• M500@lemmy.ml
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    9 months ago

    I hate that it’s used so heavily in the states. It’s the biggest reason that I’m still using an iPhone over Android.

    I live internationally and it’s too difficult to convince my contacts to switch. Just not worth the trouble.

    • Pantherina@feddit.de
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      9 months ago

      Crazy this is like needing Whatsapp on steroids. Literally needing such a crap locked down tracking device just because the US doesnt have the balls to force apple to open up

    • Apollo2323@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      9 months ago

      Why you let people decide for you what phone you use? I moved here and every single one of my friends have WhatsApp even though they use iPhone.

      • Skull giver@popplesburger.hilciferous.nl
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        9 months ago

        Generally, people like to chat to other people using their phones. And generally, people aren’t going to install a new messenger app just for you.

        Sure, you could convince them to install Signal, after a couple of weeks. But most likely, they’ll just discuss things in the old iMessage group without you every now and then, because that’s what they use for literally everything else.

        You could add an Android phone to an iMessage group, which disables encryption and forces everyone to fall back to MMS, a protocol that was bad at its job decades ago when it was first designed. Blurry, tiny pictures, and often lacks the ability to text while only connected to WiFi because of weird carrier stuff.

        In areas where MMS has been disabled by carriers (like where I live), SMS groups are basically a copy of every message sent to every other person, and multimedia support is nonexistent. No GIFs, no attachments, only text, and it takes a moment for every message to get sent.

        Most people I know are on WhatsApp. I dislike WhatsApp, but if I uninstall it, I just can’t chat to most of my family anymore. My previous attempt to try to get them to install Signal for me failed, and I don’t think my next attempt will succeed. At least WhatsApp is more secure than something like SMS or RCS (the RCS that iPhones will eventually get, not the RCS that only works between Androids) but the reality is that there’s just no getting around other people when it comes to chatting with them.

    • Aniki 🌱🌿@lemm.ee
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      9 months ago

      Mate, I’ve never once been pressured to use an iPhone in the states. Not sure what any of that has to do with international travel where chat platforms are phone-agnostic. No one using whatsapp cares about my Pixel.

      • M500@lemmy.ml
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        9 months ago

        It’s not international travel. I live with my wife in her country. International calling and texting is expensive.

        So I can just get a use an iPhone with iMessage or convince my immediate and extended family and professional contacts to use a different chatting app.

        It’s just easier to use an iPhone.

        • woelkchen@lemmy.world
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          9 months ago

          or convince my immediate and extended family and professional contacts to use a different chatting app.

          I’m sure at least your family will happily just install Signal, WhatsApp or so in order to avoid excessive monetary cost to you. What kind of family wouldn’t?

            • Aniki 🌱🌿@lemm.ee
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              9 months ago

              But imessenger works over the internet. It’s not an SMS service so the carrier has nothing to do with it. im in tons of groupchats with imessenger recipients. never had a problem except with apple purposefully downgrading all media. my phone has wifi calling so I can receive my sms messages anywhere I can get service.

              • can@sh.itjust.works
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                9 months ago

                Their point was they don’t want to deal with the carrier so they want to message over data. However the people the wish to contact don’t have chat apps so they use iMessage. Yes obviously they should just download another app but you can’t force someone to do that.

                • Aniki 🌱🌿@lemm.ee
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                  9 months ago

                  That’s a carrier feature. I can message anyone anywhere with anything I want. Has nothing to do with iPhone. I just group texted all my iphone friends from Firefox on my PC.

                  • can@sh.itjust.works
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                    9 months ago

                    Alright, so let’s say I have an iPhone and my friend also does if I’m away from cell service but have data and try to send them an SMS it will go through as an iMessage in the same app they use to text. So I can still message them in the same app they’re using for SMS and iMessage with everyone else.

                    So there’s already a built in messaging app pretty much. I think part of the confusion is group texts. I don’t think they’re actually talking about group chats but rather one on one with various people who already have iPhones. It’s easier to just send them a message that way. Yes this isn’t a good state of affairs.

          • can@sh.itjust.works
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            9 months ago

            It very clearly does. If they can’t get all their contacts on other chat apps because they’re on iPhones then how could you possibly say it has nothing to do with iPhones?

            • Aniki 🌱🌿@lemm.ee
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              9 months ago

              What does a contact list have to do with a phone? Does the iPhone lock you out of even proper contact management?

                  • EinfachUnersetzlich@lemm.ee
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                    9 months ago

                    Only iPhones can use iMessage. iMessage uses a data connection rather than SMS or calling. OP lives in a different country and international SMS or calling would cost a lot of money, but a data connection does not. The only way of communicating with certain people without incurring extra charges is for OP to use iMessage over a data connection.