So I just got the notification recently that Signal will drop SMS support soon. I’ve read their reasons and while I do understand their rationale, where I am right now, people still communicate to me via SMS especially if they dont have Signal or refuse to install them for whatever reason/s.
Also over here, people sort of conduct their formal notification/business over SMS because it is still in widespread use here especially if the internet is particularly bad or slow, hence the necessity for an SMS app.
I do use Graphene OS. Should I consider an alternative instead of the built in SMS app? Is having another app to handle SMS warrant the potential risk off adding another app to my cellphone? Back then when I had a Lineage OS phone I used Silence but its been 2019 since it was updated and I am afraid that it is outdated and thus insecure.
Can anyone provide insights? Im thinking of just sticking to the default SMS app in Graphene for now.
I would recommend to just use the default SMS app on GrapheneOS. Other clients could only have the advantage of a better UI. But if you want a better UI than the default SMS app, then my personal recommendation would be Simple SMS Messenger. It even has a option to use Material You. You can find the app on the Play Store, on the official F-Droid repository or on GitHub.
Would recommend Google’ messenger app as it supports RCS, increases the chance you can communicate using e2ee. Also more likely to receive good security updates. I would never use the ‘simple’ apps they are very unreliable and unstable.
Generally speaking I would discourage you from using sms at all on a number that is attached to your sim card. I obviously do not know you thread model but it may be wise to use VOIP instead. But yeah you will need internet for this.
Still better off with Google Messenger at this point if you’re using RCS and E2EE, that will always be an improvement over regular SMS applications which simply cannot perform E2EE. I only wish that RCS was an open standard, (it is not and is licensed by GSMA).
With RCS being widespread, it’s now quite widely adopted by carriers, that is going to become the successor to SMS anyway. SMS requires data, even if behind the scenes. Even if you switch the “data” connection off on your phone it is still using an IP based stack, to perform things like MMS.
I also wouldn’t be using any of those “Simple” apps as they are unmaintained. There is nothing privacy friendly about them. They were also sold to sold to ZippoApps anyway (including developer keys) which that company has included adware crap in the past and suspicious permissions.
I’ve also unmarked your reply as the solution because it is not, and it’s bad advice from a privacy perspective.