I recently introduced my grandma to messaging over Wi-Fi as an alternative to traditional phone calls. She really took to it, which got me thinking: I have always wanted a private way to communicate with her. Signal seems like the obvious choice since some of our family already uses it and it would be the most convenient for everyone.
The challenge is that her only “smart” device is a laptop I gifted her. It has a camera and microphone, and I can use Rustdesk to help her out remotely, so it seems like a solid foundation. I considered giving her an old Android phone, but it is bloated and no longer receives security updates. A Pixel with GrapheneOS would be the dream, but I can barely afford one for myself, let alone for someone who has never used a smart device for more than 10 minutes.
So, I am sticking with the laptop. However, choosing the right operating system has been a headache. I have considered:
Fedora Workstation (possibly Secureblue) with hardened access controls.
FydeOS or ChromeOS Flex (seemingly limited app support).
BlissOS (appears to be deprecated).
The main technical hurdle is that Signal requires a mobile app for registration and “primary” account status. Signal Desktop only works when paired with an existing mobile installation. I am weighing two main paths to get around this:
Waydroid on Fedora: Running the Android version of Signal directly on the laptop via containerization.
Remote Pairing: Creating a separate user profile on my own GrapheneOS phone using her phone number, then pairing her Signal Desktop app to that profile. This would theoretically allow her to use the Desktop app standalone.
I have mostly ruled out FydeOS (no Signal in their store) and ChromeOS Flex (no Android app support). BlissOS also seems out of the running. This leaves me stuck choosing between the Waydroid route or the “proxy” pairing route on Fedora.
I would love some feedback from the community on which of these setups would be the right choice or whether I’m missing out on a better option I haven’t thought of.
TLDR;
I want to set up Signal for my tech-illiterate grandma using only her laptop. Since Signal requires a mobile device to act as the primary account, I am stuck between running Signal Android via Waydroid on Fedora, or linking a Signal Desktop app to a secondary profile on my own GrapheneOS phone. Looking for advice on which is more reliable for someone who needs a “set it and forget it” privacy setup.
Specific Questions
Is Waydroid stable enough for a messaging use case like this?
Are there any significant security risks in linking her account to a profile on my own device?
Is Fedora/Secureblue the right choice here, or is there a better option I’m missing out on?
Should I just give her a phone and accept the privacy and security risks that come with outdated Android versions?
However you end up doing this, do note that Signal app is only officially available on Ubuntu/Debian based distros. I would avoid installing a flatpak Signal app and only install the app they officially make.
Session works on laptops and is a fork of Signal. No phone number required. It is also available on mobile for your convenience and uses Tor for anonymity.
I would lean towards starting with the secondary GOS profile and if that doesn’t work, an older iPhone might be the move if you can afford it as they’re supported with software updates for a long time compared to cheap Android devices. I wouldn’t trust Waydroid with this because it’s still pretty buggy in my experience. My only concern with the secondary GOS profile is if her device becomes unlinked somehow, she might not be able to reach you so you’d want to have a backup form of communication.
I wouldn’t stress too much over the OS choice assuming she doesn’t have a high threat model and no need for niche software. Maybe Linux mint or one of the immutable fedora based distros for stability.
Session is exatly what they are looking for. It works over Wi-Fi and installs onto laptops natively without workarounds. The criteria is a private messenger to use as an alternative to phone calls.
Hey, thanks for the recommendations! The thing is, I’m open to alternatives to Signal, but then the rest of my family would also have to download the app, which is why I don’t want to go with this option, as they already use Signal and are familiar with it.
As of now, I’m really leaning towards the GOS user profile method, so I think I will go with that unless someone changes my mind.
Depending upon your skill level with selfhosting you could bridge Signal with either XMPP or Matrix. Dino is a good XMPP client for desktop (checkout XMPP Software | XMPP - The universal messaging standard for more options). Yunohost has apps for Matrix bridges if you want an easier way to selfhost. You could host just the bridges on your server to be more lightweight (the Synapse main matrix server can get heavy with a lot of rooms).
A relatively easy way to set this up on FydeOS would be to sideload Signal Android (or Molly) via ADB and then also sideload the package installer apk for whichever Android version FydeOS is currently using. That way, you can let Molly auto update. Since it would be the Android version, either Signal or Molly could run as a primary device without need for a mobile.
Omg, just give her a phone. Turn on all the security features, turn off side loading, and make signal prominent on her Home Screen. On signal don’t enable sealed sender for all.
Anything more complicated and you’ll basically need a laminated binder next to the laptop for her. She is not getting younger.
Also, call the lady. Some of the good in you started with her. Let her know she can absolutely call you if there are sudden red banners on her phone or laptop. Tell her about scammers, subscribe to newsletters from your regional prosecutor and share warnings from them.
