Instant messaging (Whatsapp) alternatives to use on Jolla

asked 2014-02-20 19:50:24 +0200

tokaru
14054 ●175 ●219 ●220

updated 2015-08-27 13:16:44 +0200

EDIT: I noticed that this one is still being upvoted, so: please note that this collection is probably fairly outdated - at some point I stopped following up on the development of all the IM apps. If anyone feels inspired to update the information in here, you are very welcome :) /EDIT

I love Mitäkuuluu, but I never trusted the company that ran the server side part of Whatsapp. And I trust it even less now.

So... I am looking for alternatives (sorry coderus). If you consider Android apps, there is a handful of alternatives being talked about currently. However, I do not know whether those will work on my Jolla phone. Do you have any experiences to share about using IM apps like

Threema
Kontalk
ChatSecure
Telegram
surespot
XMPP
TextSecure
IRC
TOX.IM
Cryptocat
Viber
.... (feel free to add others)

on Jolla?

I really would love to try them, but it is not so easy: (a) I would need to convince friends to give them a try too (you probably know how hard this can be) and (b) not all of the apps are free, and even though I will happily pay for an app that works as desired, I don't want to spend money for something that maybe does not work at all.

E.g. Threema is said to work on Jolla and they sell the APK directly, but if I understand correctly it is restricted to polling, ~~having a fixed interval of 15 minutes - which makes it pretty much useless for instant messaging.~~ Obviously I did not understand this correctly - new messages appear pretty instant, see my test results below.

I assume that other apps might have similar issues...

If you have tried any of these or have other suggestions, I would love to hear your experiences... thanks a lot :)

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67

Whatever you do, avoid centralized services, like whatsapp, but also Telegram and perhaps others of your list. Internet was designed to be decentralized, and services like e-mail, xmpp/jabber, bitcoin, bittorrent, etc show that decentralized systems are much more robust and resistant against influence of a single entity - or even a group of entities.

A good decentralized service must provide the possibility to run your own server within the network, if you want to. E-mail still is an excellent example.

Fuzzillogic ( 2014-02-20 20:35:50 +0200 )edit

7

threema app for jolla would be nice

krayne ( 2014-02-20 20:42:22 +0200 )edit

2

I know it falls under same mistrust as any centralized messaging, but the system called LINE is simple to use and offers free audio/video calls too.

Acce ( 2014-02-20 20:44:05 +0200 )edit

4

yes. i advice to use xmpp and even facebook! you'll that whatsapp is not needed. i also faced before that whatsapp is needed. but jolla realised the accounts (facebook, xmpp) so brillantly - whatsaoo and similar messengers are not needed!

Fedorka ( 2014-02-20 20:46:19 +0200 )edit

@Fuzzillogic I'd love to do so, but of course my less technically inclined friends should be able to use it (convenently) too, decentralized services often are not designed for the masses, unfortunately. It is not only the "instant" why people prefer other services over email.... @krayne yes, definitely (still centralized, though)

tokaru ( 2014-02-20 20:48:35 +0200 )edit

2

answered 2015-01-03 13:53:11 +0200

r0kk3rz

10112 ●108 ●186 ●181

updated 2015-01-03 13:54:23 +0200

Matrix is a work-in-progress.

Key benefits are open protocol, open servers, federated distributed servers, and extensible for different media types. Currently supports VoIP and WebRTC for video calling, as well as text messaging. Also allows logging in from multiple clients with the same account, so you arent tied to a single device.

The protocol and APIs aren't finalised yet, but maybe one to watch.

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1

Liking what I see

dsilveira ( 2015-01-07 16:51:37 +0200 )edit

You can also test it out right now at http://matrix.org/beta/ and help make sure the spec covers all edge-cases by testing, asking questions, running your own server - and filing bugs :)

oddvar ( 2015-03-09 16:35:18 +0200 )edit

2

answered 2015-01-21 17:52:23 +0200

BloodyFoxy
51 ●1 ●4 ●6

You can find Hangouts client called Hangish and Telegram client called Jollagram in Jolla Store. They are not official, but they work. Also you can use your Google account to chat via native Jolla messaging app. Users with Hangouts can receive and send you messages.

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2

Sadly Jollagram is not OSS

Thaodan ( 2015-01-22 06:43:15 +0200 )edit

1

answered 2014-03-08 20:24:55 +0200

Hess
4025 ●17 ●18 ●24

Crypto cat could be another option, see https://crypto.cat/ They recently developed a client for iOS and for Android it is coming soon, until then there were only browser plugins.

However, I don't know what options there are to develop a client for Jolla, but source code for other clients is available here https://github.com/cryptocat

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Have you tried the Android version on your Jolla?

tokaru ( 2014-03-08 21:01:45 +0200 )edit

@tokaru, not yet, I'm waiting on official apk. But I welcome anyone else who has Android build environment set up, to build from the source and try out the current version.

Hess ( 2014-03-09 02:06:18 +0200 )edit

1

answered 2014-12-03 14:06:14 +0200

mlatu
462 ●13 ●23 ●25

I'd be hyped to see a wire client for our beloved sailfish wire.com

since its webrtc compatible this shouldnt be too hard to implement... though i wouldnt know really XD

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haven't tried it yet, but given the press and its features, I'd say it's probably the first viable candidate to replace WhatsApp / Skype - i.e. one that may actually attract enough of one's friends. hopefully the Android client works on Sailfish, and presumably its coming html5 client will. Tweet at @wire on Twitter asking for a native client.

midnightoil ( 2014-12-03 21:13:24 +0200 )edit

1

answered 2014-12-03 14:15:58 +0200

albacoris

984 ●16 ●22 ●29

A Major problem is to encourage friends to change their habits ... I remember when I used a BlackBerry - I had a serious problem with BB Messenger. No one want to have it:)))

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1

And in general, the amount of messaging tools is too high. People have already lost in it..

albacoris ( 2014-12-03 14:17:44 +0200 )edit

1

answered 2015-01-22 06:56:56 +0200

sargas
21 ●4 ●3

Gibberbot with included OTR feature is a good option. You cannot transfer any files but instant messaging works fine using the XMPP server if your choice. On top of that you have end to end encryption, through OTR. Note: i didn't try the newer version called ChatSecure. It can be installed from F-Droid.

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I recommend Conversations as an Android XMMP app that supports OTR and OpenPGP, it's much more user friendly (and also available from F-Droid): https://github.com/siacs/Conversations

nthn ( 2015-01-22 12:02:41 +0200 )edit

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answered 2014-03-09 11:41:04 +0200

bilgy_no1
7008 ●55 ●100 ●104

I tried installing link text

eBuddy XMS is an Amsterdam based alternative, very functional and complete. Big advantage over WhatsApp is that there is a web client (http://XMS.me), so you can continue your conversations on the PC in a browser. They also implemented encryption. On Android it works very well, and it's easy to install.

On Jolla, the installation process doesn't work for me. There are two setup processes. The first is by receiving an SMS with code. I receive the SMS fine, but the app waits for automatic recognition... Which doesn't happen.

The second is by recovering your account with Facebook. Obviously, you'd need to have a working account already, and the point of a Mitakuuluu alternative was to be freed from Facebook. But anyway, the second option also doesn't work.

Anyway, it does still work in the browser based version, although obviously it won't have push notifications nor will it sync with new contacts in my Jolla.

I'll get in touch with the developers to see if they are planning on something.

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answered 2015-01-03 12:17:00 +0200

cocovina

3636 ●47 ●81 ●74

Maybe next possible alternative? Mega will soon release a fully encrypted and browser based video call & chat ...

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answered 2015-01-19 20:30:28 +0200

dieerstegiraffe
201 ●3 ●10 ●12

also have a look at cameonet ! it's a multiplatform open source messaging client from germany with end-to-end encryption and it works quite easy. + it looks clear and intuitive enough to be an option for non-techies! i've only been using the webversion yet, but it worked without limitations. there is an app for android and ios, but i haven't tried them.

one really cool feature i think is that you do not even need an email to sign in and it uses usernames + password instead of telephone number/ email to identify. there is also the option to create several identities (work, friends,..) which is cool. moreover you can also send encrypted sms/ email to people outside cameoNet.

i need to test it some more, but until now this sounds really promising!

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Centralised servers! If those are down, no messaging for you!

nthn ( 2015-01-19 21:58:24 +0200 )edit

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answered 2015-01-20 02:01:42 +0200

sifartech
6679 ●104 ●126 ●123

updated 2015-01-20 02:04:57 +0200

I think we need to remind people of this thing called the SMS / MMS, invented by Nokia, that is there in all cellphones (whether it is smartphones, feature phones, or just plain old cellphones).

Yeah, it may not be free. But then neither is any of your "free instant messaging apps" - you still pay for the data it uses!

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1

Will, when using SMS, you pay by giving them money for the message and you pay with your data. So this advice is just rubbish, tbh.

IM, when encrypted, can be done in such a way, that only metadata is available to the messaging provider and it would even be possible to avoid the metadata.

berniyh ( 2015-01-20 21:32:57 +0200 )edit

@berniyh - Just to clarify, I meant that when you use IM you still have to pay the 2g/3g/4g data charges. As for privacy - you do realise that telecom providers have to obtain a license from the government to operate, and as such are more accountable than any "IM operator" who may not even be operating from your country? And when something is "free" on the internet, you can bet that you are not the customer but the "product" (i.e, your personal data) being sold. Encryption, when done right, is also very user unfriendly to non-techies and thus will never be very popular, and no government (democratic or otherwise) will allow it to flourish unless there is a back-door (there is a reason why encryption is classified as a "munition" by many government). No "free" model business will allow proper encryption because unless they can mine your data in some way, they cannot hope to make money of you.

sifartech ( 2015-01-20 23:05:11 +0200 )edit

"and as such are more accountable than any "IM operator" who may not even be operating from your country"

That's why you host your own servers with a decentralised protocol!

"when something is "free" on the internet, you can bet that you are not the customer but the "product""

Only if the service is proprietary. Otherwise there is no point in selling your data because someone else will make a version that doesn't do that.

Encryption has been user-unfriendly so far because it's made by people who have no idea how normal people use computers. Have a look at Mailpile for example to see encrypted mail done right (still a ways to go, of course), or see Conversations for user-friendly messaging through XMPP with OTR and OpenPGP. It's literally so simple my parents can figure it out.

nthn ( 2015-01-21 19:57:10 +0200 )edit

@nthn - Encryption is not user friendly because of the need to exchange keys. Blackberry messenger is interesting though, with all their 'bb pins'. Let's hope something better evolves. Thanks for pointing me to the 2 projects you mentioned - they sound interesting and I'll certaunly follow their progress.

sifartech ( 2015-01-22 04:40:36 +0200 )edit

Instant messaging (Whatsapp) alternatives to use on Jolla

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