I tried SimpleX but the VPN kill switch on my phone prevents syncing with my computer.
I use telegram primarily as a note taking app with sync features.
Occasionally I send files to friends, so having easy set up for tech illiterate would be great.
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There are lots of options. Why are you using a chat app for note taking?
Couldn’t you just get a markdown note app that syncs with something like syncthing?
If I want to share something with a friend, I can invite them to note chats or bulk forward files. Messages are separate, I can forward individual message rather than all messages. It’s more continent than notes apps I’ve tried.
I don’t know their exact use case, but I use it a lot to save links. They can be saved very quick to the saved messages “chat”.
However, recently I got a new phone and now the Matrix client is also opening quickly, instead of taking 10+ seconds, so I’ll switch to sending them to a private room with me being the only participant.
But! I think Markor (from F-droid) also allows sharing arbitrary text to a file, so that could work too. A chat app may be better, though, because it records exact timestamps, and always records linksas a distinct message, so it may be more suitable for your own automated processing later.
None Signal is shit
Sorry for a bit of off-topic, but for a note taking app I suggest checking out Amplenote (there is a free plan for browser and mobile apps). I discovered it recently and it’s quite a life changer for me. Proper tag system for notes is a killer feature.
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signal is the simplest alternative, it’s actually better than telegram since it doesn’t save data
I know that habit of using messenger app for notes :) Try [matrix] using Element or SchildiChat. It’s e2eencrypted and federated, and even supports markdown formatting in messages. Also some Slack features are included. The only issue for non-techy person might be verifying sessions - just be sure to use the same client on all devices.
I was a Signal defender (although I still use it because it’s better than Telegram or WhatsApp) but now I’m more pushing for DeltaChat, Matrix and XMPP.
All of those are worse
Worse than what? Fully featured chat, E2EE, can be self-hosted and federated. They have it all.
Most matrix clients just collect loads of data, so meh
well if you accept it at the setup, then yeah, it does
I just have some syncthing shared folders with friends/family. It may be a little weird to set up, but once there, it’s seamless.
I use Joplin for notes.
Unfortunately the Signal recommended by many people may not work for you, it cannot work on multiple mobile devices at the same time, for example on a smartphone and tablet.
I don’t understand why no one recommends Jami? It’s the only messenger that works without a server at all. And yes, it has the ability to forward messages to itself (to use as a note) and works on any devices at the same time.
I would describe Jami as “not good”
For starters they lack a security audit and review. It is a huge code base and no one seems to have looked to close.
Next it doesn’t work reliably. Messages frequently get lost in the network and will never arrive.
The nail in the coffin is the broken UI and app instability.
I am using Signal on two android phones, one android tablet and a linux PC. What do you mean it cannot work on multiple devices?
You have to manually switch.
Not the same.
It works on up to 5 devices at the same time. I’ve used signal on my phone, with it also open on my computer with zero problems. Syncing is instantaneous.
Open Signal rewiews on GooglePlay, there’s every third review about this situation. I forgot to mention, i’m talking about the Android version. The ios version works on ipad at the same time
Signal.
Signal is not available for Android tablets, which was a deal breaker when I tried to move my family off Telegram.
It is in fact available for tablets
Only iPads.
And and device running Android
Tablets can’t run mobile apps?
Signal needs a phone number
which does not need to be in the tablet
It does. The Signal app for Android does not support being a secondary device. It must be the primary device with a phone number.
In addition, whatever Play Store settings they use excluded all of our tablets, even the one that had a SIM. Manually installing the APK worked for this case, but that didn’t really solve our problem.
do you mean that it does not have a prompt for the SMS code anymore, and it reads the code only from the received SMS?
that’s a weird choice, I thought a main goal of them was user freedom
“Don’t you guys have phones?”
Also, I htought 99% of tablets connect to the mobile network using a SIMcard, but even if you rely only on wifi, see my previous quote.
Nope
Has a strong smell of: https://xkcd.com/1172/
Telegram as a note taking app?.. Now that’s one I haven’t heard before
You’d be surprised what people have been doing with Telegram’s ‘unlimited storage’.
Sounds like a fun project for a filesystem class
Must be why France wanted Durov.
A gmail strat
@TheDorkfromYork
YMMV, but my minimum requirements were:
Federated just like lemmy or mastodon or email, so I can choose a server or even selfhost.
First class clients for Linux available, not only Android/iOS, no Electron bloatware.
No phone number involved.
That rules out Signal, Whatsapp and some more. Matrix fits. However I prefer #Jabber a.k.a. #XMPP. Matter of taste, I guess 🤷
PS: “Note to yourself”, incl. file upload, is supported by all servers and most clients, AFAIK.
Jabber and XMPP aren’t really alternatives as they are just protocols. They don’t have a stable feature set and aren’t necessarily encrypted by default.
@possiblylinux127
The #Jabber feature sets are defined in the compliance suite, e.g. here:
“XEP-0479: #XMPP Compliance Suites 2023”
https://xmpp.org/extensions/xep-0479.html#im
Many Jabber clients do end-to-end encryption by default. I would not care too much in the age of #surveillance directly at the source, i.e. on the device 🤷
If you want an even more coherent feature set and also be sure, all your clients encrypt by default, your best bet is #Snikket by @snikket_im. Highly recommended!
The by default is the problem
@debacle @TheDorkfromYork I’m still waiting for #gajim 1.9 to be available under #archlinux … (I don’t want to install the flatpak). Yes #xmpp is the way and #quicksy help me convert some people.
Snikket seems nice as well.
Honestly? For that limited use, there’s really no need to switch.
However, if you’re willing to do a little extra effort, Join, by joao apps can do what you’re wanting. The notes is easy as pie. Sending files to your own devices is easy. Then you just need a different file sharing method for others.
It’s not a 1:1 replacement, obviously, but sending files via email, or other methods, when it’s only occasional isn’t something that needs to be part of a messenger service that you aren’t primarily using for messages in the first place. Keeping all your eggs in one basket isn’t always as good.