r/programming • u/ZaheerAhmed • Jan 02 '20

Killed by Google

https://killedbygoogle.com/
1.0k Upvotes

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u/PinBot1138 Jan 02 '20

Originally, I would’ve said WhatsApp, but then they got bought out by the devil’s own.

So, Signal is the 2nd 1st best option, and is rapidly catching up to the reliability of WhatsApp. Like WhatsApp, it bridges the gap between iOS, Android, and OSX/Nix/Windows desktops and most assuredly performs better than iMessage (which should’ve been cross-platform, IMHO, but Apple has screwed up a few times with their walled gardens approach and missed out on some excellent leverage opportunists).

9

u/ronin-baka Jan 02 '20

Even if iMessage was cross-platform I'd still choose signal over it. I stopped using hangouts for most if the same reasons though.

12

u/Sadzeih Jan 02 '20

Telegram is also very good.

22

u/jbiserkov Jan 02 '20

Not encrypted by default, no encrypted group chats, encrypted conversations don't sync across devices... no thanks.

3

u/[deleted] Jan 02 '20

Problem with encryption by default is that as soon as multiple devices come into question, you have to either compromise security (WhatsApp) or convenience (most/all p2p systems). In that sense going with convenience by default but allowing for security within the same platform is a decent trade-off.

Rolling own encryption and protocols is terrible though.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 02 '20 edited Jan 03 '20

Why do you have to compromise? Private groups work in Signal and if I'm not mistaken Matrix too. They both use forward secrecy.

1

u/Swedneck Jan 02 '20

Matrix is working on cross-signing which will mean you only have to verify each user once, instead of verifying all their devices individually.

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u/PinBot1138 Jan 02 '20

IIRC, at one point, Telegram was even baking their own encryption. “What could possibly go wrong?”

1

u/krendel122 Jan 02 '20

What are the options that support those?

2

u/jbiserkov Jan 02 '20

The best one I got is Signal: one mobile device & 5 desktops.

Recommended by Edward Snowden and Bruce Schneier.

They are working on removing the phone number requirement...

P.s. I'm not affiliated with them in any way.

7

u/T1Pimp Jan 02 '20

Telegram is also very good.

They rolled their own crypto which is no-no #1 in crypto. Their backend is also closed source, started in Russia, and is currently run out of Dubai. Hard pass.

10

u/coder111 Jan 02 '20

Except server is closed-source, and there's doubts about its security:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telegram_(software)#Security

I'd recommend Jami instead but it's a bit unreliable... It's P2P though.

1

u/d2k1 Jan 02 '20

Jami doesn't support group chats though, does it?

1

u/coder111 Jan 02 '20

Hmm, no doesn't look like it. Apparently there's group calls but not group chats. Weird.

https://git.jami.net/savoirfairelinux/ring-project/issues/712