A new messaging app is in development, and the project is described as “an open source WhatsApp for the Fediverse.”

  • @Pechente@feddit.de
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    1511 months ago

    With the open nature of the fediverse I actually see some potential here. Right now there isn’t a single messenger that I truly like. They’re all just different shades of okay or worse.

      • Lucia [she/her]
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        2111 months ago

        Mobile-first, requires phone number, proprietary server-side, google play market.

          • Lucia [she/her]
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            711 months ago

            Seems you edited your comment to add new points. Lemmy doesn’t notify users about changes to comments/posts they replied to, unfortunately.

            Phone numbers required for now. Usernames potentially on the horizon per sms removal update.

            Good to know. I prefer to never use my phone number for sign ups.

            Server side code is open source and available at Signal Server Github.

            They seem to put a lot of effort to centralize their app though - you can’t setup your own server and talk to other signal users.

            Android has an apk download so you dont need Google Play.

            Yes, but you need to figure out how to verify signature keys on android + manual updates, it’s just inconvinent if you compare it to F-Droid Signal devs so dislike for no good reason.

          • Lucia [she/her]
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            411 months ago

            You still need to install a mobile app first. On XMPP I can create an account even if I don’t own a smartphone.

              • poVoq
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                511 months ago

                Yes, but its early days and only few clients support it. You can try it with Dino.

              • Lucia [she/her]
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                211 months ago

                I dunno, never used video calls outside of college (and hell I hate that). I heard Jitsi can do it though, again never tried myself.

        • HidingCat
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          411 months ago

          I don’t see the problem with that, it’s a phone messenger first.

            • HidingCat
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              211 months ago

              Sure, definitely use what works for you. I do like it as a phone messenger that happens to have a functional desktop client (Telegram and surprisingly, Whatsapp do have better desktop clients).

      • Sean TilleyOPM
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        1511 months ago

        Signal is great, but the core developer is inherently against federation with his own product. It’s just one giant centralized service.

      • @poop@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        11 months ago

        Signal is too darn secure. Much better to have one dude who probably knows how to use a crypto library build the whole thing over again with a coat of ActivityPub on top

      • blanketswithsmallpox
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        311 months ago

        It feels like I’m doing shady backdoor deals. It’s only for the people I conspire with and really close friends…

        In which we just end up using regular old sms anyway lol.

      • @Pechente@feddit.de
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        211 months ago

        Doesn‘t quite have the userbase at least for me. I‘m only using it for one work contact and that’s it. I also heard from others who use Element a bit more that it’s quite buggy, although I haven’t experienced that myself yet.

        • @XpeeN@sopuli.xyz
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          311 months ago

          I just don’t think that new msging app will have a larger userbase than matrix. I hope I’m wrong tho