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Google Messages just flicked the switch on end-to-end encryption for all RCS and group chats (chromeunboxed.com)
submitted 3 years ago by to c/technology@lemmy.world
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cross-posted from: https://kbin.projectsegfau.lt/m/tech@kbin.social/t/26889

Google just announced that all RCS conversations in Messages are now fully end-to-end encrypted, even in group chats. RCS stands for Rich Communication Services and is replacing traditional text and picture messaging, providing you with more dynamic and secure features. With RCS enabled, you can share high-res photos and videos, see typing indicators for your...

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[–] 41 points 3 years ago (6 children)

Using Signal since a few years. Don’t know anything about security but from a user perspective, I can highly recommend it. Takes some time converting your friends but after that it does its thing.

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  • [–] 17 points 3 years ago (2 children)

    In my experience some friends are unconvertable, and at that point group chats with those friends just end up in the same place as before.

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  • [–] 6 points 3 years ago (1 child)

    Yeah, that’s entirely possible; I have some friends unwilling to convert (or that I haven’t bothered with). I do however note an increase in use in Sweden, so I’m still hopeful. Best converter would of course be major screw up from WhatsApp etc. which may or may not happen, but then I’ll be ready to bang the drums again :)

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  • [–] 3 points 3 years ago

    I have some friends like that, but am currently in the process of making the switch over to signal from Snapchat. The key is once you have a critical mass of people in the group they switch over lmao

    Also whenever you make a new gc, for example to plan something, you make it in signal and send them the invite link lol

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  • [–] 10 points 3 years ago (2 children)

    But that doesn't help with sms or rcs. I wish there was an rcs client that was not made by Google

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  • [–] 5 points 3 years ago

    As far as I know Google doesn't allow third party apps to plug into RCS.

    This is why them bashing Apple for this particular issue always seemed hypocritical to me, they want this to be their own closed ecosystem, with Apple being the exception because they have enough clout to actually go it alone or even take users away from Android.

    Ideally you'd have apps like Signal plugging into the same end-to-end encryption for interoperability, but Google won't allow that because they just want people to use Google Messages for RCS, and nothing else.

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  • [+] 10 points 3 years ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (2 children)
    [deleted]
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  • [–] 2 points 3 years ago (3 children)

    What's wrong with Matrix? I use both, just wondering

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  • [–] 3 points 3 years ago* (1 child)

    I'll be honest, the UX/UI is kinda my one big gripe with it. It feels so amateurish. More so because the desktop app is very clearly just a website that requires me to run a Chromium to display it, which makes it look pretty bad, more so side-by-side with Unigram, a pretty damn impressive Telegram app.

    But even the Android app barely checks the bare-minimum. Yeah it's a messenger. Feels kinda laggy compared to Telegram and Messages, lacks any cool animations of neat UI design, lacks cool themes, nothing really. Now of course messengers don't need any of that, but it just shows to highlight that it isn't exactly a stellar product except in its austerity, and if it were about that I'd expect it to run significantly better and with less resource hunger than it does on either mobile or desktop.

    Of course, it's still a really good app, just the UX/UI is exactly the one thing I wouldn't recommend it for. 😅

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  • [–] 4 points 3 years ago (2 children)

    I see your point. I like that the UI is quite simple, reminds me of the UI in iMessage. I was choosing between telegram and signal but mostly went with signal due to positive things I read online, in addition to being recommended on Privacytools.io which felt good.

    Privacytools.io

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  • [–] 4 points 3 years ago*

    Do NOT use PrivacyTools. This site was good resource before 2020 but then main developer disappeared for some time and returned with site which sells recommendations on products for money. Weird recommendations popped out. Just use Privacy Guides. Basically all biggest contributors moved on there. You can read more about this story in their FAQ 🙂

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  • [–] 1 point 3 years ago (2 children)

    I always have issues with people not receiving messages on it 😭

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