Hi everyone, I am looking for an encrypted messaging service to start using and recommending to my friends and family, I really want to get this right the first time. At the moment I’m looking at using matrix I really like it’s bridges and federated nature, Although I’m not 100% sure about it’s ux.

What I want to ask is what messaging service do you use and do you have any regrets with it? What encrypted messaging service would you recommended?

Edit: I just had another question are any of the bridges in matrix end to end encrypted? If person A used matrix and person B used signal could person A use a bridge to talk to person B securely?

Edit 2: thanks for all the responses guys it looks like signal seams like the best option since it has really good security like many other messaging apps but it’s also easy to use.

  • Gayhitler@lemmy.mlEnglish
    41·
    3 months ago

    People will dislike this:

    The most basic one with little barrier to entry is imessage. Theres a good chance your friends and family already have it and with a few setting changes (no sms fallback, set icloud recovery key, probably some stuff I forgot) you’re damn near at parity with signal.

    All without dad having to download a new app onto his phone and make a new identity!

    Of course you’ll need signal or something for people who don’t use it.

    I use that combination and it’s excellent. If you can be on imessage with someone you’re good and everything works, if not you do signal.

    There will be people you gotta use sms with. They just won’t be able or willing to do something new. Sometimes there’s an equipment problem, their super old provider version of android can’t get an app you both agree on. Sometimes they’re using a Nokia.

    Interacting with sms often may help keep you on your toes about it. I know I’m more careful over text now.

    That combination, imessage and signal, also has a benefit of reducing the chances that you’ll broadcast an awareness of and desire for privacy and security to the whole world all the time.

    In the us, there’s a 50% chance you just look like a normal person and that’s nothing to sneeze at.

    Make sure it meets your needs of course

    • pineapple@lemmy.mlOPEnglish
      1·
      3 months ago

      Sorry but there is no way I’m using imessages so many people I know have an android phone so that just won’t work. It’s closed source, has no encryption at all when contacting anyone who doesn’t have an iphone. And it’s apple, and apple sucks. iMessages is half the reason why I became anti capitalist it’s such a great example of the pitfalls of capitalism.

      • Gayhitler@lemmy.mlEnglish
        1·
        3 months ago

        No worries, I didn’t see that you were looking for open source or anything.

        Are you mostly worried about the compromised American cell (and by implication other nations 👀) network or something else?

    • jkYkM7a@lemmy.mlEnglish
      1·
      3 months ago

      If you’re on Android, as well, look into BlueBubbles. It bridges iMessage from a MacOS system to most any device/OS. I’ve used it for years now with my partner’s family with very little issue (all of which were resolved with a restart).

      Hard part is getting a MacOS system. I started with a VM, but eventually landed on a ~$100 Mac Mini 2014. Both solutions worked well, but the former is against Apple’s TOS and requires spoofing things, so it’s ultimately much less reliable than actual hardware.