this post was submitted on 24 Jun 2023
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Asklemmy

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Hi friends,

I'm new to Lemmy but I think I like where it is heading in general. I would like to ask, do you have any specific apps used for ?

As a community that seems more focused on decentralized platforms, I thought this could spike up an interesting discussion

I have been using mainly Viber and FB messenger. I did try to convince friends and family to move over to simpleXchat, as it seems the most privacy focused alternative I have found, but basically failed.

I would love to hear your input!

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[–] [email protected] 57 points 2 years ago (1 children)
[–] [email protected] 37 points 2 years ago (4 children)

I use Signal kinda exclusively. Managed to migrate my friends and family away from WhatsApp a few years back (I am living in Europe).

[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 years ago (4 children)

How did you do it ? I cant get them to migrate.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 years ago (1 children)

I just started selling them drugs, and told them we use signal now.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago

Around the time when Meta announced some big privacy changes to WhatsApp, it became a hot topic in the news since everyone here uses WhatsApp.

I took advantage of that situation to talk to my friends and family about how much better Signal is. I set up our existing groups like Family Chats, Friends, and Sport Groups on Signal, and helped some people install the app. I kept reminding and urging them to switch and assured them we would continue using Signal, everything will stay the same just super secure.

To make it clear to everyone still on WhatsApp, I changed my profile picture to say "please contact me via Signal." Surprisingly, within 1-2 weeks, everyone I care about made the switch and, to my surprise, they still use Signal today.

Honestly, if it wasn't for all the privacy concerns about WhatsApp in the news, I think convincing them to switch would have been much harder.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (2 children)

Managed to migrate my friends and family away from WhatsApp

Please tell my how I beg you

[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 years ago (1 children)
  1. Uninstall WhatsApp
  2. Family+friends will get notification that you left in every group you were in, and lose their shit. They will call you asking wtf is happening
  3. Try to calm the waters by telling them you found out Meta is a bad company and you don't want to participate it
  4. Get confusing looks and asked wtf is wrong with you
  5. Try to divert the complexity of the subject by mentioning that they can just download Signal and reach you there
  6. Get scoffed and manage to get one or two nearest friends on your Signal app
  7. Still get contacted by everyone's else on whatsapp and by your grandmother on FB messenger , although you ain't there
  8. Sucessfully managed to keep your 2 contacts on Signal and even see it growing to 4 over a year.
  9. Wait till Signal fucks up, delete it, install SimpleX, start over again
[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago

In about ~20y I should be able to convert all my friends away from Whatsapp then!

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago

My brother got everyone to switch from FB messenger to WhatsApp and then FB bought whatsapp and prompted a second switch to signal

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[–] [email protected] 18 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Whatsapp is the norm here so I begrudgingly use that. Wish more people were on Signal, Matrix or Telegram.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 years ago (2 children)

You can apparently bridge Whatsapp and Matrix. I have looked into it for a few evenings but got nothing running despite having some experience with self hosting stuff. It was a while ago though.

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[–] [email protected] 18 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Elements (Matrix) as much as much as possible. I bridge a lot services through it. Though Signal would be the second most.

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[–] [email protected] 17 points 2 years ago

I wish more people in my life would use Signal but I've given up on converting people from WhatsApp.

I pretty much just use everything. my messaging folder has Signal, Telegram, WhatsApp, Discord, SMS, etc lol.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 2 years ago (2 children)

I mainly use Signal, but sometimes have to fall back to SMS for people that aren't on Signal. I also have matrix accounts, but I never really use them since I don't have anyone among my friends and family that uses matrix.

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[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 years ago

Signal. I refuse to use whatsapp even though that's what most people I know use.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 2 years ago

I tried to migrate friends and family to Signal a couple of years back. Only managed with 3 people :/.

Unfortunately here (Italy), WhatsApp is too much widespread as reach out method now. Especially for businesses, from restaurants to, say, the family doctor.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 years ago

Signal is my go to. Some of my friends refuse to download it, so I just text them. I'll use iMessage on iOS and Google Messages on Android. But if I can use Signal, I will

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 years ago

Delta Chat is awesome encrypted/secure messaging via imap and thus compatible with anyone who has an email address.

Conversations is an excellent XMPP client.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 years ago

I use Signal!

[–] [email protected] 8 points 2 years ago

Element (Matrix)

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (4 children)
  • Signal,
  • Whatsapp only for groups on a free prepaid Number nobody knows, on a 2nd phone bridge to matrix.
  • Threema for 1Person ;)
  • remaining via SMS.
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[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 years ago

I use Cinny. It's a desktop app for Matrix.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 years ago

Signal and WhatsApp. WhatsApp only because a lot of people won't switch to Signal (or Threema, or Matrix).

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 years ago

The most secure app I know is SimpleX. It is like Matrix but without an identifier, so you really interacting only with people you want. No one can reach you unless you gave him a link to connect to you.

Two different people cannot be ensured they are talking to the same person since there is no identifier they can compare to.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 2 years ago

XMPP (with omemeo) is the classic (and also what FB messenger uses behind the scenes, without omemo), Matrix is the new kid on the block taking over. Both are decentralized sorta like the fediverse (but separate from said fediverse.)

Used to use Signal, but they're removing SMS support so everyone might as well switch to matrix. Wickr was bought by amazon (and they say they won't ruin it, riiiight), so that's out. Idk enough about briar or session, and telegram isn't as secure as people seem to think.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 years ago

Eh, mostly sms and telegram.

The only people I care about use sms, and I've convinced them to use telegram for thighs sms can't do, like file sharing.

I have and use matrix for specific tasks, and I got suckered into discord for gaming and reddit. But neither get used much nowadays. There's one discord server I stay vaguely active on because internet friends use it. Post reddit implosion, the matrix isn't very useful since they were for mod chats and I'm only modding one sub until the end of the month, and that's mostly solo (no need for chats lol)

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 years ago

For your friends and family, Signal is probably the best. It's simple to use and set up, unlike SimpleX which some might have trouble with. For people who refuse to switch, iMessage.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

unfortunately it is whatsapp.. Had everyone move to signal, but it didn't last :(

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Waiting on SimpleX to have desktop client and sync to migrate from Signal. Meanwhile Molly and all the major platforms sadly

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[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 years ago

Signal and Telegram

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago

Telegram, most of my family/friends use iphones but I use android, so I convinced them to use telegram so we can send videos, gifs, pictures, etc.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago

Has anyone tried using Revolt or Spacebar? Kind of curious how well those work. I have been thinking of setting up something other than Discord for friends and family.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago (1 children)

πŸ˜† I'd have to have friends to talk to to use a messaging app.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 years ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (3 children)
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[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago

A mix of FluffyChat (backed by Matrix) and Discord.

[–] Dazawassa 3 points 2 years ago (2 children)

I'm only Discord at this point. Over time I've just wanted to stay within a select few platforms for mental health and security. I would move to Matrix but most people I know are on Discord. But I still have an account there incase anyone wants to contact me.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Setup Matrix and add a bridge for Discord.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago (2 children)

You can bridge from Matrix to Discord.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago) (1 children)

I use SMS and Matrix. I'd love to see something like Briar become more popular, or maybe XMPP make a resurgence as it's been a great federated chat protocol for a long while.

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 years ago (1 children)

Telegram almost exclusively. I love thΓ© sheer number of features it offers and pay for Premium.

[–] jiminside 3 points 2 years ago

Telegram is feature-richh for sure. In my country it does not have a large audience for some reason

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