Google messages is a resource hog, Samsung messages forced a trash option which can’t be disabled.
Looking for a simple RCS capable messaging app but I don’t think anyone has created one yet. Could be the API is not available yet to third party.
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I was looking for one app (FOSS) wich replace Google Messages but I have not found any yet.
MEI is not open source, which is not an option to me
The closest app may be Signal, but I do not feel confortable with this app and I do not use it.
I believe that the API is not available yet to third party.
There is a few others on Play store which offer RCS but none open source and frankly I don’t trust any third party. Google Messages is a resource and battery hog with limited customization. Sure would be nice to have a FOSS option one day. Guess back to built in samsung messenger app for now.
The Samsung News app would be enough for me. But since I can’t use it on the desktop, I now use Google Messages.
You mean Samsung messages app? You can use Samsung Dex
Samsung Dex, like Microsoft’s “companion for your smartphone”, is far too bloated because both want all their services activated right away. And I reject that.
Not sure what you mean by “all their services activated” Dex is fairly simple, you use what you want on the Dex desktop, it doesn’t activate anything more on the phone in terms of running processes. What was already running remains the same.
Then I’d better take a look at the app again and maybe test it out 
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@honeycoder (to your comment below):
I have not really been able or willing to test Samsung Dex: Samsung DeX and phone did not connect and I am not prepared to test the extensive solutions suggested.
I was able to install and use Google Message easily. As long as there is no F-Droid alternative, I will continue to use this Google App.
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Ya, it is not intrusive at all. Easy to use, it does have its quirks and bugs but its free
RCS is a proprietary implementation.
I’d recommend both not using it, and removing its hooks if you can.
It is becoming widely accepted as a new standard whether you like it or not. Once apple jumps on that bandwagon and google enables E2EE it will be even more mainstream. Most of the carriers are already onboard and committed fully RCS implementation for Android under the Cross-Carrier Messaging Initiative (CCMI), which does not involve Google. The Universal Profile is where its at but to think SMS/MMS is sticking around is short sided.
I’m curious to hear your reservation about RCS in general.
RCS is a walled garden of:
- proprietary protocol
- proprietary clients
- proprietary servers
- proprietary E2E (no thank you!)
How are you supposed to migrate RCS to another phone? Use it on two phones at once? On a computer?
What happens when your carrier locks you out?
Why do you want your carrier to know who you are talking to? When you are talking to them?
Why would you want your carrier correlating your messages with your physical location?
What about the mandatory data retention laws that most countries enforce onto carriers? (7+ years in USA)
Why put your carrier in so much control?
ISPs and carriers should be a dumb pipe only.
RCS is the exact opposite from what one should want in a messenger.
Both XMPP (Conversations) or Matrix (Element) are far better open standards.
Looks like RCS is a thing only in the US and Canada. In other countries it will have a hard time competing with various messenger apps. Just found out from Wikipedia that my carrier has launched RCS but I can’t care less 
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That is not correct UP/RCS has already been rolled out in UK and France.
Not to mention it has been adopted by far more than most know.
Where to begin to unravel this mess… This has to be a bait response…
First, take off your tin foil hat. If I had a dollar for every CyberSecurity expert blogger who actually outright only provided facts and not conjecture.
By your arguments alone no offense but you clearly have no idea what you are taking about.
Take it from someone who knows and has experience with ISR as a gov contractor when I tell you if they want your information they will get it. The moment you turn on your phone, or get on the internet you have already given away your right to anonymity. This is a fact, and I don’t care what OS or E2E protocol you have on your phone or computer.
If you don’t understand the basic principles of RF communication, backbone of commercial cellular services, you will be in for a shock. Let’s go over your arguments:
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RCS is a walled garden of:
You don’t understand the definition of Proprietary clearly. Do you even know CCMI is a joint venture between carriers and has nothing to do with google. Take a look at who is using the API already from the chart I posted. There is nothing IP or Proprietary about Universal Profiles or RCS. -
How are you supposed to migrate RCS to another phone? Use it on two phones at once? On a computer?
The same way you switch between SMS/MMS apps, try it, switch between the many offered already, it’s not difficult. -
What happens when your carrier locks you out?
Name the last time a carrier locked you out of sending SMS/MMS via their gateways or relays. Are you a criminal that violated the law or a deadbeat that didn’t pay your bill? If not put down the tin foil please. -
Why do you want your carrier to know who you are talking to? When you are talking to them?
This again displays your lack of understanding of how SMS/MMS currently works with your phone and the carriers. Spend a little time to understand the architecture and it will answer itself. To put it short they already know who you are sending messages to as that information is readily available to all carriers within their gateway. The content of the messages they don’t access and have no need unless there is a court order and depending on which agency and court has made that request. -
Why would you want your carrier correlating your messages with your physical location?
The moment you turn on your phone you have given up your location to the carrier. If you have GPS turned on than you have provided even more granular metadata to your carrier regardless of what OS you have or encryption you have. If you are connected via Wifi you have again given up your location knowingly or not. -
What about the mandatory data retention laws that most countries enforce onto carriers? (7+ years in USA) Why put your carrier in so much control?
You don’t have a choice, read my response above. No one is putting a gun to your head to use the carriers services. Only paranoid and criminals are worried and most of them are not smart enough to understand they can’t evade the tools nation states have to track them.
A law abiding citizen has nothing to worry about which is the masses. If you are that concerned start your own carrier and setup your own architecture and backbone. Ever heard of Encrochat, Ennetcom, or more recently Sky Global, how did that pan out lol -
ISPs and carriers should be a dumb pipe only.
This may be the only thing you have said I agree with, but that is not the reality of the world we live in. There are bad actors and as long as those bad actors exist to exploit these services they will be dealt with by countering agencies. Don’t be a criminal and you have nothing to worry about! -
RCS is the exact opposite from what one should want in a messenger. Both XMPP (Conversations) or Matrix (Element) are far better open standards.
Wrong, the same arguments above apply and neither is adopted to the level Universal Profiles has but nice try.
All in all you need a better understanding of what you are talking about.
The reality is anonymity does not exit and you can tell yourself you are secure with E2EE or what ever custom ROM you have and all that other security related stuff that is marketed to the masses with little to no understanding of the basic principles of communication. Hell, even the military learned and switched to m-code once we figured out the adversaries has access and the same basic principles of RF. I digress, but anyway each his own. You still can’t convince some don supporters covid is real.
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It’s all about your threat model. If you are a NSA’s target then you are right. But most people just want to protect their data from ISP.
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you have already given away your right to anonymity.
This is defeatist.
has nothing to do with google
I don’t know why you keep bringing Google into this.
switch between the many offered already
Where is past chat history? Are contacts synced?
Name the last time a carrier locked you out
My point is why stay chained to a phone number?
This again displays your lack of understanding of how SMS/MMS
RCS merely amplifies SMS/MMS.
I do not use nor recommend the use of either of them when possible.
The moment you turn on your phone you have given up your location to the carrier.
A fairly rough one by cell towers.
GPS turned on
connected via Wifi
Would require software running on the phone to send this information back to the carrier.
ala OMA-DM or A-GPS MSA.
Or your carrier sending emergency SUPL overrides.
Or something more nefarious lurking deep in the proprietary modem.
You don’t have a choice, read my response above.
There is a choice: don’t use SMS/MMS/RCS. And use TLS whenever possible.
A law abiding citizen has nothing to worry about which is the masses.
This is just silly.
neither is adopted to the level Universal Profiles
Why should they adopt some awful proprietary protocol?
To be completely clear, as far as I am aware, all of the publicly available RCS specifications are not complete. They have many parts missing. You have to be part of their special circle to get access to the complete specifications.
can tell yourself you are secure
There are many different shades of secure. E2E XMPP is most definitely secure from a cell carrier.
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I have no intent to respond to this any further.
RCS is a pitiful attempt by the carriers to take back control from the rise of apps like WhatsApp and Signal with E2E by default
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That is a fallacy due to the simple fact your giving up your right to your own privacy the moment you use an external service for communication. It is a fact no matter how you want to spin it.
When people begin to comprehend this fact and the focus on privacy isn’t localized it will be easier to come to terms with reality.
I can guarantee 99.9% of people do not read the T&S, they also get up in arms when they find out your data is being mined one way or another.
“Data” is a broad term. These phone companies and cell carriers can care less what you text and who you text, they have billions of customers. Some do it behind your back and others in your face taking your “data” for profit. If you are a law abiding citizen than you need not worry beyond common sense. You don’t post your social on the internet for everyone, use the same common sense about what you share to the world. If you don’t like targeted ads and trackers than use uBlock or similar on your phone and browser to block those hosts. But for one moment don’t kid yourself and think b/c you have an app with E2EE utilizing a govt created encryption cypher it can’t be decrypted if you are a criminal. Most criminals are not very bright to begin with.
Choices…You have a choice to get on the internet or use a cell phone. None of these corporations are putting a gun to your head. Understand 100% anonymity does not exist and apply common sense.
Good, glad we agree on something.
You have demonstrated yet again with your farcical responses your lack of the basic elementary principles of communications and architecture.
You come across as an amateur armchair security expert wannabe with multiple layers of tin foil on your head.When you educate yourself and understand the very basics, the false notion of your own arguments will make sense to you.
Believe me I’m dying to respond to you further and break down the technical errors you assumed again, but it is not worth my time. Like I said there is still people who don’t believe covid is real, or the govt is trying to track them with the vaccine. You can’t help them all…
ahwww, yeah, that makes total sense. I had to use one by an operator shown in above post and slowly they added so much bloat in there RCS supported Message SMS/MMS app - #14 by honeycoder