I am moving to Signal

[Doc Dan]

I think I am going to move away from WhatsApp and Instragram with their problematic owner and his policies. I am looking at Signal and Telegram. I am leaning towards Signal. Does anyone use it?

[Airlsee]

I've been using Signal for nearly 5 years. I love it, the user interface is fantastic, it's customizable and secure.

[Naperville]

I started using Signal 2 to 3 years ago.

To really USE signal correctly, you need to move all of your family and friends to signal, otherwise the encryption does not work. I assume that is how WhatsApp works although I've never used it.

I never used Telegram either so I cannot help you there, but it sounds OK.

[OldHoosier62]

Both Signal and Telegram are well recommended by my IT friends. Very secure.

[Doc Dan]

We have been messing with both Signal (WhatsApp uses their encryption) and Telegram. The videos are much sharper and clearer on Telegram. As for the rest, we are still finding out.

[austrian_spyder_fan]

I'm using Signal for about 2 years. No losses compared to WA.
Telegramm is also cool, you can manage "bots" using signals for your home automation for example.

ASF

[p_atrick]

I'm interested in how your transition goes. I don't blame you for switching away from WA. Politics aside, their data collection policy is reason enough to change. I'd love to switch, but you need others to change as well. Whenever I try to explain the legitimate reasons for choosing Signal above all else (even iMessage) people tend to see this:

[Doc Dan]

I'm interested in how your transition goes. I don't blame you for switching away from WA. Politics aside, their data collection policy is reason enough to change. I'd love to switch, but you need others to change as well. Whenever I try to explain the legitimate reasons for choosing Signal above all else (even iMessage) people tend to see this:

Yeah, WhatsApp is so popular world wide (Americans mostly do not know what it is) that it is hard to tell people they need to switch. Americans are slowly learning that encrypted telephone and messaging is increasingly important in today's world.

I am not certain whether I like Signal or Telegram best at this point.

[Naperville]

I'm interested in how your transition goes. I don't blame you for switching away from WA. Politics aside, their data collection policy is reason enough to change. I'd love to switch, but you need others to change as well. Whenever I try to explain the legitimate reasons for choosing Signal above all else (even iMessage) people tend to see this:

EXACTLY!!!! :D

I tried to get my brother on ProtonMail and the bonehead kept sending me links to firearm sites clear across the entire EU past the "Five Eyes" in plain text from his Yahoo email account. I closed the ProtonMail acct a week later after black cars with tinted windows started showing up and parking in front of the house, hahahaha. :cool:

[Naperville]

I am not certain whether I like Signal or Telegram best at this point.

Go with Signal. Telegram is a Russian app.

[Doc Dan]

I am not certain whether I like Signal or Telegram best at this point.

Go with Signal. Telegram is a Russian app.

Not exactly. One of the Durov brothers, who was from Russia but left, and an American name Neff founded Telegram.

[p_atrick]

Not exactly. One of the Durov brothers, who was from Russia but left, and an American name Neff founded Telegram.

Let me start by saying that I am not a security researcher. I used to listen to a podcast called Security Now where they talk about computers, security, etc. When asked about secure messaging apps, Telegram did not rate highly in the discussion. This mostly centered around Telegram using their own encryption algorithm. It is easy to invent encryption that you yourself cannot break. And that is a successful strategy as long as you are the smartest person on the planet. The fact is, it is almost impossible to invent your own encryption that can fool all of the hackers all of the time. That is why using open algorithms is best. The general public can pour over the algorithm to search for any weakness. Going back to Telegram, another issue was a publicity stunt they pulled to "prove" they are "unhackable". Telegram set up parameters by which users can try to hack the service. As long as you control the parameters of the game, you can tilt the field to your favor. Actual hackers won't be confined by the parameters of the game; they can do whatever they want. This all transpired a few years ago. Perhaps they have improved their product (I've stopped listening to the podcast). If you want security, the best solutions are following best practices of the security community. Telegram was not (is not?) doing that. Signal has had plenty of scrutiny, and they have made decisions that some researchers do not agree with, but I have not heard the same amount of criticism as Telegram. The security people that I trust all seem to recommend Signal. I would too, but my opinion shouldn't count for much.

[Naperville]

I am not certain whether I like Signal or Telegram best at this point.

Go with Signal. Telegram is a Russian app.

Not exactly. One of the Durov brothers, who was from Russia but left, and an American name Neff founded Telegram.

OOPS, my bad! Well, I was going to end my statement with, "It all depends on why you want to be spied upon by. Do you want the USA or RU to know what your secrets are?" :D

There was an article out last year on a co in the EU that developed encryption used by many companies and governments and the NSA/CIA had been feeding them algorithms for their applications that they knew how to break. I don't think there are any secrets.

[bearfacedkiller]

Do you need social media?

I closed down my Facebook page back in 2014 and never looked back. I do have an anonymous Instagram page that I use for my hobbies and interests but I follow nobody personal on there. It is just for my hobbies.

[JRinFL]

Signal is more a communications platform and not a social media platform.

[bearfacedkiller]

I am an old man so I am behind on most technology. :o

I find phone calls, texts and emails to be all the communication platforms that I need. Maybe I am old school but I still actually call most people on the phone. :eek:

Whoa!!!! Post 10,000!!!! :D

[Naperville]

Do you need social media?

I closed down my Facebook page back in 2014 and never looked back. I do have an anonymous Instagram page that I use for my hobbies and interests but I follow nobody personal on there. It is just for my hobbies.

I use GMail, and I'm not on YouTube, but I download a lot of prepper, survivalist and martial arts videos.

Ditched my Facebook acct in 2020 when they started to restrict posts to AOCs acct. I'm not on Twitter, not on BladeForums.

I'm on Gab and Spyderco Forums. That is it.

But I do "use" Rumble and YouTube, I just don't log in.

[abbazaba]

I've been using Signal for a while and it's great. In fact, the video calling (and voice calling) works arguably better than any thing I've used. Unfortunately it's been difficult to get everyone I know on board. Eventually I think everyone will want the privacy it provides though.

[DSH007]

I downloaded the Signal maybe a year and a half ago because I heard it was "more secure, private, blah blah".. haha I've used it exactly zero times because nobody else that I know is on it (maybe I need more friends..). So there it sits on my phone, amongst all the other silly apps that I never use..

I'm with BFK (congrats on 10K :D) , as far as actually communicating with people.. if I can't do it in person.. phone calls or a quick text are my preferred method.

[p_atrick]

I use GMail, and I'm not on YouTube, but I download a lot of prepper, survivalist and martial arts videos.

I'm a big fan of youtube-dl for downloading videos or music from YT. It is a command line application so it is not the most user friendly, but I don't trust those sites that are like "We'll rip the video and then you can download it from us." I'd rather do it myself. Besides youtube-dl is a very powerful tool once you get the hang of it.