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Text alternative to Signals? "Secure text SMS app"

R

Restart

VIP Member
Jan 3, 2019
310
307
I'm not on a lot of different boards so I figure I'll ask here. I've used this app for 4 years at least but they're flaking out. Just looking for something else that's reliable.
 
two_slug

two_slug

VIP Member
Mar 7, 2012
591
418
Are you strictly looking for an end to end encrypted app? What problem have you had with Signal? The only issue I've had is them doing away with sms support, so I had to go back to using a separate app for sms and Signal for encrypted messages.

Threema ... https://threema.ch/en .... it costs a couple of bucks and isn't open source but I use it, along side Signal. It's been reliable and also doesn't require a phone #. Text message, audio calls and video calls.

Session Messenger... https://getsession.org/... free, open source and audited. I've played around with it with a few contacts, and it's reliable, although with slight delays in messages. Doesn't require a phone #. Only text messages and audio calls.

SimpleX chat... https://simplex.chat/ .... This is the new kid in town and I haven't used it, but it's open source, been audited and has a lot of good reviews. No phone # required. Text messages , audio calls and video calls.

The problem I have with these apps is getting contacts to use them. It's hard as hell getting most people away from Whatsapp.
 
FlyingDragon

FlyingDragon

VIP Member
Nov 4, 2010
4,049
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Are you strictly looking for an end to end encrypted app? What problem have you had with Signal? The only issue I've had is them doing away with sms support, so I had to go back to using a separate app for sms and Signal for encrypted messages.

Threema ... https://threema.ch/en .... it costs a couple of bucks and isn't open source but I use it, along side Signal. It's been reliable and also doesn't require a phone #. Text message, audio calls and video calls.

Session Messenger... https://getsession.org/... free, open source and audited. I've played around with it with a few contacts, and it's reliable, although with slight delays in messages. Doesn't require a phone #. Only text messages and audio calls.

SimpleX chat... https://simplex.chat/ .... This is the new kid in town and I haven't used it, but it's open source, been audited and has a lot of good reviews. No phone # required. Text messages , audio calls and video calls.

The problem I have with these apps is getting contacts to use them. It's hard as hell getting most people away from Whatsapp.
Do these apps only work (fully encrypted) when the other party uses the same app?
 
JackD

JackD

Senior Moderators
Staff Member
Sep 16, 2010
6,405
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I don’t know enough about these apps, but you’ll need some kind of VPN to hide your initial footprint. Plus is everything fully encrypted and protected?
 
silntrunin

silntrunin

MuscleHead
Aug 30, 2011
759
162
Are you strictly looking for an end to end encrypted app? What problem have you had with Signal? The only issue I've had is them doing away with sms support, so I had to go back to using a separate app for sms and Signal for encrypted messages.

Threema ... https://threema.ch/en .... it costs a couple of bucks and isn't open source but I use it, along side Signal. It's been reliable and also doesn't require a phone #. Text message, audio calls and video calls.

Session Messenger... https://getsession.org/... free, open source and audited. I've played around with it with a few contacts, and it's reliable, although with slight delays in messages. Doesn't require a phone #. Only text messages and audio calls.

SimpleX chat... https://simplex.chat/ .... This is the new kid in town and I haven't used it, but it's open source, been audited and has a lot of good reviews. No phone # required. Text messages , audio calls and video calls.

The problem I have with these apps is getting contacts to use them. It's hard as hell getting most people away from Whatsapp.
Been using Signal myself for quite some time with no problems. Does suck that they did away with sms.
Might check out the alternatives you listed.
Like you mentioned though getting others to use them is probably the biggest issue with them.
Thanks for the list.
 
two_slug

two_slug

VIP Member
Mar 7, 2012
591
418
I don’t know enough about these apps, but you’ll need some kind of VPN to hide your initial footprint. Plus is everything fully encrypted and protected?
Yeah, Signal, and the other apps I mentioned, only encrypt the the messages and minimize any metadata. With the exception of Session Messenger which bounces your connection through three separate nodes ( similar to Tor ), the others don't hide who you are communicating with from your ISP.

The encryption keys are held only on your device instead of being held by the companies themselves. so only you and the person you communicate with can encrypt and decrypt messages. The same goes for audio and video calls. At the end of the day, it still relies on whether you trust any app, but the ones I listed , with the exception of Threema ( has been audited ) , have all been audited and are open source so anyone can inspect the code.
Do these apps only work (fully encrypted) when the other party uses the same app?
You have to have the same app for any of these to work. It would be nice to have some type of cross app/platform end to end encryption, and Google has been working on it with their RCS program, but I trust Google about as far as can throw a boat.
 
massimo1

massimo1

VIP Member
Dec 16, 2022
96
80
I am a happy Signal user. I don't care about sms. I use it rarely and with the built-in app (Samsung or Google) - and only for general stuff like doctor's appointments. Even with the move to RCS, why bother? All the other apps apps like WhatsApp (yuck) and Viber have multimedia capability as well as encryption. Threema and Session don't have a big user base yet. I don't want to pay for Threema and I doubt my correspondents would either. Session, for what I can tell, still has some kinks to work out but I think it has a future. I don't know anything about Simplex, as it is so new, but from what I can tell from there Playstore description and photos, it looks like it's a texting app. Some people like Wickr. I know that in Signal's roadmap, they will be adding aliases so you don't have to enroll with your phone number. I have another app called Surespot that works that way, though it lacks live call, so similar to Simplex.
 
Last edited:
R

Restart

VIP Member
Jan 3, 2019
310
307
SMS is any texting right? So that when they drop everything on March 20, non signal users texts will not be received by me? Correct? I hate to be this simple, but I just want to know. I have a few friends who use signal and many others that refuse to. It's frustrating to have to drive to someones house to discuss something that is just a grey area.

History of Signal, the last few months, "please refer someone" daily, "please make a donation" daily. Now, we're dropping everything even though we're the most widely used "secure" app.
 
two_slug

two_slug

VIP Member
Mar 7, 2012
591
418
Once they end sms support, you'll have to go back to using a regular sms app like Google messenger or similar, to receive sms texts, and use the Signal app to send /receive messages from other Signal users. The only reason Signal ever gave the option for sms was for convenience. Only messages that were sent between Signal users were encrypted. Messages sent and received with non Signal users were never encrypted or secure.

Here's a breakdown of why they are stopping sms support....https://signal.org/blog/sms-removal-android/

I have people like that in my life too, that refuse to download one single app that actually helps preserve their privacy and security, while, at the same time, have a shit load of apps that they never use or have forgotten they even have.
 
massimo1

massimo1

VIP Member
Dec 16, 2022
96
80
Signal's explanation of why they are dropping SMS makes sense. They probably never should have included SMS anyway. Ultimately, the problem as I see it, is that everyone likes a different messaging app. It's like herding turtles to get them all going the same way. Keep in mind that other app with security are good enough. WhatsApp, for example, licenses their encryption from Signal. It's probably still secure, even though now Meta owns it and is intruding with ads and other nonsense. Viber is equally good and I use it with others when I can because it isn't owned by Meta. I avoid Telegram. It has known vulnerabilities.
 
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