It is time for Signal.
I don’t get how people expect services to stay free while also being against any kind of subscription or ads and barely donate to support these projects.
This isn’t an essential feature they’re paywalling. I don’t even remember the last time I sent a voice note, let alone get one from a stranger. Feels more like a thank you from the devs for supporting them
Also it’s not like voice messages auto play, so this really isn’t a necessary feature
So we want free apps that offer everything and don’t take your data or advertise. It must also have constant security updates and a fleet of developers keeping it running. Good Luck finding that unicorn.
I actually like this development. I’d much rather pay for a service with money over my privacy.
Signal literally exists. Free.
Signal literally exists. Free.
Signal has fewer features than non-premium Telegram. Both are open source, neither can be used with alternative servers (unlike Matrix).
Signal is peer to peer no?
Signal uses donations to keep running. That’s one of the reasons why they don’t need to do this kind of crap. Kinda like Firefox.
It’s sad to see that slowly but surely the Internet gets divided into the more and more useless giant sector and the free and open sector, which just doesn’t get the attention it needs to be attractive enough for most to switch over. And then there’s also this weird shadow area where I often hear those pirate chanties from…
Sounds like the best open source projects out there. How bout we use our tax money to fund great free software for everybody?
signal is the perfect messaging app for normies
I would generally agree with you, if it could allow you to sign-in on multiple devices, and share message history. I understand why it doesn’t do either one, but it does cripple the experience
But… you can’t sign-in on multiple devices and see the message history there?!
You can once they have both been set up, the history from that point on is shared.
signal is the perfect messaging app for normies
But Signal doesn’t let me restrict receiving voice messages either. I only found options regarding calls, not voice messages.
And thats why I switched to Matrix and set up a Telegram bridge.
Never noticed because I’ve never received a single voice message in the 5+ years of using it. Then again, I only use it with friends and not large communities. I’ve had spam messages, but they’re rare and just text talking about crypto.
Annnnnnnnnnd…Signal!
Signal is superior in all the important security ways anyway. You’re not losing much except stickies and emotes or whatever.
I know, I only use Signal ! But tell that to all the others who explain to my why Whatsapp is so much better…
I’ll stick with Signal thanks
I avoided using telegram when it asked for my phone number.
I avoided using telegram when it asked for my phone number.
So you don’t use Signal and Element either?
Nope
I keep forgetting why sometimes I even use Telegram. It’s just there. I don’t want their dumb subscription.
I just use telegram for the occasional bit of sailing the high seas
WTF?
Well I don’t think you can turn off receiving voice messages in other messengers, either. It’s a weird premium-only feature, but eh, at least they’re not making things worse compared to the baseline.
You can just turn off receiving all messages from any user. This is specifically for people who told their friends that they don’t want to listen to voice messages and want texts, but friends still use voices. Every one I know has a friend like that.
But even then they have a feature to transcribe them for you. Also Premium though, hehe
What bugs me about Telegram is all the messages by scammers posing as pretty women. I seriously get one every day.
Just use another Client.
I definitely prefer premium over my personal data being the product for “free”.
As I get older I’m appreciating paid electronic services and content when done responsibly in exchange for a private ad-free and well done experience. But it’s taking a lot to get over my decades of conditioning assuming everything on a computer and internet should be “free”.
I’ve enjoyed my kagi premium search trial and seeing the prices is a bit much. But getting really good search results and having the webpage or search run so fast and seeing my ad blocker greyed out because there were no ads and trackers to block is surreal this day and age.
I just wish we had a better way of trusting telegram. The only thing encrypted by default is secret chats. I’d buy premium if it made all chats including group chats started by the user encrypted by default.
Yeah, problem with the fremium model is that they usually still collect and sell information on their premium users just the same as their free users. The premium just add some semi-essential features that they cut out for the free users. And finding truly 100% premium services that don’t sell personal data is rare these days because that’s where the money is for now, information. I don’t mind paying for a good service, but I won’t both pay and share my personal information, that’s just paying twice.
Using telegram for years. Its the best messenger.
Don’t have any troubles. I can use e2e-chats if needed.
I truely trust them. Besides, their Android client has the best Android source code I have ever seen. Very good resource.
I will never understand why people switched from WhatsApp to telegram. Tg is just Russian WhatsApp.
Telegram apps are open source, syncs great and accessible from literally everywhere, has great customizability, sends 2 gb files without breaking a sweat, has awesome channels, has bots that is pretty useful… need more reasons?
Telegram is in every way better. My primary reason for prefering Telegram over anything else are bots (API specifically). I mean bots functionality is so awesome that I can’t properly describe how awesome it is. <3
It’s not better in every way. WhatsApp is encrypted by default, Telegram not.
Why tf is this downvoted if it’s true? Telegram’s own encryption is a joke, you can’t enable it in group chats or through desktop clients. There’s also part fo ToS that states you can’t use your own encryption in Telegram, which is pretty suspicious of a supposed privacy-friendly messenger
People might argue you could just use Discord if you want bots but Discord is so bloated an sluggish in comparison to Telegram’s minimalist native clients for every OS (even Linux).
I see Discord as a communication platform while Telegram is a chat app.
I need chat app lol.
Telegram by default does not send end-to-end encrypted messages (only in secret chats) and thus can be considered very unsafe as the server owner can literally read all your messages.
They give the user the impression that they are similar secure to e2e encrypted messengers but really are not since most users just start a normal chat.
This also means that, in theory, surveillance is very possible and likely as the russians are not really to be trusted by anyone. Privacy nightmare.
Even though not e2e, standard chat messages are still encrypted in their servers. There will always be more private ways to communicate if you are into that about that but for a regular user like myself and many others, Telegram offers much more than you could ask, and is not affiliated with big tech.
WhatsApp by default backs up to Google drive, which is laughably insecure.
I don’t know how good is WhatsApp’s e2e implementation, I’ve heard good things about protocol though. But I do know Telegram protocol documentation contains all information needed to implement e2e capable Telegram client, and their e2e is really good, I’ve seen it done by my friend and as I’m a programmer and am interested in cryptography, I followed his work very closely.
I still do not trust e2e group chats, it’s a shaky point in security protocols. There was some kerfuffle about WhatsApp being able to silently add invisible listeners to group chats, wasn’t there?
Telegram very explicitly chooses the right amount of security and makes user aware of inconveniences this level of security brings along. WhatsApp lies in user’s face, making you think it’s secure and convenient.
edit: btw I’m Telegram premium subscriber and love it. I subscribed for the ability to convert voice messages into text. I am aware of privacy concerns, voice messages get sent to some 3rd party for this to work. Pretty often this speech-to-text works not very good, I expect it’s much better for English language though. I still love my Telegram premium, for being able to support developer and to lower the chance of being the product. Cost is negligible, benefits are tangible.
Every service has a product they sell, if a service is free — you are the product.
Need I remind you WhatsApp is owned by Meta? Free service from creators of Facebook and our mutual respect to their privacy practices, all in the same sentence, yeah.
Telegram by default does not send end-to-end encrypted messages (only in secret chats)
When I tap the new message icon in the lower right corner, Telegram asks me which type of message I want to send. There is no default there. Maybe other clients do it differently from the main Android client but here there is no default.
What are the kids using nowadays? Signal?
Kids? Instagram
I think it’s more TikTok these days
I very much dislike TikTok and its interface. Even Spotify is trying to imitate it.
I guess I meant Kids=the cool kids.
It’s not as safe to hook up with your dealer on Instagram, silly.
You shouldn’t really hook up with dealers anyway. Just buy your drugs and leave—don’t bang them! They are notoriously exploitative.
How do you think you get free drugs, my man?
Free? You should value your body more than that, my friend.
Matrix
Yes Signal is goog
Telegram is an infinitely better user experience then WhatsApp.
Signal all the way
As I remember it, nobody had cared about Telegram until Signal started gaining some traction as a more private WA alternative. Telegram just rode that wave, plus I suppose it has better support for large groups I guess? The fact that those aren’t even encrypted just gets lost.
It has the absolute best and fluid user experience of all messengers I’ve tried so far, especially in conjunction with the desktop client.
Telegram is not Russian. The creator is, but that is about it.
I think they are referring to the large Russian user base.
I think they are referring to the large Russian user base.
Telegram is one of the very few ways for uncensored communication and news gathering.
I wasn’t insinuating anything either way. Just observing.
yeah go to matrix instead, or signal
Enjoying Matrix, there seems to be an actual focus on privacy. We’re using it for the development comms for Kbin. Feels like an alternative version of discord
I really hate whatsapp design for some reason
My eyes are bleeding…
TIL telegram is Russian and bad. dang.
It’s not. The founder is russian and created vKontakte but basically had it taken away from him by Putin. He’s outspoken against the regime and just because he’s born in Russia shouldn’t mean he should be seen as part of that crappy government.
thanks this makes me feel better about keeping telegram!
