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AncientJames ,

Smart compose is there for me. It looks like this bar will have more icons depending on the context and maybe more in the future.

https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/b4f31f33-f89d-4dc2-80c6-e95bc28b01b4.png

workerONE ,

I just looked through all the settings, there doesn’t seem to be a way to change it back.

woodenskewer OP ,
@woodenskewer@lemmy.world avatar

Same. I installed textra right after and everyone will have to deal with getting SMS from me or not talking to me lol.

Racle ,
@Racle@sopuli.xyz avatar

Just out of curiosity, how much people still use SMS? I can’t remember last time I sent SMS.

Here in Finland we use mainly Whatsapp, FB Messenger, Telegram or Signal for messaging. Almost no one I know has sent SMS in the last 10 years.

dodos ,

The US seems to primarily still use sms. I’ve heard it’s tied to having unlimited messaging phone plans being the norm, so people weren’t as drawn to other platforms.

Racle ,
@Racle@sopuli.xyz avatar

And US still has very expensive data plans compared to Finland (I pay 21e/month for unlimited 200mbps data, calls, sms). That could also be one factor why SMS is still used there so much 🤔

BearOfaTime ,

It’s really that SMS has been free since about 2008.

I don’t even think about my data usage, really. My plan is 10gb. That’s a lot for a phone, and I let it connect to certain wifi networks while out and about. Plus it uses a VPN and my apps encrypt data so it’s not really a concern.

akilou ,

Also, you don’t even need a platform at all. Just a phone and a phone number.

adchevrier ,

I’m in France and I still use sms. Unlimited sms became the norm well before data plans and messaging apps, and it’s much easier I can just text someone without having to look on which plateform they have an account. It’s like voice calls, for sure you can call someone on messenger or Whatsapp but why bother when I can just make a regular phone call?

Racle ,
@Racle@sopuli.xyz avatar

For voice calls, most use regular phone calls here, it just works better (and VoLTE/VoWiFi is great addition to sound quality). Apps are only used when you are making video calls.

As for messages, it’s much easier to send images/videos via whatsapp/signal than it’s via SMS. + replies/reactions. Probably main reason why people use apps instead SMS (even while many/most of our plans include unlimited data/sms/calls). RCS added those features IIRC, but why switch to another solution while apps works just fine and most of people already are used to Whatsapp 🤷‍♂️

And most of the people here has Whatsapp installed, so usually you don’t have to guess what app to use :P

Kusimulkku ,

Video calls, sending files though.

pewgar_seemsimandroid ,

in Estonia i occasionally send sms

deweydecibel , (edited )

It’s not a choice, here, so much as it is the result of our smartphone culture.

In the US, using the default messaging app on your phone is the norm for most people. Third party messaging apps like WhatsApp simply never caught on over here, so we’ve let Apple, Google, Samsung, etc determine how we talk to each other. Vendor lock-in tactics run rampant, with barely any regulation.

The default messaging apps on iPhone is iMessage. It’s locked down and can not communicate with any other messaging app except via SMS. Therefore the other apps have to use it to communicate with iPhone users.

Conversely, Google has a messaging protocol they’re trying to get Apple to adopt called RCS, but Google also refuses to let RCS be used by third party apps. So SMS becomes the fallback for communication between them.

It’s partially corporate bickering, partially consumers being tech illiterate and staunchly opposed to using anything third party. Particularly in the case of iPhone users, there’s a strong culture of entrenchment in the Apple ecosystem, and for some people, not being in it is actually seen as worthy of derision. There’s actual cases of bullying in schools if a kid doesn’t use iPhone, and that’s having an increasingly detrimental effect on the market.

You have to appreciate, in Europe, you’re mostly using Android, a (somewhat) open ecosystem, and that mentality is stronger over there.

But here in the states, iPhones are extremely prominent, and with them comes the mentality that Apple has spent decades programming into its consumers: don’t use anything non-Apple, and if that creates problems for other people, too bad, they should just buy Apple too.

BearOfaTime ,

Using SMS is largely because it’s been free on most vendors since about 2008. Just before smartphones took off, with everyone getting data plans which would enable proper messaging systems.

I’ve been running XMPP on my phone since 2010.

kick_out_the_jams ,

The default messaging apps on iPhone is iMessage. It’s locked down and can not communicate with any other messaging app except via SMS. Therefore the other apps have to use it to communicate with iPhone users, who you will never, ever convince to download a third party messaging app

One other thing is that none of the third party messaging apps can even use SMS. iOS is designed so that only Apple can use SMS.

kilgore_trout ,

I am familiar with the whole topic, but your summary is the best I’ve found, tackling objectively all the points of the issue.

if that creates problems for other people, too bad, they should just buy Apple too.

I believe this is a real quote from Tim Cook when prompted about RCS in iMessage.

WarmSoda ,

The US uses sms.

sanguinepar ,
@sanguinepar@lemmy.world avatar

UK here, I still use SMS for people who aren’t on Signal.

I don’t use WhatsApp and I’m on Android, so no iMessage, so SMS is the great leveller that will always work.

It’s a shame Signal dropped SMS fallback as it was really useful.

kilgore_trout ,

One of the issues they explained when they dropped SMS is that it was misleading to users to have unencrypted communications in an app that promotes privacy over all.

sanguinepar ,
@sanguinepar@lemmy.world avatar

Yeah, and to be fair, I see their point.

But I feel they could have done more to communicate to users that “this message will be encrypted” or “this message won’t be encrypted”. It’s their app though, so up to them I guess.

ikidd ,
@ikidd@lemmy.world avatar

Wouldn’t be an SMS discussion without someone patting themselves on the back because they use use some corpo app.

kilgore_trout ,

FB Messenger and Telegram are worse solutions, but Whatsapp is really no different from Google RCS. And Signal has almost no downside.

TheWorstMailman ,

I use the default Google messaging app, and am in the US. When sending to other Android users it uses RCS. The only time it sends as SMS/MMS is when messaging iPhones because Apple won’t support RCS

Anticorp ,

If I’m not mistaken then Apple can’t support RCS until Google opens it up. It’s a closed protocol tied to the Google Messaging app. Go look for another Android app that supports RCS. There are none. Okay, there’s one from an unknown company, with a bunch of bad reviews.

step6672 ,

In fact, Apple is implementing RCS in their messaging app: www.theverge.com/2023/…/apple-iphone-rcs-support

Anticorp ,

Well that’s out-fucking-standing!

Edit:

RCS will instead replace SMS and MMS and “exist separately from iMessage when available.”

Well, that’s kind of concerning for iMessage users. Will they completely lose SMS and MMS support? What about when the iMessage or RCS servers are unreachable?

Edit 2:

and it’s planning to file an appeal against the government’s regulation of its App Store

Does this mean they may not actually roll this feature out, or may yank it if they win their appeal?

step6672 ,

Well, that’s kind of concerning for iMessage users. Will they completely lose SMS and MMS support? What about when the iMessage or RCS servers are unreachable?

It’s pretty confusing, but I don’t think so. Read the last bit: “when available”. SMS and MMS will be available, but RCS will take priority over them when available.

Does this mean they may not actually roll this feature out, or may yank it if they win their appeal?

Nop, it’s the sideloading thing.

kilgore_trout ,

Their implementation will not feature E2E encryption.

step6672 ,

The only RCS implementation that has E2EE is Google Messages (well, pretty much the only one available, but anyways), RCS as a protocol doesn’t have it by default, right?

bigMouthCommie ,
@bigMouthCommie@kolektiva.social avatar

i thought rcs was developed by openwhisper for signal

step6672 ,

That’s the Signal Protocol. RCS is Google’s attempt to replace SMS/MMS

kilgore_trout ,

You are right.

nymwit ,

It’s weird because it is a standard but Google’s implementation is not really the standard. For insurance, the standard does not use end to end encryption, Google does. Their implementation also runs over their own Jibe servers rather than carrier stuff. You gotta be a Google bestie with muscle like Samsung to get your rcs client on Android seems like.

en.wikipedia.org/…/Rich_Communication_Services

skuzz ,

I think the real question is, why hasn’t there been a successful effort to properly modernize SMS. Having a standard service capable of messaging any mobile device without using a corporate crufty app the corps can glean all your data from seems the more logical choice. SMS itself will send even if you have a weak cellular connection without Internet data.

Universal standards are good for open communication. Every phone should be supporting the IMS video calling that has existed in the 3GPP spec since rel 99. (1999) as well.

How we got to this selective app hellscape instead of standard voice, video, text messaging is the real problem needing a solution.

Anticorp ,

Because the era of open communication is over. The era of proprietary tracking is here.

TonyOstrich ,

I only use SMS/RCS to talk to friends and family in text format here in the US.

Swarfega ,

I’m hoping RCS takes off. We need to step away from WhatsApp now it’s owned by Meta.

Anticorp ,

RCS will never take off as long as it is tied solely to Google Messages. If they want that to be the standard then they need to open it up.

IronKrill ,

Personally, as long as 1GB of data costs me an extra $10-15 a month and SMS is free, I ain’t switching to RCS.

Anticorp ,

This app also supports MMS and RCS, which are used by hundreds of millions of people every day.

Alexstarfire ,

You use 4 different apps to send messages while we mostly use one. Not sure that’s the win you think it is.

Racle ,
@Racle@sopuli.xyz avatar

Just to be clear, never said that I used all of those. Just made quick list of most popular apps to use here :P If I had to guess, over 95% of people here just use WhatsApp.

They all have pretty much same functionality what traditional sms is missing.

moon ,

I’m not a fan either. I will swap to literally any FOSS texting app that supports RCS.

redcalcium ,

Is there any foss messaging app that support RCS though?

pewgar_seemsimandroid ,

not yet

kilgore_trout ,

Not ever, unless Google is forced to open it up.

pewgar_seemsimandroid ,

source?

kilgore_trout ,

Source: Google is not using standard RCS.

tiredofsametab ,

Download the messaging app of your choice. Get friends to download it if they want to contact you. Use that app and too bad if no one else does shrug

Scrollone ,

Damn this sucks. What are they thinking? It’s a horrible way to manage a text input

GluWu ,

FOSS SMS > Google RCS

Or use signal like a civilized person.

chronicledmonocle ,

Me, using Google Voice for SMS: “Y’all have nice UIs sometimes?”

brax ,

Can Textra handle RCS yet? I bought it ages ago but ditched it when it couldn’t handle RCS

davidgro ,

Nothing can without the blessing of Google, and so far that’s limited to Google Messages and Samsung Messages (whatever it’s called)

Kusimulkku ,

Great standard you got there. Fucking hell

GorgeousDumpsterFire ,

I’ve been reading articles for years about how Google say they’re going to open the RCS API to 3rd-Party apps but they have yet to do so.

ilovededyoupiggy ,
@ilovededyoupiggy@sh.itjust.works avatar

This is why I scoff every time Google takes jabs at Apple about iMessage. Pot, meet kettle. Until I can use rcs with Textra, they got no room to talk

rolling_resistance ,

They’re proobably working on how to track messages on the way, like “hey, wanna use RCS? here’s our com.google.rcs library”, which by coincidence sends every message to Google.

nymwit ,

Your cynicism is warranted but a big part of the advertised value is that their rcs implementation is end to end encrypted. Or they say it is, which presumably someone (not me!) would be able to verify.

Lemonparty ,

I paid for Textra over a decade ago, and it’s easily the best money I’ve ever spent. It’s the best texting app I’ve ever used and I highly recommend everyone check it out. They still churn out updates regularly and the features are above and beyond most messaging apps.

MIDItheKID ,

Okay, so I’m not crazy. I started seeing this today, and I had to stop and think “Wait, was this always here?”

SendMePhotos ,

Lmao same.

Nativeridge ,
@Nativeridge@aussie.zone avatar

bloody annoying and ugly

Maladius ,

Until I saw this post I thought my phone was just being buggy.

slurpeesoforion , (edited )

If I had wanted all the extra bull shit that came with these updates I’d have bought an iPhone.

sbv ,

The text lines up with the recipient’s text bubbles. It’s on the left, and it’s left justified, so it’s under the other person’s messages, rather than mine.

I could have sworn the old UI had the text entry closer to the right.

themusicman ,

I like it. Previously it would hide a bunch of icons to give the bar more space, now it doesn’t need to

woodenskewer OP ,
@woodenskewer@lemmy.world avatar

From what I noticed they only added an emoji button though. This already is on my keyboard area. Maybe I’m missing something but at least you enjoy it.

player2 ,

And the emoji button in the message area has less features than the one found in the Google keyboard (no emoji kitchen?!), so I’ll never want to use it anyways.

Pure_Decimation ,

There is also the new AI response button. But not everyone sees that. I think that’s the biggest reason for this change. It looks better than the couple other ways they demoed the ai smart reply ui. https://lemmy.world/pictrs/image/48567b50-711c-4ecd-844c-b5493d39c33b.png

deweydecibel ,

At the cost of space for the actual content on screen.

woodenskewer OP ,
@woodenskewer@lemmy.world avatar

I don’t know how to edit the main post on mobile so I’ll just add this comment. The message I typed in the screenshot populates in a “pop up bar”. The message no longer gets entered where you think it should go and it looks like shit and takes up extra screen space for no reason. I really dislike this change.

woodenskewer OP ,
@woodenskewer@lemmy.world avatar

They fixed it. It’s back to normal now.

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