would never get along with anyone who has an attitude of “I believe X. Change my mind.” I can’t imagine anyone starting a conversation that way is not an asshole.
Oh shit that is him! I never even noticed before. Major ick.
How come?
Nah. SMS and iMessage are the IE of messaging. Unsafe and locked in.
iMessage I’ll give you, but how is SMS locked in? It’s a completely open standard.
SMS is IE, Whatsapp is Chrome, and Signal is Firefox. Use Signal/Firefox.
I disagree. IE was incredibly proprietary, and SMS is at least an open standard.
IE is…idk Facebook messenger or Imessage or something.
ICQ
Ahh Trillian and Miranda memories…
Except it does nearly everything any other messaging app does, so there really is no need to force a switch. Unlike Internet Explorer, that used outdated rendering engine making it both slow and buggy, it was unsafe as it used ActiveX, didn’t support ad-blockers it actually broke or didn’t open most new website.
I hope that the DMA gets passed in the EU. It’ll (hopefully) break the monopoly worldwide
Interoperability is a weird one though. Imagine WhatsApp can connect to Signal, and people use this feature. What would then be the point of using Signal, if WhatsApp gets the data after all?
(Signal has already announced not wanting to support this, I just used it as an example)
As I understand it, your example should be the other way around. WhatsApp will need to offer a public API to allow Signal to send and receive messages to/from WhatsApp users.
Signal is unlikely to be deemed a gatekeeper, so can keep their closed communication ecosystem. They can just optionally choose to support interop with WhatsApp. If they prefer, they can also have big warning signs in the UI, when their users decide to utilize that interop.
Whatever way it works, I could see people giving up certain services if they allow interoperability with the gatekeepers, because why use these alternatives then.
But then again, the services that take privacy seriously won’t do it in the first place, so it should be a non-issue.
I just don’t want to be tied to an apple device to Message people who only have iMessage. I live outside of the US but all my family, friends, and contacts are there.
I feel locked into iOS as international texting and calls would be so expensive.
Both Apple and Google need to get their shit together on this one, put their pride aside and agree on a standard.
I’m an apple user, but I really think the issue is being created by apple. They talked about doing iMessage on android and then someone else was like no we can’t we want people to be locked into their iPhone.
Oh, it’s both. They both act like insufferable little kids with that
Google has also kept RCS proprietary. Google shares the blame as well imo
Thanks, I didn’t know that. I thought it was an open standard.
True. However there are certain advantages
- WhatsApp gets only a part of your data (coz many people might be on different apps)
- You don’t have to run WhatsApp on your device so they can’t collect that data either
I know it’s not perfect but better than the current scenario and a step in the right direction
Oh man, I hadn’t heard of the DMA before. How exciting!
I only heard of it because I follow Matrix blog.
I saw the technical discussions (if you are a tech person I would recommend watching those on YT) and it seems that EU is trying to find some middle ground where companies won’t have to incur a lot of losses but still be open and create a fair environment for newcomers.
I think it’s already been passed, it should be coming into force next year!
Oh wow. TIL! Any recommendws sources? I want to read the full coverage
Oh yeah it says it directly on the wiki page you linked XD
was signed into law by the European Parliament and the Council of the EU in September 2022
Lmao my bad. Thanks I’ll read up about it.
In some countries like India, people just assume that everyone uses whatsapp. It’s gotten to the point where whatsapp has become the definition of messaging (for most people).
I don’t see how Whatsapp is outdated to the point where one would compare it to IE, but I’ll say whatsapp is more like Google Chrome than IE.
That’s the reality in most of the world nowadays. Latin America is exactly the same (including Brazil) and while traveling through Europe every single Airbnb communication with the hosts was made through WhatsApp… 8 years ago, I imagine it’s even more massive now.
My last trip to the US a co-worker was really surprised I kept sending voice notes and I realized I haven’t called my wife in at least my last 3 trips… But we communicate a lot. Async is way better than sync.
Agree. I have family in Europe & they all use WhatsApp.
Its privacy is very questionable, but how is it outdated?
Telegram laughs in the corner Whatsapp is copying telegram features that are implemented years before
Telegram is a superior messaging app but it’s privacy is questionable. The fact that they keep their encryption protocol hidden is bothersome and the aren’t e2ee by default. And as stated before, it’s not certain their e2ee is as private as they claim.
IIRC they did publish their encryption protocol, at least a lot of information about it is here. It’s true E2EE is not enabled by default.
In the end, both encryption protocols are hidden. We can’t really be sure they use what they say they are using in both cases.
TG has become a very big source of Piracy in recent years.
People only use TG for that mostly at this point.
How is that, in any way, answering the question?! You could mention some of those features…
It’s copying features that hangouts has abandon.
Sorry, I don’t have Twitter, I tried opening the profile, but it keeps blocking me, even Nitter and Squawker don’t work
Yeah telegram may be better but the amount of people who use it is very few, the only people I know uses telegram is for porn or download movies and song, not for messaging. In the actual state telegram doesn’t worth it because probably you circle of friends doesn’t use it. Of course this is the case of my friends and my country (Colombia) where it’s more probably find one to use WhatsApp than telegram
Fuck Steven Crowder and any meme based on his bullshit
Who’s Steve Crowder?
deleted by creator
Alt Right think tank leader
A asshole conservative influencer whose bad faith knows no bounds. He’s also recently been in the news for treating his ex wife like a slave/property. Really creepy shit.
Tldr; he’s a huge asshole.
He’s also recently been in the news for treating his ex wife like a slave/property
Wait wtf?
Oh yeah. The videos are horrific imo
But the memes are 👌
Fair
Everyone always says this every time this meme is posted without explaining why he sucks. I’m not motivated enough to Google it. Yes, I understand the irony of the fact that I’m writing this, and could have just googled it in the amount of time I’ve taken to type this out. I’m still not googling it.
He’s a conservative talking head who likes to rage bait anyone further left on the spectrum than him.
I say this based on an admittedly extremely limited bit of information, and a heavy helping of just guessing about the rest.
Can we further compress this meme template to the point that nobody could possibly tell it’s Stephen Crowder in it
here you go:
it’s 5.6 kB webp
Crowder… ugh. What a terrible human being.
Someone has not used Line…
I’ve only seen it being used in Japan. Are there other places where its widely used?
No.
That’s not correct, it’s widely used in Thailand and Taiwan.
I love Cony and Brown but I’m never using that app.
Line is awesome, didn’t know people hated it.
I’ve somehow never used WhatsApp.
You must not be from Europe or Brazil then
pls send help
Oh, that recruitment agent sometime ago.
Are you using facebook?
No
Whatsapp?
No
Xing?
No
…
Hey, just send me an E-Mail.
Gigachad.
I on the other hand was actually pleasantly surprised when I got contacted by a recruiter on Matrix , that was the best feeling ever
Me too
Same. I hate all these messaging apps people use. Unless you need security, then just use the one your phone already has. Otherwise use signal.
Signal is centralized and requires a phone number. This is potentially impactful to your anonymity. So, for example if the recipients device is comprised that encryption doesn’t mean much and you may be identifiable.
All that said, I use Signal. But it’s good to know it’s shortcomings.
Edit: added potentially. You could certainly have a number not associated with your identity.
I wish I could say the same but if you want to date you have to here. I despise and absolutely hate how you have to you use a phone number to register. And then every contact you have can add you to a group so everyone there now can have your number.
I’ve had a stalker before and I hate that stuff like that makes it trivially easy for her to get my number again. I literally can’t understand how women are okay with absolutely shitty systems like this. I really can’t repeat enough how much I strongly hate WhatsApp and how everyone else thinks it’s so good for exactly the reason that I hate it. It’s too easy to send messages despite me never giving you my number to begin with. SMS is the same but you can’t add me to a group without my permission and share my number with a group of people I don’t know.
How though
No idea. It’s just not a platform anyone in my life has used in a manner that dragged me in.
Cool
Surely it can’t be so popular it’s inconceivable to you that someone hasn’t used it.
If you live in most of Europe or definitely Latin America, yeah, it is so popular it’s kind of inconceivable not to use it, or at least hard to imagine. I genuinely don’t understand how people in the US communicate.
You text someone. What’re you talking about?
It is. To stay in contact with anyone you need whatsapp.
I never have any problems Whatsapp. My messages get sent and I receive messages no problem.
