Secure messengers - Signal and Telegram

[Taylor_333]

Why? Because if you travel, a regular text SMS message involves charges and if you are in an area with poor reception, it may not even get there.
Enter Telegram and or Signal.
They work off wifi/network, can make fully encrypted voice and video calls, messages have set time-outs (self-deletes).
They just make so much more sense. They have no disadvantages, only advantages. They only caveat is both parties have to use the same app.
Signal -> Signal; Telegram-> telegram.

There are others too, like whatsapp but it's owned by Facebook and monitors everything you do, up to the charge level of your battery. A major security hole. Signal collects no metadata.

And they run on Linux. Admittedly the Debian/buntu branch are easier to install on, thought I got the redhat branch working too.

You make some excellent points about the advantages of messaging apps like Telegram and Signal over traditional SMS, especially when it comes to international travel and privacy considerations.

 

[etcetera]

IMO, SMS is dead. Except to those who are basically "computer illiterate" and use the built-in function in their "smart phone". You know, these people. You tell them, I will be doing some traveling. I need to stay in touch but I can't use the default SMS because abroad it's basically like a phone call at 95 cents per message or whatever. Can you please install Signal/Telegram/Viber/whatever so I don't have to pay exorbitant fees. They still don't get it.
I did some traveling a few years ago, would get a domestic call over landline and ended up with phone bill higher by 400 when I got back. But I couldn't tell the medical people to install telegram on their personal device and call me. You know, doctors. None of the phone numbers exist or function like they did 100 years ago, all the telephony is 100% digital and has been for a while.