Since SMS is already sent in the clear, I actually use Google Messages. For those who also have it, it upgrades the SMS to RCS with end-to-end encryption. Sure, it’s nowhere near as good as Signal (which OP says these people won’t use), but it’s better than plain-text SMS.
All your data will pass over other hardware owned by other people. The only real online privacy is not connecting to the internet to begin with.
And now we’re entering into the realm of encryption, especially end-to-end. Generally speaking, just because you’re sending information that touches other people’s hardware, doesn’t mean it’s public and readable.
Lawnchair, according to the devs, is not abandoned. In late November (of 2023), they said:
Sorry for the long break in Lawnchair announcements.
We have made significant progress in regards to Lawnchair development, and we are now actually developing Lawnchair 13 (with A13 QuickSwitch support) and custom-made no-root global search. Stay tuned for more updates and sneak peeks.
Coming soon to a lawnmower near you™
(And no, we are not dead. Also No ETAs.)
Then in December:
Hello again!
This time around, we are now developing Lawnchair 14 (with A14 QuickSwitch support). Alongside that, we are also re-adding an option to Hide Dock and options for custom Feed Providers, alongside other new features (we wont give too many spoilers 👀)
We also plan to support QuickSwitch for Android 11 to Android 14, so you can use Lawnchair with QuickSwitch on all your recent devices. (We will prioritize A12.1 to A14 first though).
If that were true, threat modeling wouldn’t exist.
I feel like we’re talking about different things. I’m talking about static concepts, if X is more secure than Y, not individual setups where something is tweaked. Threat modeling is tailoring the security to your needs. It doesn’t bend security of a static object or make the application of something less than what it is. It requires one’s actions to do that by not utilizing it.
Take bullet proof glass, for example. Bullet proof glass is more secure than regular glass. Now, do you need (does your threat model require) bullet proof glass? No? Ok, that doesn’t mean bullet proof is now less secure than regular glass, it’s just unneeded.
Depends on the particulars, and on the needs of the individual.
That’s not really how things like security works. It’s either more secure or it’s not. The security of a thing does not depend on needs. Now, does the application of it or does someone need it to be more secure? That’s where risk acceptance and the needs of the individual come into play.
I’m not going around presuming to tell other people what’s better for them, as one or two others in this thread are doing.
Same. I’m not saying “stop doing this.” I’m just trying to educate people and make sure they’re not operating with a misunderstanding. Needs of the individual and all that. I think some people just go crazy for something that’s not big tech, and then quit looking at the particulars.
Part of what I value in F-Droid is the additional layer in the build/release process, because it makes tampering more likely to be detected.
Barely and not really. “F-Droid can’t ensure the apps are safe. You still need to trust the upstream developers. We only do some basic check.” forum.f-droid.org/t/…/2