I tried SimpleX but the VPN kill switch on my phone prevents syncing with my computer.
I use telegram primarily as a note taking app with sync features.
Occasionally I send files to friends, so having easy set up for tech illiterate would be great.
I was a Signal defender (although I still use it because it’s better than Telegram or WhatsApp) but now I’m more pushing for DeltaChat, Matrix and XMPP.
Most matrix clients just collect loads of data, so meh
All of those are worse
Worse than what? Fully featured chat, E2EE, can be self-hosted and federated. They have it all.
Signal?
edit / wait - an alternative for telagram as a note taking app??
There’s a note to self feature in Signal
there are decent note apps, like notally, that are smaller than 2mb 🤷
https://f-droid.org/packages/com.kin.easynotes/ 3mb
https://f-droid.org/packages/io.github.quillpad/ 4.6 and it can sync
https://f-droid.org/packages/org.fossify.notes/ 8.9
and than there’s joplin
I don’t disagree, but taking notes in Signal gets you syncing automatically which is convenient and something OP asked for 🤷
And you’ll have fewer apps installed on your phone, which is something I’ve come to value lately.
Standard Notes is my go to for notes 100%. It’s all about privacy through encryption and is FOSS. Plus for this specific scenario, it also allows for notes export.
Friends used telegram so I had the app installed. It was easier to store documents in telegram than in one drive or proton drive, so telegram became my go too. Obviously not the best setup, but it worked and was easy. I’ll try out Signal and Matrix, but continence is a big factor in my choice.
Proton drive has free tier. Not sure if it is as easy as tele for doc storage but holy-shit tele really doing it.
People rave about it.
Just a heads up about people’s suggestions on signal. If you don’t open your desktop client often and it needs to be logged back in it will not sync your latest notes to self messages (perhaps other messages too).
To be clear, this is a feature, not a bug
This is true.
Signal
So easy to setup my tech illiterate parents could do it.
Now try without a phone number. Go ahead. Try
I think the intent is baby steps for those who aren’t already privacy invested. Getting parents or tech illiterate to switch to Signal is a win. They weren’t hiding their number anyway.
I currently have a Signal account tied to a sim not in my name. Getting a burner with cash is an option then park it. Or, if you’re lucky enough to live near a payphone and can gain access to the number, you can activate a signal with a phone call.
Have you ever used Wire?
You can’t
That’s not the point though
Signal can’t do shit Canit sync messages b/w devices seamlessly? Doe it have unlimited storage? Channels? Isn’t upload size limit 100mb? Telegram has 4gb. Advance Bots? Good Ui/Ux? High quality stickers? Big public groups? Mini apps? Lol, signal is NOT an alternative to telegram as a whole, it can only partly replace its messaging functionality
Signal is private. This is c/privacy.
Telegram is not private at all, but has channels and big groups and even, yes, mini-apps.
So Telegram is not an alternative to Signal either, it doesn’t even start solving problems that are solved genially in Signal.
And the post is about telegram alternative?
Try Nostr, I dunno. Or VKontakte if you want the Telegram functionality of sending transcripts of your communications to FSB.
Ok conspiracy theorist signal fan
You should learn something about things you use before talking about conspiracy theories.
Telegram as a note taking app?.. Now that’s one I haven’t heard before
You’d be surprised what people have been doing with Telegram’s ‘unlimited storage’.
A gmail strat
Sounds like a fun project for a filesystem class
Must be why France wanted Durov.
YMMV, but my minimum requirements were:
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Federated just like lemmy or mastodon or email, so I can choose a server or even selfhost.
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First class clients for Linux available, not only Android/iOS, no Electron bloatware.
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No phone number involved.
That rules out Signal, Whatsapp and some more. Matrix fits. However I prefer #Jabber a.k.a. #XMPP. Matter of taste, I guess 🤷
PS: “Note to yourself”, incl. file upload, is supported by all servers and most clients, AFAIK.
Jabber and XMPP aren’t really alternatives as they are just protocols. They don’t have a stable feature set and aren’t necessarily encrypted by default.
The #Jabber feature sets are defined in the compliance suite, e.g. here:
“XEP-0479: #XMPP Compliance Suites 2023”
https://xmpp.org/extensions/xep-0479.html#im
Many Jabber clients do end-to-end encryption by default. I would not care too much in the age of #surveillance directly at the source, i.e. on the device 🤷
If you want an even more coherent feature set and also be sure, all your clients encrypt by default, your best bet is #Snikket by @snikket_im. Highly recommended!
@debacle @TheDorkfromYork I’m still waiting for #gajim 1.9 to be available under #archlinux … (I don’t want to install the flatpak). Yes #xmpp is the way and #quicksy help me convert some people.
Snikket seems nice as well.
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Has a strong smell of: https://xkcd.com/1172/
Signal.
Signal is not available for Android tablets, which was a deal breaker when I tried to move my family off Telegram.
What do you mean? Modern Android apps work on all kinds of devices. Maybe the Android version on the tablet is too old?
Tablets can’t run mobile apps?
Signal needs a phone number
“Don’t you guys have phones?”
Also, I htought 99% of tablets connect to the mobile network using a SIMcard, but even if you rely only on wifi, see my previous quote.
I use Joplin for notes.
Honestly? For that limited use, there’s really no need to switch.
However, if you’re willing to do a little extra effort, Join, by joao apps can do what you’re wanting. The notes is easy as pie. Sending files to your own devices is easy. Then you just need a different file sharing method for others.
It’s not a 1:1 replacement, obviously, but sending files via email, or other methods, when it’s only occasional isn’t something that needs to be part of a messenger service that you aren’t primarily using for messages in the first place. Keeping all your eggs in one basket isn’t always as good.
There are lots of options. Why are you using a chat app for note taking?
Couldn’t you just get a markdown note app that syncs with something like syncthing?
I don’t know their exact use case, but I use it a lot to save links. They can be saved very quick to the saved messages “chat”.
However, recently I got a new phone and now the Matrix client is also opening quickly, instead of taking 10+ seconds, so I’ll switch to sending them to a private room with me being the only participant.
But! I think Markor (from F-droid) also allows sharing arbitrary text to a file, so that could work too. A chat app may be better, though, because it records exact timestamps, and always records linksas a distinct message, so it may be more suitable for your own automated processing later.
None Signal is shit
Unfortunately the Signal recommended by many people may not work for you, it cannot work on multiple mobile devices at the same time, for example on a smartphone and tablet.
I don’t understand why no one recommends Jami? It’s the only messenger that works without a server at all. And yes, it has the ability to forward messages to itself (to use as a note) and works on any devices at the same time.
I am using Signal on two android phones, one android tablet and a linux PC. What do you mean it cannot work on multiple devices?
You have to manually switch.
Not the same.
It works on up to 5 devices at the same time. I’ve used signal on my phone, with it also open on my computer with zero problems. Syncing is instantaneous.
Open Signal rewiews on GooglePlay, there’s every third review about this situation. I forgot to mention, i’m talking about the Android version. The ios version works on ipad at the same time
Sorry for a bit of off-topic, but for a note taking app I suggest checking out Amplenote (there is a free plan for browser and mobile apps). I discovered it recently and it’s quite a life changer for me. Proper tag system for notes is a killer feature.
I just have some syncthing shared folders with friends/family. It may be a little weird to set up, but once there, it’s seamless.
