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A few things #deltachat apps are doing positively different from #Signal apps

- easiest onboarding ever; not depending on phone numbers or other private data

- support for multiple chat profiles/identities

- decentralized servers, not depending on US-based GAFAM etc.

- migration from one app/platform to any other

- easy multi-device support for any chat profile

- developers have chances to get their PRs merged :)

- mini-apps support via webxdc.org

anything missing?

This entry was edited (1 month ago)
in reply to Delta Chat

thanx for the app, though I yet was not successful to convince chat partners to switch. At least two have tried it once. Guess it needs time.
in reply to Delta Chat

It is indeed quite a frictionless switch imo. One thing I would point out that needs to be ironed out is for the notifications to work 'as expected' out of the box.

I think there's a manual step required currently to ensure notifications keep working in the background (settings -> notifications -> enable 'use background connection' and 'force background connection')

That's the only inconvenience I, and my friends, have faced so far.

in reply to Delta Chat

when does it start interacting/bridging to established federated messengers like Matrix?
in reply to Delta Chat

About "support for multiple chat profiles/identities" : that looks awesome, but I can't find how to create a second identity in the app. Feel free to send me RTFM :)
in reply to Delta Chat

What I fear is that with all the apps and extra functionality, they introduce bugs and vulnerabilities.

But maybe the code is segmented somehow so that the apps live and depend on isolated code?

in reply to Delta Chat

many people pay attention to the UI of Delta Chat. I don't like Telegram, but their UI looks better. Maybe it is an option for an alternative client.
in reply to Delta Chat

and also group calls is the option, to choose Signal, Telegram, WhatsApp instead of Delta Chat
in reply to Delta Chat

- Delta Chat groups are terrible at group control. Anybody can remove anyone else. Signal groups have administrators.

- Delta Chat desktop on Linux has no integrated spell checker. Signal does.

- Delta Chat desktop on Linux has no emoji completion. Signal does.

- Delta Chat does not have any notion of a username that allows for easily finding someone else. It requires the usage of cumbersome URLs or QR codes. Signal has usernames.

I like Delta Chat, but there is room for improvement.

#DeltaChat

in reply to Delta Chat

How much user data is stored on chatmail servers? I know its E2EE but what about the metadata? Do they know who you connect to for example?
in reply to Delta Chat

Delta Chat, Session, and SimpleX are three user-friendly and privacy-respecting apps I would recommend for ppl.

Good apps.

in reply to Delta Chat

>anything missing?

A security audit by a reputable auditor.

Beyond that, here's a handy checklist for you:
soatok.blog/2024/07/31/what-doโ€ฆ

Paging @soatok

This entry was edited (1 month ago)
in reply to Apicultor ๐Ÿ

@apicultor @soatok with anything missing we meant in the positive list :) of course there are also several things that can be approved on our side and where signal is better. For example signal had a 100 times more money to develop their offering :)
in reply to Delta Chat

>with anything missing we meant in the positive list :)

A security audit isn't something on the positive list for a "secure messenger app"? ๐Ÿ‘€

in reply to Apicultor ๐Ÿ

@apicultor Question:
"Was Delta Chat independently audited for security vulnerabilities?"

Answer:
"Yes, multiple times ... delta.chat/en/help#security-auโ€ฆ

in reply to bjoern

@r10s Yep, I saw that. Unfortunately, none of them seem to acknowledge the massive elephant in the Delta room: metadata.

@delta

in reply to Apicultor ๐Ÿ

@apicultor @r10s did you read the FAQ wrt metadata? delta.chat/en/help#message-metโ€ฆ
in reply to Delta Chat

there is something that can happen and will happen to new people: uninstall Delta Chat and lose the account. Is there a way to warn people before uninstall? Maybe not, but it'd be great to be able to prepare a text warning about second devices or backups, even offer a link to download backup file...?
in reply to ๐ŸŒด Seph ๐Ÿ’ญ ๐Ÿ‘พ

@vextaur one does not need a camera for installation ๐Ÿคทโ€โ™‚๏ธ

apart form that, for getting in contact, it is handy if one party has a camera. and for adding a second device, it is handy if the new device has a camera.
both have alternatives by passing links around, yeah, still, there is room for optimisation

in reply to bjoern

@bjoern @Delta Chat Not initial install, but additional install, which requires you to create a back up on one of your devices, then transfer that backup to the new device if you can't snap a pic of the QR code
in reply to Delta Chat

@Delta Chat @bjoern Yep, but it could be easier, look at Signal which offers a link in addition to the QR code IIRC (its been a while since I used it), or Telegram which sends a code to your other devices. Heck, you could make it where I put in my user ID, and generate a code on one of my other devices for better security than either of those two
in reply to ๐ŸŒด Seph ๐Ÿ’ญ ๐Ÿ‘พ

@vextaur @r10s Delta Chat also offers to copy-paste the link instead of scanning the QR code. Contrary to Signal, the link only works in the same wifi to avoid attacks like this one: dailysecurityreview.com/securiโ€ฆ

But yeah, a simple improvement could be that it doesn't matter anymore which device scans which QR code. This wasn't available at the time when we implemented it. Now, other priorities take up our focus - but it isn't forgotten, don't worry.

in reply to Delta Chat

@Delta Chat @bjoern My new device wouldn't allow me to paste anything, it threw back an error, don't remember what exactly, so the code idea might be the easiest, no server needed, just the same process except you tell it to generate a human readable log in code that can be copied or manually entered.
Unknown parent

mastodon - Link to source
Delta Chat
@sarae state actors could run #chatmail servers, and maybe that is happening today. But the server does not get private data, and can not break the end-to-end encryption, and so does not see any metadata like profile names, avatars, group memberships etc.
in reply to Delta Chat

Supporting classic, unencrypted groups with people who doesn't use Delta Chat yet, while still having avatars and modyfing member list, for example ๐Ÿคฆโ€โ™‚๏ธ

I still have to use 1.58 and tell people to install legacy version. It's a shame.

in reply to anedroid

@anedroid unencrypted email use cases have been discussed in the support forum already and the outcome is: our focus is on end-to-end encryption and metadata minimization, along with helping to grow a world-wide federated reliable chatmail relay network run by many 3rd parties.

Instead of sticking to the old 1.58 delta versions it'd likely be better if you recommended your friends to use another email app that directly focuses on unencrypted mail handling if that is what you are looking for.

in reply to Delta Chat

There are none, unfortunately. None as good as Delta Chat used to be.
This entry was edited (1 month ago)
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