Is there any FOSS alternative messenger that handles SMS and RCS? Supposedly RCS is an open standard, but I am not aware of any FOSS messenger that has it. I’d like to move away from google messenger, but there doesn’t look like there is an option just yet.
No such thing.
Google has not, and probably never will, make it accessible to outside developers.
Since they decided to play host for rcs, they essentially own it now.
To be honest RCS doesn’t bring anything useful, SMS are helpful because they don’t rely on wifi network, RCS will prevent you for receiving urgent message. Everything RCS does, other messaging apps like Signal do better
The main advantage is that not everyone has to have the same app (in theory). Users looking to replace Messages (Google), certainly need something that at minimum handles SMS/MMS - like Quik or Fossify Messages
Well, with RCS everyone already has a baked in app that supports the protocol, but still doesn’t do anything better other the alternatives (I mean other apps, not sms).
I’m slowly moving all my friends and family over to Signal
My only issue with Signal is that it does not seem to (or I cannot get it to) work over wifi in the absence of a cell signal.
Not sure what is going on with your setup, but Signal should work with any internet connection.
It should, it’s not using signal, just internet access
I agree, I hope it just dies off like most of googles projects and leaves the space for better alternatives.
If only.
This is the closest I’ve been able to find - JMP which is used in Cheogram, a FOSS XMPP app, was working on it in May but I messaged them about it recently and there hasn’t been much development on it unfortunately. https://blog.jmp.chat/b/may-newsletter-2024
They allow you to have VOIP numbers and even a data only SIM with no KYC and pay in crypto if you want so it’s a pretty cool project overall. Maybe if more people message them about RCS it will become a higher priority.
Is something like jmp.chat sort of close?
