SMS app

[Mayayana]

I installed a dialer and text app from simplemobiletools.com.
It seems fine, aside from being burnt orange color. I installed
it because it was billed as private. But images sent via text
can't be enlarged. Is there a recommended, private, fully
functioning text app?

[Eli the Bearded]

I use a bunch of the Simple Mobile Tools, but I had some issues with the
text app. I'm using QKSMS now:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.moez.QKSMS
https://github.com/moezbhatti/qksms

For images, check the MMS settings are what you want in QKSMS.

Elijah
------
QKSMS will let you pick burnt orange color if you like

[Joerg Lorenz]

Am 19.12.22 um 01:13 schrieb Mayayana:

Text/SMS is never ever private by its nature.
Use an instant messenger. They usually allow to edit photos.

--
Gutta cavat lapidem (Ovid)

[Andy Burnelli]

REFERENCE:
<https://i.postimg.cc/nL8052Vj/pulsesms04.jpg> Pulse Sets Max Image Size
<https://i.postimg.cc/ZR4jYqdJ/pulsesms05.jpg> 2019 is last good version
<https://i.postimg.cc/Qd21dwVw/pulsesms01.jpg> PulseSMS was the best
<https://i.postimg.cc/3RdsFtgX/pulsesms02.jpg> Klinker sold to MapleMedia
<https://i.postimg.cc/1tjcm7KJ/pulsesms03.jpg> 5.4.6.2816 last good version


As Mayayana found out, the SimpleMobileTools contact manager has some nice
privacy features (such as the ability to import and export its own contacts
which can then be maintained _completely_ outside the contacts.sqlite
database)... the SimpleMobileTools aren't always the best tools out there.

However, I pretty much have found the best tools, over the years, for every
application that I cared about, and in many cases I've donated my time and
energy to let everyone on the Android newsgroup know of those test results.

To that end... I'm still using PulseSMS as the best SMS app, and it
certainly does handle MMS image resizing (and autosaving of MMS images).

BTW, I ran a detailed test of _all_ the free SMS apps which you can find in
the permanent dejagoogle archives for this android newsgroup to know more.
<http://groups.google.com/g/comp.mobile.android>

At the time, the _clear_ and obvious winner was Pulse SMS... (caveat!)
*Pulse SMS* (Phone/Tablet/Web) by klinker but sold to Maple Media
Free, +inapp, requires GSF, rated 4.4/78.4K reviews, 1M+ Downloads
<https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=xyz.klinker.messenger>

QKSMS being in the top five or so (as I recall), but not the best.
One of the criteria was a setting for how much to "shrink" the MMS images
which are attached, where my PulseSMS (version

However... since then, PulseSMS was sold by klinker to Maple Media, who, as
the first thing they did, was add advertisements, and then who knows what
else Maple Media added to destroy that last known good version of PulseSMS.

That last known good version of PulseSMS is (AFAIK) from October 27, 2020:
5.4.6.2816-2816_minAPI21 dated October 27, 2020 (no ads, klinker owned)

If you trust apkmirror, you can still get that last version here:
<https://www.apkmirror.com/apk/maple-media/pulse-smstablet-messenger/pulse-smstablet-messenger-5-4-6-2816-release/>
--
Posted out of the goodness of my heart to disseminate useful information
which, in this case, is to point out the best SMS app used to be PulseSMS.

[MikeS]

If I don't trust that last known good version of Pulse SMS, then what's the
next best free non Google SMS messenger app for Android 12 phones for today
that will still auto save & auto shrink images in the MMS text messages?

[Mayayana]

"Eli the Bearded" <*@eli.users.panix.com> wrote

| I use a bunch of the Simple Mobile Tools, but I had some issues with the
| text app. I'm using QKSMS now:
|
| https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.moez.QKSMS
| https://github.com/moezbhatti/qksms
|
| For images, check the MMS settings are what you want in QKSMS.
|

Thanks. That should save me testing 100 options.

| QKSMS will let you pick burnt orange color if you like

:) There was a note somewhere about how color options
were a paid "feature". Fair enough. I used to write shareware
and the number of people actually paying was pitiful. So I
don't blame them for trying. I'd actually be happy to pay
a few bucks if I could send it in the mail and didn't have to
use credit cards online, or sign up with PayPal.

[Andy Burnelli]

Mayayana wrote:

>| https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.moez.QKSMS
>| https://github.com/moezbhatti/qksms
>|
>| For images, check the MMS settings are what you want in QKSMS.
>|
> Thanks. That should save me testing 100 options.

The detailed information below is posted out of the kindness of my heart to
help many others, now & in the future, pick the _best_ SMS/MMS app possible
(so be forewarned there is a ton of _helpful detail_ in the post below!).

Just so that others know how _easy_ it is to test a variety of SMS/MMS apps
on your phone (which is what I did when I tested _all_ the free ones)...
*Best free SMS app for Android* (4 years ago)
<https://alt.comp.freeware.narkive.com/RDdagXDL/best-free-sms-app-for-android>

All you do is set any given SMS/MMS app to be your default, but the process
is a bit slower and more detailed than setting, oh, say, a browser default.

a. You always start with an SMS/MMS app as your default (AFAIK)
b. You set the target SMS/MMS app as your new default
c. That takes a while because the SMS/MMS app has to "import" your messages
(hence, it's a _lot_ quicker if you're testing a lot of them, which
is what I had done to test _all_ the free SMS/MMS apps long ago,
to just delete all, or almost all, of your already stored messages)

Voila. Now you're using the target SMS/MMS app just as you had been before.
Note: You can always change back so there's really no risk at all involved.

The good news is that the last known good version of klinker PulseSMS still
works even on Android 12 as I installed it recently with a new Samsung.

<https://i.postimg.cc/Qd21dwVw/pulsesms01.jpg> PulseSMS was the best
<https://i.postimg.cc/3RdsFtgX/pulsesms02.jpg> Klinker sold to MapleMedia
<https://i.postimg.cc/1tjcm7KJ/pulsesms03.jpg> 5.4.6.2816 last good version
<https://i.postimg.cc/nL8052Vj/pulsesms04.jpg> Pulse Sets Max Image Size
<https://i.postimg.cc/ZR4jYqdJ/pulsesms05.jpg> 2019 is last good version

One interesting privacy feature that the OP might want to consider is that
it's foolhardy to even have a contacts.sqlite database in the default
Android location - which is why privacy-aware contact managers can import
and export a VCARD or CSV contacts database (de-rigueur for privacy).
*Does anyone know how the PHONE ties to CONTACTS tiies to SMS on Android 9 Pie?*
<https://comp.mobile.android.narkive.com/d1wjPmw6/does-anyone-know-how-the-phone-ties-to-contacts-tiies-to-sms-on-android-9-pie>

By importing their own private internal contacts database, the user can
keep the default contact.sqlite database empty - which is key for privacy.
<https://groups.google.com/g/alt.comp.freeware/c/FwSdLbBesmk>

However, PulseSMS does NOT import/export its contacts database.
PulseSMS uses the default contacts.sqlite Android database...

But... luckily...

PulseSMS has no problem maintaining its own database if you _manually_
create it (or, if you use the payware "backup messages" feature).

What this means, in practice, is the internal (aka private!) contacts
database for PulseSMS 'creates itself' over time, in that this happens:

Either...
a. You *receive* a message /from/ phone number 1-123-456-7890
b. Afterward, you press "Conversation settings > Conversation name"
c. You then change it from "1-123-456-7890" to "Sandra Dee" (or whatever)

Or...
a. You *send* a message /to/ phone number 1-123-456-7890
b. Afterward, you press "Conversation settings > Conversation name"
c. You then change it from "1-123-456-7890" to "Sandra Dee" (or whatever)

Notice then you can search, within PulseSMS, for "Sandra Dee" (or whatever)
which treats the contact as an _internal_ (aka private) Pulse-only db.

What you gain is the _privacy_ of not having a contacts.sqlite database,
which keeps the contact information of your friends & family out of the
hands of any program (of which there are many) with contacts permission!

BTW...

I don't remember why I had thrown QKSMS into the trash but I'm sure it's
listed in the helpful tutorials I wrote at the time, probably listed here:
*Best free SMS app for Android* Feb 12, 2019
<https://groups.google.com/g/comp.mobile.android/c/up2NoEHr9M8/m/nVClTKbyCgAJ>

Where this quote is of general interest given the tack of this SMS thread:
"There are only 2 SMS apps I didn't delete in angry frustration
in my tests: Pulse SMS & QKSMS"

After testing both, the strong conclusion was listed in that thread as:
HomePage: <https://home.pulsesms.app/overview/>
iOS: <https://home.pulsesms.app/overview/platform-ios.html>
Android: <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=xyz.klinker.messenger>
Free, no ads whatsoever, no nags, etc.
Automatic MMS photo shrink to desired size
Automatic MMS photo save to desired location
Automatic scheduling of future messages
Easy to create groups
Easy viewing of unread conversations
Private (password protected) conversations
Archived (old) conversations
Categories (e.g., family, friends, coworkers)
Blacklist
Backup to the net (I don't use it though)
Automatic reply (I don't use that either)
Delayed sending (if you need to cancel)
Favorite contacts handled preferentially

Additionally, it has the following (which was untested in that review):
Dual-SIM support
Send SMS & MMS from any platform any time
Customize colors and notifications per contact
Pin favorite contacts to the top of the list
Both backup to the cloud, and restore
End-to-end encryption (not stored on their server)
Search conversations for keywords
Mute & snooze
Web previews

[MikeS]

If you threw qksms into the trash four years ago in favor of pulse sms, but
if pulse sms now has advertisements which it didn't have before, who wins?

[Mayayana]

"anonymous" <anon...@invalid.com> wrote

| Two questions pls. Will any of these work on a windows laptop?

No. They're apps for Android. Probably written in javascript
to run on a cellphone processor under Android API. The only
way I know to text on a laptop is to use the target cellphone
number as an email address: 11122...@verizon.net

| Isn't it a big concern if you have to install proprietary sms
| software on your phone or laptop? Who know WHERE your messages
| are going?

Indeed. Both phone OS makers, Google and Apple, are among
the sleaziest companies. I don't trust either one. I mainly only
use my own phone for occasional phone calls and otherwise leave
it turned off. Both companies lie. Both try to lock down their
systems, making it impossible for the average person to have
reasonable privacy.

Many apps are also spyware. People don't want to pay for them,
so they make money by selling your data. Did you not know all
that? If you use a cellphone -- especially if you leave it turned
on and more especially if you install apps -- you're being spied on.
For most people that's not even a conceivable problem. People
let Google track them in Waze because theycan't be bothered to
read a map. People ask apps to recommend restaurants and bars...
All that lazy-consumer activity *requires* you to be spied on
and for your location to be tracked...

However, this isn't Google software. You don't need to go to
Google to get it. I use APKPure. I've heard there are also better
options.

[Andy Burnelli]

Mayayana wrote:

> The only
> way I know to text on a laptop is to use the target cellphone
> number as an email address: 11122...@verizon.net

While email sms/mms gateways work, we have long ago already covered in
depth on this very newsgroup how to use a Windows PC to send/receive text.

Hence, there are multiple solutions extent in the permanent archives.
<http://groups.google.com/g/comp.mobile.android>
--
HINT: One solution is exactly what is asked, and which was also asked
for by Steve (sms), while the other is to mirror Android over Wi-Fi
(which I list because I send/receive SMS/MMS that way every day).