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Private chat app using wifi only. No SIM available

My niece has an old iphone with no SIM/phone number. Only wifi internet access.

Looking for an app for both of us to be able to chat

She cant chat with me over signal because no phonee number. She chats with the rest of the family over imessage, but i have an android phone

Is there an app available for both android and iphone to let me chat with her?

Thanks

Edit: willing to self-host for extra privacy. My nieces and nephews are all young children so i definitely want to encourage/educate them to get off corporate controlled communications channels

AtariDump ,

Buy an iPhone.

Yeah, yeah. I know. You may not like it (or do it) but you asked for options and it’s an option.

yournamehere ,

jisti, nextcloud talk, element matrix ...go big: IRC

9488fcea02a9 OP ,

Would be so cool if my kids and nieces/nephews used IRC!!

Raxiel ,

I'm aware of the community this is posted in, but my kid talks to her grandparents via the chat features in Google photos. Works over WiFi with specific contacts and no phone number required. It lets her show them pictures she's drawn.
Google are involved of course, but there's no algorithm pushing promoted posts or any of that BS

glasgitarrewelt ,

Wow, I am so so much against your suggestion, but I have to upvote you, for your bravery.

To add something constructive: The app Element as a Matrix client works good for me.

lemmyreader ,

With Signal you only need a SIM card to register the account via the Signal app on the phone. You can receive the SMS for registering on another phone. After registering you can simply use Signal over WiFi. If this is too difficult, XMPP with a good OMEMO client for E2EE is an option. Easiest to install and start with is perhaps DeltaChat, E2EE chat via email : https://delta.chat/en/ You only need to learn what to do if the E2EE is not working right away. They have a FAQ and hints in the app.

leanleft ,
@leanleft@lemmy.ml avatar

if you use textfree, you can probably register on signal with a fake-as-fuck phone number. but i think textfree requires a valid phone number for that.
very sucky to have to do all that.

trippingonthewire ,

Session, but if you're really paranoid ofc.

LWD ,

I'm too paranoid to use Session. They took a perfectly acceptable app with perfectly good forward security, broke the perfect forward secrecy, and put it back together with duct tape.

And they just happen to be in a country that requires you break encryption protocols if they are too good.

Coincidence? I don't know. But I don't think I trust their software since they just took someone else's and made it less safe.

guts ,

SimpleX.

LoveSausage , (edited )

Signal with fake number. https://sms-man.com/?ref=qPLi0ekHzn_c is a good option , yea I added the referral link, remove last part if you wish. Or use a spare number , or wait until usernames are available , or matrix nexttalk and so on as already mentioned

01011 ,

XMPP.

Threema.

Matrix.

Atemu ,
@Atemu@lemmy.ml avatar

Signal v7 with username IDs is right around the corner. I'd suggest you wait a few weeks if you can.

Asudox ,
@Asudox@lemmy.world avatar

Matrix would be good ig.

Evotech ,

"I remember my uncle, he used to force us to use some janky app to talk to him because he was afraid of the big corporations spying on him"

BeatTakeshi ,
@BeatTakeshi@lemmy.world avatar

Oh so that's why you don't have a brain chip lma.... (wait 5 seconds to skip ad)... o

z00s ,

Except they literally do. It's even acknowledged in the mainstream media.

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/16/technology/snowden-spying-big-tech.html

LWD ,

What's frightening is that people more or less agree with this, but they have apathy to the point of making up excuses for it. Humanity is remarkably adaptable, and if they can adapt to supporting slavery or genocide, they will and they still do. Never mind things that are less terrible.

z00s ,

Sadly, I agree.

dracs ,

FYI, last week someone saw that Signal merged in code for username (no phone number) support. So it might not be long until you see a beta release which allows you to sign up without a phone number.

possiblylinux127 ,
@possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip avatar

I don't want to assume the worst but why are you trying to privately communicate with a minor? You really should include a second adult preferably there parent.

You are just asking for trouble

9488fcea02a9 OP ,

why are you trying to privately communicate with a minor?

Uhm... Because my niece asked me yesterday if she could message me on her phone.

When i say "private" i mean not hosted/harvested by facebook or google or whatever.

My brother has full acess to the device and can read our messages. Also, he is well aware that she is messaging her aunts and uncles

I don't want to assume the worst

Proceeds to assume the absolute worst

possiblylinux127 ,
@possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip avatar

Child abuse is a serious issue in the US. I always try to encourage good practices. I didn't mean to accuse you of doing something unethical

I would still encourage getting the parents to join the same chat just for liability reason. If the child's parent is in the group chat the risks go way down.

You can create a new group chat in Simplex Chat and then you can turn off disappearing messages and add the child and the parent.

GravitySpoiled ,

That is very bad advice for people knowing and trusting each other.

possiblylinux127 ,
@possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip avatar

Abuse almost always comes from a person who is trusted by the family. Often they are a close friend.

Trust but verify

Gooey0210 ,

Hehehehe, how we came here, if somebody wants to message their niece that doesn't have a sim card then that somebody is doing something bad 😆

(Sarcasm) 100% somebody isn't using SMS or fb messanger that somebody is a terrorist, extremist, child abuser, and drug user

C'mon, somebody is asking for software advice, just mentioning that it would be cool to educate the kids how to use private services

And even if somebody might be doing something shady, you can't really accuse or suspect somebody, this is really dark of you to suspect everyone around you and starting a witch hunt 😂😂😂

possiblylinux127 ,
@possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip avatar

I'd say the same thing about SMS or any other communication including in person. If you always keep two adults present you are much less likely to have problems

Gooey0210 ,

Idk, sounds really dark, not trusing your family is really dystopian

possiblylinux127 ,
@possiblylinux127@lemmy.zip avatar

Its just a matter of policy. It doesn't need to be that dystopian as all your doing is closing potential opportunity.

solrize ,

I've used a self hosted Nextcloud for that. It's not great but it worked well enough that I didn't bother looking for better alternatives. I'm sure there are more options out there.

9488fcea02a9 OP ,

Hmmmm.. I already have a nextcloud instance running... This is probably the most frictionless option for me...

I'll look into NC talk on iphone for her. Thanks!

solrize ,

If it's for text chat, you can also use a web browser.

Hyperreality ,

If you want to use imessage on android:

https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-use-imessage-android/

(includes self-hosting options)

If you want to use whatsapp:

If someone else has an old (and/or prepay) sim which can receive texts, you can authenticate whatsapp that way. IRC you can also authenticate with a landline. Install whatsapp using the landline number, wait for SMS authentication to fail, then it should ask to call you. Say yes, and you'll get a call with the authentication code. Et voila.

My nieces and nephews are all young children so i definitely want to encourage/educate them to get off corporate controlled communications channels

Good luck with that, is all I can say. Kids are very susceptible to peer pressure, especially as they enter their teen years. It's only when they're in their late teens that they'll open up again and start becoming more critical.

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