[whispersystems] Signal calling data usage

Discussion:

Shankar Kulumani

2016-01-08 19:43:15 UTC

First off, thanks to all the developers and contributors who've made a
great app

I was wondering if anyone has any idea about the data usage of making a
Signal call. I have a fixed quantity of data and would like some idea about
the impact of making all phone calls over Signal vs. standard cellular.

For messages, I'm assuming it is basically negligible and the main driver
is the sending of media messages.

Thank you

Eric Mill

2016-01-08 22:35:04 UTC

Permalink

I don't know the answer, as I use Signal almost exclusively for texts, but
I'll +1 this request, especially as Signal tries to expand to a broader
audience. Estimating data usage of Signal it would be good to have a ready
answer for, and ideally to have publicly on a README or whispersystems.org
somewhere.

-- Eric

Post by Shankar Kulumani
First off, thanks to all the developers and contributors who've made a
great app
I was wondering if anyone has any idea about the data usage of making a
Signal call. I have a fixed quantity of data and would like some idea about
the impact of making all phone calls over Signal vs. standard cellular.
For messages, I'm assuming it is basically negligible and the main driver
is the sending of media messages.
Thank you

--
konklone.com | @konklone <https://twitter.com/konklone>

Alexander Kayumov

2016-01-08 22:54:13 UTC

Permalink

<html><head><title>Re[2]: [whispersystems] Signal calling data usage</title> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=utf-8"> </head> <body> I, too, second this request. Perhaps something like WhatsApp's statistics could be implemented? (It has a break-down of data usage under Settings -> Account -> Data Usage.) 
 
Alexander. 
 
 
You wrote on Saturday, January 9, 2016 at 3:35:04 AM: 
 
<table>
<tr>
<td width=2 bgcolor= #0000ff> 
</td>
<td width=1151>I don't know the answer, as I use Signal almost exclusively for texts, but I'll +1 this request, especially as Signal tries to expand to a broader audience. Estimating data usage of Signal it would be good to have a ready answer for, and ideally to have publicly on a README or <a style=" font-family:'courier new'; font-size: 10pt;" href="http://whispersystems.org">whispersystems.org</a> somewhere. 
 
-- Eric 
 
On Fri, Jan 8, 2016 at 2:43 PM, Shankar Kulumani <<a style=" font-family:'courier new'; font-size: 10pt;" href="mailto:***@gmail.com">***@gmail.com</a>> wrote: 
First off, thanks to all the developers and contributors who've made a great app 
 
I was wondering if anyone has any idea about the data usage of making a Signal call. I have a fixed quantity of data and would like some idea about the impact of making all phone calls over Signal vs. standard cellular.  
 
For messages, I'm assuming it is basically negligible and the main driver is the sending of media messages.  
 
Thank you</td>
</tr>
</table>
<a style=" font-family:'arial'; font-size: 10pt;" href="mailto:***@gmail.com"> </a></body></html>

Per Guth

2016-01-09 00:01:02 UTC

Permalink

Android actually gives you something like that. The graph is not app
specific though. But it will suffice to give you a rough estimate how
much (or more like how little) traffic it causes.

Viele Gruesse,
Per

***

In another exchange leaked [...], Zuckerberg explained to a friend that
his control of Facebook gave him access to any information he wanted
[...]:
ZUCK: yea so if you ever need info about anyone at harvard
ZUCK: just ask
ZUCK: i have over 4000 emails, pictures, addresses, sns
FRIEND: what!? howâd you manage that one?
ZUCK: people just submitted it
ZUCK: i donât know why
ZUCK: they âtrust meâ
ZUCK: dumb fucks

- http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2010/09/20/the-face-of-facebook

On Fr, Jan 8, 2016 at 11:54 , Alexander Kayumov

Post by Alexander Kayumov
I, too, second this request. Perhaps something like WhatsApp's
statistics could be implemented? (It has a break-down of data usage
under Settings -> Account -> Data Usage.)
Alexander.
I don't know the answer, as I use Signal almost exclusively for
texts, but I'll +1 this request, especially as Signal tries to expand
to a broader audience. Estimating data usage of Signal it would be
good to have a ready answer for, and ideally to have publicly on a
README or whispersystems.org somewhere.
-- Eric
First off, thanks to all the developers and contributors who've made
a great app
I was wondering if anyone has any idea about the data usage of making
a Signal call. I have a fixed quantity of data and would like some
idea about the impact of making all phone calls over Signal vs.
standard cellular.
For messages, I'm assuming it is basically negligible and the main
driver is the sending of media messages.
Thank you

Alexander Kayumov

2016-01-09 00:43:32 UTC

Permalink

<html><head><title>Re[2]: [whispersystems] Signal calling data usage</title> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=utf-8"> </head> <body> Well, yes, I know Android has Settings -> Data Usage, if that's what you are talking about. But the important difference here, I think, is that it only gives you the total data usage for an app. What I am talking about (and what WhatsApp has) is a break-down of that total usage into categories: bytes used by text messages per se, by attached media, by voice calls. 
 
I imagine this feature can be very useful for expanding a messaging app's user base (as per the original question in this thread): since a lot of people in all parts of the world have pretty restrictive mobile data caps, knowing how much data an in-messenger call eats up can be a big factor in convincing people to adopt the app not just for encrypted text messaging, but for encrypted calls as well. 
 
Alexander. 
 
 
 
You wrote on Saturday, January 9, 2016 at 5:01:02 AM: 
 
<table>
<tr>
<td width=2 bgcolor= #0000ff> 
</td>
<td width=1471>Android actually gives you something like that. The graph is not app specific though. But it will suffice to give you a rough estimate how much (or more like how little) traffic it causes. 
 
Viele Gruesse, 

Per 
 
On Fr, Jan 8, 2016 at 11:54 , Alexander Kayumov <alexander-***@yandex.ru> wrote:</td> </tr> </table> I, too, second this request. Perhaps something like WhatsApp's statistics could be implemented? (It has a break-down of data usage under Settings -> Account -> Data Usage.) 
 
Alexander. 
 
 
You wrote on Saturday, January 9, 2016 at 3:35:04 AM: 
 
<table>
<tr>
<td width=2 bgcolor= #0000ff> 
</td>
<td width=1151>I don't know the answer, as I use Signal almost exclusively for texts, but I'll +1 this request, especially as Signal tries to expand to a broader audience. Estimating data usage of Signal it would be good to have a ready answer for, and ideally to have publicly on a README or <a style=" font-family:'courier new'; font-size: 10pt;" href="http://whispersystems.org">whispersystems.org</a> somewhere. 
 
-- Eric 
 
On Fri, Jan 8, 2016 at 2:43 PM, Shankar Kulumani <<a style=" font-family:'courier new'; font-size: 10pt;" href="mailto:***@gmail.com">***@gmail.com</a>> wrote: 
First off, thanks to all the developers and contributors who've made a great app 
 
I was wondering if anyone has any idea about the data usage of making a Signal call. I have a fixed quantity of data and would like some idea about the impact of making all phone calls over Signal vs. standard cellular.  
 
For messages, I'm assuming it is basically negligible and the main driver is the sending of media messages.  
 
Thank you</td>
</tr>
</table>
</body></html>

Shankar Kulumani

2016-01-09 00:54:09 UTC

Permalink

Another issue is that I'm pretty sure a lot of data that Signal uses is
actually lumped under Google play services.

Having a dedicated page in the app which breaks down usage would be
appreciated. However I'm sure it's a lot of work for something that is far
from critical.

I was most curious about gaining an estimate on the data use per min of
talk time or per message. This would at least allow for an estimate for
users.

Well, yes, I know Android has Settings -> Data Usage, if that's what you
are talking about. But the important difference here, I think, is that it
only gives you the total data usage for an app. What I am talking about
(and what WhatsApp has) is a break-down of that total usage into
categories: bytes used by text messages per se, by attached media, by voice
calls.
I imagine this feature can be very useful for expanding a messaging app's
user base (as per the original question in this thread): since a lot of
people in all parts of the world have pretty restrictive mobile data caps,
knowing how much data an in-messenger call eats up can be a big factor in
convincing people to adopt the app not just for encrypted text messaging,
but for encrypted calls as well.
Alexander.
Android actually gives you something like that. The graph is not app
specific though. But it will suffice to give you a rough estimate how much
(or more like how little) traffic it causes.
Viele Gruesse,
Per
On Fr, Jan 8, 2016 at 11:54 , Alexander Kayumov <
I, too, second this request. Perhaps something like WhatsApp's statistics
could be implemented? (It has a break-down of data usage under Settings ->
Account -> Data Usage.)
Alexander.
I don't know the answer, as I use Signal almost exclusively for texts, but
I'll +1 this request, especially as Signal tries to expand to a broader
audience. Estimating data usage of Signal it would be good to have a ready
answer for, and ideally to have publicly on a README or whispersystems.org
somewhere.
-- Eric
First off, thanks to all the developers and contributors who've made a
great app
I was wondering if anyone has any idea about the data usage of making a
Signal call. I have a fixed quantity of data and would like some idea about
the impact of making all phone calls over Signal vs. standard cellular.
For messages, I'm assuming it is basically negligible and the main driver
is the sending of media messages.
Thank you

Eric Mill

2016-01-09 18:59:05 UTC

Permalink

Post by Shankar Kulumani
Another issue is that I'm pretty sure a lot of data that Signal uses is

actually lumped under Google play services.

Really, why is that? Would this just be the notification data that goes
through Google Cloud Messaging? Or would calls somehow be lumped in here
too?

Post by Shankar Kulumani
Another issue is that I'm pretty sure a lot of data that Signal uses is
actually lumped under Google play services.
Having a dedicated page in the app which breaks down usage would be
appreciated. However I'm sure it's a lot of work for something that is far
from critical.
I was most curious about gaining an estimate on the data use per min of
talk time or per message. This would at least allow for an estimate for
users.

Well, yes, I know Android has Settings -> Data Usage, if that's what you
are talking about. But the important difference here, I think, is that it
only gives you the total data usage for an app. What I am talking about
(and what WhatsApp has) is a break-down of that total usage into
categories: bytes used by text messages per se, by attached media, by voice
calls.
I imagine this feature can be very useful for expanding a messaging app's
user base (as per the original question in this thread): since a lot of
people in all parts of the world have pretty restrictive mobile data caps,
knowing how much data an in-messenger call eats up can be a big factor in
convincing people to adopt the app not just for encrypted text messaging,
but for encrypted calls as well.
Alexander.
Android actually gives you something like that. The graph is not app
specific though. But it will suffice to give you a rough estimate how much
(or more like how little) traffic it causes.
Viele Gruesse,
Per
On Fr, Jan 8, 2016 at 11:54 , Alexander Kayumov <
I, too, second this request. Perhaps something like WhatsApp's statistics
could be implemented? (It has a break-down of data usage under Settings ->
Account -> Data Usage.)
Alexander.
I don't know the answer, as I use Signal almost exclusively for texts,
but I'll +1 this request, especially as Signal tries to expand to a broader
audience. Estimating data usage of Signal it would be good to have a ready
answer for, and ideally to have publicly on a README or
whispersystems.org somewhere.
-- Eric
First off, thanks to all the developers and contributors who've made a
great app
I was wondering if anyone has any idea about the data usage of making a
Signal call. I have a fixed quantity of data and would like some idea about
the impact of making all phone calls over Signal vs. standard cellular.
For messages, I'm assuming it is basically negligible and the main driver
is the sending of media messages.
Thank you

--
konklone.com | @konklone <https://twitter.com/konklone>