[whispersystems] Signal for Android

[Justin Davis]

Hello,
Will Signal for Android still need Google Services installed or can we finally put it on devices that don’t have Google Services? The reason I’m asking this question is that I use Signal on my iPhone to talk securely to a friend. The friend has an Android that doesn’t have Google Services on it. I’m hoping the new Signal for Android will work without it because I still want to talk to my friend securely.
Thanks.

[Jake McGinty]

You still need play services.

Post by Justin Davis
Hello,
Will Signal for Android still need Google Services installed or can we
finally put it on devices that don’t have Google Services? The reason
I’m asking this question is that I use Signal on my iPhone to talk
securely to a friend. The friend has an Android that doesn’t have Google
Services on it. I’m hoping the new Signal for Android will work without
it because I still want to talk to my friend securely.
Thanks.

[jonas]

Post by Jake McGinty
You still need play services.

Out of couriosity: do you still intend to drop the play service
dependency somewhere in the future, or is this plan abandoned?

cheers,
jonas

Post by Jake McGinty

Post by Justin Davis
Hello,
Will Signal for Android still need Google Services installed or can we
finally put it on devices that don’t have Google Services? The reason
I’m asking this question is that I use Signal on my iPhone to talk
securely to a friend. The friend has an Android that doesn’t have Google
Services on it. I’m hoping the new Signal for Android will work without
it because I still want to talk to my friend securely.
Thanks.

[Moxie Marlinspike]

Post by jonas

Post by Jake McGinty
You still need play services.

Out of couriosity: do you still intend to drop the play service
dependency somewhere in the future, or is this plan abandoned?

It looks like that will no longer be possible as of Android M (doze), so
we'll have to reevaluate once we get some experience with the platform.

- moxie

[Eric Mill]

Post by Moxie Marlinspike

Post by jonas

Post by Jake McGinty
You still need play services.

Out of couriosity: do you still intend to drop the play service
dependency somewhere in the future, or is this plan abandoned?

It looks like that will no longer be possible as of Android M (doze), so
we'll have to reevaluate once we get some experience with the platform.

To make sure I understand this right, I think this is because the only way
an app can wake up the phone in *real time* in Doze mode is to use a Google
Cloud Messaging high priority message:

https://developer.android.com/training/monitoring-device-state/doze-standby.html

An app can also request that the user add it to the system's Doze
whitelist, and can request a permission that allows the app to pop up a
one-click modal that adds it to the whitelist.

So, though it would be some additional code in Signal, it looks like Signal
could provide a path for Android M users without Google Play Services to
opt-in to real-time updates by preventing Signal from entering Doze mode.

Alternatively, it also looks like Signal could set critical alarms in Doze
mode (setAndAllowWhileIdle()), to have the app wake up and hit the network
every X minutes to look for messages. Sounds like a potential battery
drain, but also possible.

-- Eric

Post by Moxie Marlinspike
- moxie
--
http://www.thoughtcrime.org

[Markus Törnqvist]

Post by Moxie Marlinspike

Post by jonas
Out of couriosity: do you still intend to drop the play service
dependency somewhere in the future, or is this plan abandoned?

It looks like that will no longer be possible as of Android M (doze), so
we'll have to reevaluate once we get some experience with the platform.

Any idea on what this means for the fork that uses websockets?

I run the Android version on my Jolla/Sailfish phone, but there's a build
of the no-Google-required websocket fork in the store that I'm considering
switching to if it's well maintained.

That is if it's going to be usable.

Thanks!