Private chat app using wifi only. No SIM available (sh.itjust.works)

submitted 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago) by 9488fcea02a9@sh.itjust.works to c/privacy@lemmy.ml

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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

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[-] lemmyreader@lemmy.ml 4 points 9 months ago* (last edited 9 months ago)

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@lemmy.ml 1 points 9 months ago

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.

this post was submitted on 18 Feb 2024

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