Hi all! I’d like to request suggestions for a secure messaging app, ideally that doesn’t require mobile phone for registration, to stay connected to my family In Russia.
The country wages war on the Internet, messengers and VPNs. Options are blocked one by one, and one can’t register in Signal because numbers that send registration confirmation from Signal are blocked…
I’d need an app that allows group chats, calls, media attachments and audio messages, easy enough for older people would be able to install. Ideally, something niche enough it won’t be blocked right away…
It’s a lot of requirements, but I hope something like this exists and would be very grateful for any recommendations.
Android / iPhone / desktop.
XMPP/Jabber and Matrix both support full end-to-end encryption. Matrix has more cool modern features and slicker UI but has a brutally complex architecture if you want to self-host it. Matrix.org is available though, but since it’s pretty centralized it’s likely to get blocked. XMPP is simple and self-hostable. Both protocols are pretty niche, and except for matrix.org most of the providers that use the protocols are extremely niche. I would say XMPP is on the whole significantly more niche, though. My condolences on your family being in Russia. The warmongering fascists must be stopped. Good luck, hopefully everyone can stay safe.
XMPP is more niche but on the other side more established. It has been used by both Facebook (now Meta), Google and WhatsApp (now part of Meta) to develop their platforms on. Up until recently you could still communicate with someone on Hangouts through an XMPP client, despite only with someone that was also on Hangouts (that was until they pulled the plug on that app). It didn’t support all the features but hey, it was there.
XMPP does have some modern clients too, but indeed, Matrix has been more designed with the 2020s in mind.
Thank you! I’ll look into your recommendations and will figure out what’s more realistic/reliable. And thanks for the wishes, too!