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The state of open source SMS messagers (lemmy.nz)
submitted 11 months ago by Ward@lemmy.nz to c/privacyguides@lemmy.one
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With simple messager selling out & qksms no longer being actively worked on. What's our options for open source sms messagers?

Should I dedicate time to learning flutter and building my own or does anyone know any cool foss projects working on this issue?

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[-] Dark_Arc@social.packetloss.gg 25 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

You definitely shouldn't invest time in SMS. Without RCS (or some custom messaging protocol support), "texting apps" are pretty much a dead market.

RCS is ~~both more secure and~~ more user friendly than SMS can be by design. Once the iPhone gets RCS support in the coming months/years, this will be especially true.

[-] Anticorp@lemmy.ml 21 points 11 months ago

If you message cross-platform from Android to iOS, and you can't get everyone to agree upon a 3rd party app, then you're kind of stuck with sms. This isn't a problem that is going away in the near future. Apple relies on their locked messaging platform to influence their users into thinking iOS is the best. The users then pressure all of their friends to get iPhones too. It's an effective strategy for them. Very few iPhone users seem to understand the games being played.

[-] Dark_Arc@social.packetloss.gg 3 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)
[-] fadedmaster@sh.itjust.works 3 points 11 months ago

In fairness, even the author of the article you linked didn't think that'd ever happen. I'm somewhat up to date on most general tech things and missed this announcement too (though to be honest I don't follow Apple announcements anyway).

[-] priapus@sh.itjust.works 13 points 11 months ago

There is no open source RCS messaging app afaik

[-] LWD@lemm.ee 6 points 11 months ago* (last edited 10 months ago)

deleted

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[-] smeg@feddit.uk 6 points 11 months ago

Plenty of services still unfortunately rely on SMS for 2FA, so we'll still need a client to receive them. Doesn't really need to be able to send them though, I don't think any human has sent an SMS message deliberately for about 12 years!

[-] scoobford@lemmy.one 10 points 11 months ago

I don't think any human has sent an SMS message deliberately for about 12 years!

sweats nervously in American

[-] spacecowboy@sh.itjust.works 6 points 11 months ago

I don’t know anyone in Canada that isn’t a new Canadian that uses anything other than the default sms app on their phone. (FBM and Insta and what not don’t count in my example).

SMS is alive and well in Canada.

[-] smeg@feddit.uk 2 points 11 months ago

My condolences. But seriously though, what if you want to have a group chat, or send a file?

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[-] apis@beehaw.org 3 points 11 months ago

SMS is my primary mode of contact with the rest if the world. I use Signal as well, but most people I know only use SMS.

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[-] petrescatraian@libranet.de 3 points 11 months ago

@smeg Me and my friends use it as a fallback for mildly urgent stuff. If anything is more urgent, then we call each other.

@Dark_Arc

[-] LunchEnjoyer@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Quick question, is RCS mostly a protocol used in the US or something? Cos never heard of the term here in Europe. Maybe I just live under a rock tho.

[-] ginerel@kbin.social 2 points 11 months ago

I am on Vodafone and I have it as well. I heard it's only available on the Google Messages app and on Samsung's app.

[-] Natanael@slrpnk.net 1 points 11 months ago

If you have a Samsung or use the Google SMS messaging app then you can use RCS via their servers, even in Europe

[-] Asudox@lemmy.world 18 points 11 months ago

I use QUIK. It's pretty minimalist and quite nice to use.

[-] Lemongrab@lemmy.one 11 points 11 months ago

QUIK is a fork of QKSMS but updated. Partison SMS is another fork

[-] rustyriffs@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago

Where can these be found?

[-] Asudox@lemmy.world 7 points 11 months ago

Both can be found in GitHub. I use Obtainium to get QUIK releases.

[-] Caboose12000@lemmy.world 13 points 11 months ago

obtainuim looks really useful for keeping these updated, but is there a reason they aren't just on f-droid? until now I thought that was considered the norm or standard for open source android apps

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[-] Asudox@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago

Yeah

[-] jacktherippah@lemmy.world 13 points 11 months ago

There's no privacy in SMS messaging anyway. I use the messages app from AOSP. A little ugly but it works just fine.

[-] DARbarian@lemmy.world 9 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

Partisan-SMS 100%. P-SMS is a security/privacy focused fork of QKSMS.

[-] Ward@lemmy.nz 7 points 11 months ago

does Partisan-SMS function as a basic sms messager without encryption?

[-] Cheradenine@sh.itjust.works 5 points 11 months ago

Yes it does, it works with or without encryption

[-] olosta@lemmy.world 6 points 11 months ago

Qksms is dead? That's a bummer I was quite happy with it after signal stopped being a great SMS app for some reason.

[-] miss_brainfart@lemmy.ml 6 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

The simplemobiletools apps are being forked by one of their bigger co-developers, so I'll just use that as soon as it's available.

Until then, as long as you got the build from F-Droid, there shouldn't be anything to worry about.

[-] techognito@lemmy.world 10 points 11 months ago

https://github.com/FossifyOrg

link to the new fork

[-] Transcendant@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago

I'm happy with my version of simple messenger, I've not updated it for a while... Am I good to keep using that? Can you explain more what you mean by selling out?

[-] miss_brainfart@lemmy.ml 8 points 11 months ago

The lead dev sold simplemobiletools to Zippo Apps (or whatever they're called), a company known for buying apps and stuffing them full of ads, trackers and bullying people into buying subscriptions.

That news came a bit out of the blue, and while I understand why he sold it, the fact that he sold it to such a fuckface company that goes against everything his apps stood for is... yeah

[-] Transcendant@lemmy.world 2 points 11 months ago

That's very disappointing to hear. I've upgraded to the latest Fdroid version, and I guess that is where the updates will end!

[-] digger@lemmy.ca 4 points 11 months ago

One of the developers is forking the whole project.

[-] Carter@feddit.uk 3 points 11 months ago

There's just no point in developing an app for a dead service. Just use the AOSP messaging app when you need.

[-] wintermute@feddit.de 2 points 11 months ago

I'm using this ohne after Signal dropped SMS support

[-] olosta@lemmy.world 18 points 11 months ago

That is the one selling out. All "simple" tools where sold to an ad firm, the f-droid version is probably fine for now but if you got it from Google play : run.

https://www.androidauthority.com/simple-mobile-tools-acquisition-3391041/

[-] wintermute@feddit.de 4 points 11 months ago

Didn't notice, thx.

[-] jws_shadotak@sh.itjust.works 8 points 11 months ago* (last edited 11 months ago)

That's simple mobile tools, which op was referring to as the sellouts.

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this post was submitted on 12 Dec 2023
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