Apple's Messages app is a total dumpster fire. Literally every other chat platform out there has figured it out. Snapchat, Telegram, FB Messenger, WhatsApp, Line, etc., all work just fine across platforms. Only Apple wants it to suck for their users whenever a non-Apple device enters the conversation. I can't understand why people willingly subject themselves to that misery and still somehow feel smug about their iOS echo chamber. Pathetic.
this post was submitted on 08 Aug 2023
52 points (94.8% liked)
Android
27530 readers
148 users here now
DROID DOES
Welcome to the droidymcdroidface-iest, Lemmyest (Lemmiest), test, bestest, phoniest, pluckiest, snarkiest, and spiciest Android community on Lemmy (Do not respond)! Here you can participate in amazing discussions and events relating to all things Android.
The rules for posting and commenting, besides the rules defined here for lemmy.world, are as follows:
Rules
1. All posts must be relevant to Android devices/operating system.
2. Posts cannot be illegal or NSFW material.
3. No spam, self promotion, or upvote farming. Sources engaging in these behavior will be added to the Blacklist.
4. Non-whitelisted bots will be banned.
5. Engage respectfully: Harassment, flamebaiting, bad faith engagement, or agenda posting will result in your posts being removed. Excessive violations will result in temporary or permanent ban, depending on severity.
6. Memes are not allowed to be posts, but are allowed in the comments.
7. Posts from clickbait sources are heavily discouraged. Please de-clickbait titles if it needs to be submitted.
8. Submission statements of any length composed of your own thoughts inside the post text field are mandatory for any microblog posts, and are optional but recommended for article/image/video posts.
Community Resources:
We are Android girls*,
In our Lemmy.world.
The back is plastic,
It's fantastic.
*Well, not just girls: people of all gender identities are welcomed here.
Our Partner Communities:
founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
What are the chances that the decision to make it suck was deliberate? This is apple we're talking about here, after all.
it's deliberate. Tim Cook and team have essentially said "yeah we know it sucks but we're keeping it this way for business reasons". Can't find a quote but just look at how they treat literally anything non-Apple.
Probably because most people have iOS devices, atleast in the US. In my group of friends and acquaintances of say 30-40 people I am the only one with an Android phone.
I also work in IT services for small businesses (setting up email, etc.) and rarely come across Android phones. iPhones are everywhere.
So if everyone has iOS in the group chat it's not really an issue.
pretty sure Snapchat is still not very cross platform, can't use it on pc
You kinda of can use it on PC though?
how
They've been pushing using a browser to access your conversations for quite a while now. Are you just not looking at the screen when you open it, or what?
didn't know that actually
Who is bringing a PC into a discussion about mobile cross platform apps? Many apps have the option, but I don't think anyone primarily thinks of anything but being able to work across iOS and Android.
Plus it seems once it works outside of Apple's fortress, it can find a way to work on a non mobile device. It's kind of in the DNA.
apps like discord and telegram would desktop clients, making them more cross platform if that makes sense
If you want to switch specifically for free software, make sure that the phone you're buying is bootloader-unlockable. The Pixel phones (not from a carrier, but unlocked) are good options.
If not, you will simply be locked into Google's ecosystem (along with whatever OEM, such as Samsung's), which isn't much better than Apple's.
As for ROMs, I'd recommend either GrapheneOS or DivestOS. Both are free of all Google services by default, and are as FOSS as Android allows for in the modern age.
To deregister iMessage, visit this site: https://selfsolve.apple.com/deregister-imessage/
In the future, I'd look into Linux phones, but as of right now, they are not usable for daily driving IMO. You can also test Linux mobile on most modern Android phones using Halium with a distro like Droidian.
Also check out privacyguides.org for alternatives to proprietary apps/services.
This is indeed my main reason for a switch, so thanks for the recommendations! I really want to try a Linux phone when it’s ready with either phosh or gnome shell mobile (I love libadwaita), but it’s just not there yet for me.
I would definitely recommend trying Droidian (Mobian for Halium) and UBPorts (although UBPorts is less traditional Linux, as it uses Snaps and has an immutable filesystem by default).
Manjaro is also available, but I don't recommend Manjaro in general due to untimely security updates.
You can use Waydroid as an Android compatibility layer.
if you're going for the privacy flash a custom rom onto a pixel (or fairphone 4 and later if you decided on calyx) there's copperhead os too if you want to piss of daniel micay I don't recommend liniage on a pixel or the fairphone 4 liniage also needs some degoogleing+ aosp keyboard is garbage from what I've heard
Out of curiousity what is it about the pixel (hardware?) That made you suggest it specifically if you're going to flash the OS anyway
because pixel was a developer focused device
it allows unlocking and re-locking bootloader with your own custom keys and still retains warranty
most android OEM like Samsung, oneplus provided support in the past, but are now locked down for some reason
If you've purchased any videos via iTunes, be sure to link it to Movies Anywhere so you can watch them on your Android. Most movies are supported except those from Paramount, last I checked.
Huh, after reading your post and some comments I am just glad iMessage never picked up in my country lol.
I moved from my iPhone to an Android phone without a hassle because most of my third party apps were multiplatform and here nobody uses SMS (it is even weird to mention it in 2023 lol) sadly the alternative ain't better, here everybody uses WhatsApp, at least I talk with my closest friends with Telegram.
Don't use telegram for personal stuff, it's not encrypted and therefore less private than whatsapp.
I haven't made the switch because I've never used iOS but if you have a Mac I remember there used to be a way to get iMessage working, maybe look into that.
Yes, iMessage works seamlessly on Mac even for me, and I've never had an iPhone.
The thing about the android side is that you're pretty much locked into the Pixel and Google Fi if you want to avoid manufacturer bloatware or cell carrier bloatware. I did Metro PCS for a solid decade to provide service, but at the end, I was paying for unlimited and if I wasn't on WiFi, the service over cellular was complete fucking garbage.
Google at least provides decent rates and their service is good when I need it Yes, all of the eggs are in the same basket, but at the same time, maybe it's not a bad thing with the frequency of beaches these days. The Pixel? Best phone I've ever had (I only buy the "a" versions because I'm a cheap ass). It's fast and has great battery life.
Good luck!
Welcome to the world of Sd cards and downloading what ya want. There's google drive. Idk what apple home is cause i despise Macintosh, but there's Chromecast and that stupid Alexa thing.