27 ms·

Show HN: Chat with your contacts on different platforms without an app

63 points by soheil 5y ago

cloudking 5y ago
This is an interesting idea & hack, but it requires you to route your private messages through a third-party Matrix server. So not going to be able to use it unfortunately. Maybe if you offered a self hosted version.
- smoldesu 5y ago
  Plus one to this. It would be huge to have this on my Pinephone someday, but there's not a chance I'd trust someone with all of my digital information ad-perpetuum. If a self hosting option pops up, I'll definitely get on board though.
maddyboo 5y ago
This looks cool! I would be concerned about the privacy of my communications, though, since your service is essentially a MITM. What have you done to address privacy concerns? Your privacy police seems like boilerplate and doesn’t address anything specific to your service.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
jakecopp 5y ago
For cross platform chat based on Matrix also see https://www.beeper.com/ https://www.beeper.com/, built by the pebble founder. (paid service, works with iMessage even on Android). If you want to self host a Matrix server complete with all the bridges see here: https://github.com/spantaleev/matrix-docker-ansible-deploy https://github.com/spantaleev/matrix-docker-ansible-deploy Or - you could just ask your friends to download Element! https://element.io/ https://element.io/
- normaldist 5y ago
  How can I get a Beeper account?
  - jakecopp 5y ago
    I believe you click "Get started" on the homepage and join a waitlist.
Gualdrapo 5y ago
Despite of the (rightfully) privacy concerns showed on comments, I cannot help but see this kind of projects with some kind of sadness/nostalgia. Long gone are the days of Pidgin and co, where you could have whatever contacts on whatever service they used and you could chat with them from your app, fully integrated on your desktop/cli and set up with too much hassle, not needing to run any browser instance, electron stuff or things like that. imho instant messaging now is a complete mess.
- normaler 5y ago
  You can live that life again with your own Matrix Server + bridges to other Servers. Right now I get: - Matrix - Whatsapp - Telegramm - Signal - Instagram In one chat app in my phone and desktop.
  - tekromancr 5y ago
    +1 to this! I did something similar and you can deploy the whole deal on a cheep VM somewhere using https://github.com/spantaleev/matrix-docker-ansible-deploy/tree/master/docs https://github.com/spantaleev/matrix-docker-ansible-deploy/t... It probably took me about 2 hours total to work through the documentation and get everything configured just the way I wanted it, then you just run a couple ansible commands and boop, you have a matrix homeserver + web ui + jitsi meet + bridges to whatever you want. It's pretty great! It's my goto chat app now.
- tasogare 5y ago
  The messaging app of Windows Phone that blended seemlessly SMS, facebook messenger and a third provider was awesome to use. Regulators should in my opinion impose that the message app with XX millions users provide an API for interoperability with other services.
- dddw 5y ago
  BlackBerry inbox does that on android. Seriously great
- zhte415 5y ago
anonymouse008 5y ago
Message unification needs to happen, yesterday, and this is a clever hack! Great excution and smooth on boarding / use. Sadly, as others have said, the unknown matrix server is tough, and further, the SMS hack is both a blessing and a curse - easy to use but unencrypted and mega-tracked by phone providers et. al
wehnsdaefflae 5y ago
I tried to register. It threw an error. On retry it showed me a couple of user names and addresses of people I've never heard of before. Big red flag for me.
haolez 5y ago
How's this allowed by Facebook concerning WhatsApp? It's usually a very closed system. How does the bridge work in this case?
- jakecopp 5y ago
  It likely uses this Matrix bridge: https://github.com/mautrix/whatsapp https://github.com/mautrix/whatsapp
spicyramen 5y ago
I tried to sign up and got an error
vort3 5y ago
This was posted here dozens of times. That's what I'd call «spam». Wish I could report it.

63 points by soheil 5y ago

This is an interesting idea & hack, but it requires you to route your private messages through a third-party Matrix server. So not going to be able to use it unfortunately. Maybe if you offered a self hosted version.

smoldesu 5y ago
Plus one to this. It would be huge to have this on my Pinephone someday, but there's not a chance I'd trust someone with all of my digital information ad-perpetuum. If a self hosting option pops up, I'll definitely get on board though.

maddyboo 5y ago

This looks cool! I would be concerned about the privacy of my communications, though, since your service is essentially a MITM. What have you done to address privacy concerns? Your privacy police seems like boilerplate and doesn’t address anything specific to your service.

deleted 5y ago

[deleted]

jakecopp 5y ago

For cross platform chat based on Matrix also see https://www.beeper.com/ https://www.beeper.com/, built by the pebble founder. (paid service, works with iMessage even on Android). If you want to self host a Matrix server complete with all the bridges see here: https://github.com/spantaleev/matrix-docker-ansible-deploy https://github.com/spantaleev/matrix-docker-ansible-deploy Or - you could just ask your friends to download Element! https://element.io/ https://element.io/

normaldist 5y ago
How can I get a Beeper account?
- jakecopp 5y ago
  I believe you click "Get started" on the homepage and join a waitlist.

Gualdrapo 5y ago

Despite of the (rightfully) privacy concerns showed on comments, I cannot help but see this kind of projects with some kind of sadness/nostalgia. Long gone are the days of Pidgin and co, where you could have whatever contacts on whatever service they used and you could chat with them from your app, fully integrated on your desktop/cli and set up with too much hassle, not needing to run any browser instance, electron stuff or things like that. imho instant messaging now is a complete mess.

normaler 5y ago
You can live that life again with your own Matrix Server + bridges to other Servers. Right now I get: - Matrix - Whatsapp - Telegramm - Signal - Instagram In one chat app in my phone and desktop.
- tekromancr 5y ago
  +1 to this! I did something similar and you can deploy the whole deal on a cheep VM somewhere using https://github.com/spantaleev/matrix-docker-ansible-deploy/tree/master/docs https://github.com/spantaleev/matrix-docker-ansible-deploy/t... It probably took me about 2 hours total to work through the documentation and get everything configured just the way I wanted it, then you just run a couple ansible commands and boop, you have a matrix homeserver + web ui + jitsi meet + bridges to whatever you want. It's pretty great! It's my goto chat app now.
tasogare 5y ago
The messaging app of Windows Phone that blended seemlessly SMS, facebook messenger and a third provider was awesome to use. Regulators should in my opinion impose that the message app with XX millions users provide an API for interoperability with other services.
dddw 5y ago
BlackBerry inbox does that on android. Seriously great
zhte415 5y ago

anonymouse008 5y ago

Message unification needs to happen, yesterday, and this is a clever hack! Great excution and smooth on boarding / use. Sadly, as others have said, the unknown matrix server is tough, and further, the SMS hack is both a blessing and a curse - easy to use but unencrypted and mega-tracked by phone providers et. al

wehnsdaefflae 5y ago

I tried to register. It threw an error. On retry it showed me a couple of user names and addresses of people I've never heard of before. Big red flag for me.

haolez 5y ago

How's this allowed by Facebook concerning WhatsApp? It's usually a very closed system. How does the bridge work in this case?

jakecopp 5y ago
It likely uses this Matrix bridge: https://github.com/mautrix/whatsapp https://github.com/mautrix/whatsapp

spicyramen 5y ago

I tried to sign up and got an error

vort3 5y ago

This was posted here dozens of times. That's what I'd call «spam». Wish I could report it.