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> what you can do is different Can you talk a bit more about how iMessage is fundamentally diferent than SMS on the functionality level? Is it like "Signal" di

> what you can do is different Can you talk a bit more about how iMessage is fundamentally diferent than SMS on the functionality level? Is it like "Signal" different or is it like "different" different? Edit: bonus points if you can offer why iMessage is able to be the skeleton key into your iPhone, as often it and WebKit seem to be behind most of the serious 0-days...

deleted 3y ago
[deleted]
scarface_74 3y ago
I can edit an iMessage after sending it, I can use threads and it doesn’t require a cell carrier - just an Internet connection. It’s also e2e encrypted and I can optionally let people know I have do not disturb on. It integrates with sharing my location and I can tell when someone is actually typing
marcellus23 3y ago
> Can you talk a bit more about how iMessage is fundamentally diferent than SMS on the functionality level It's different in the same way every messaging app is different from SMS: * Group chats, with custom group names and icons * High quality images/videos * Reactions * Stickers * Rich link previews * Threads * etc. etc. > why iMessage is able to be the skeleton key into your iPhone I don't think a lot (any?) of the vulnerabilities are unique to iMessage. It's more about the fact that SMS/iMessage is a means for someone to send you data that's then parsed/decoded immediately by the system.
- Obscurity4340 3y ago
  Isnt that the reason sandboxes exist? I just feel like these thins happen way less often with Signal and [shudder] Whatsapp...
  - dmonitor 3y ago
    iMessage is a much juicier potential attack vector. over 50% of the US market (trends towards the richer half, too).
TerrifiedMouse 3y ago
Some carriers charge per SMS - after X SMSs per month. iMessage is completely free. Kind of important to be able to tell if you are burning up your SMS quota.
Tagbert 3y ago
Both iMessage and Webkit have to accept requests from unknown sources that can contain a wide variety of content type. some other content types, like EPS are themselves programming languages that could contain infiltration scripts. That is why Apple has dropped EPS support. Similar situation can happen for other kinds of image and video content. I don't know much about how iMessage communication is implemented but it does offer end to end encryption and supports richer interaction and content than plain SMS does. that was one of the reasons that Apple marked SMS clients with the green bubbles to indicate not to expect the same interaction with them. It was some little shits that turned that into an anti-status symbol.
- Obscurity4340 3y ago
  I just laugh because Signal is way better than all of this and—wouldn't ya know—the default is "blue bubbles". They are the ultimate blue bubble to me because its almost all yours and gives you way more control than anything else like iMessage and its all audited and open for examination (theoretically)
  - pertymcpert 3y ago
    Sorry in which way is Signal better?
  - rootusrootus 3y ago
    Signal can be better in all ways except the one that matters most. Not a single person I communicate with uses it. So it's useless.
    - Obscurity4340 3y ago
      You gotta find a way to make it clear you dont consent to be sharing your stuff with anyone but you , case closed. It has all the same toys and whistles so theres just no excuse. Its a boundary and we all need to get real better at understanding and being respectful thereto. Only issue is if you want them more than they you, there's a bit of a dance to navigate . If the like Musk, send them to all his endorsementz. At the end of the day, it will have to be a negotiation at play and its more of a toughlove ultimatun purely for the area of which messenging platforms to engage with.
andylynch 3y ago
Different like … totally. SMS was part of the very early GSM design work in the mid ‘80s and is built into the network at a fundamental level (this is why the particular character limit etc etc)- it was designed in the GSM/SS7/ telco world and has been used for over thirty years. iMessage was designed and built by Apple as a single operator with virtually total control of the backend and user devices. They achieve similar results in completely different ways, the best analogy I can think of is how octopus’s and jellyfish can see too, but evolved eyes very different to our own.

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]

scarface_74 3y ago

I can edit an iMessage after sending it, I can use threads and it doesn’t require a cell carrier - just an Internet connection. It’s also e2e encrypted and I can optionally let people know I have do not disturb on. It integrates with sharing my location and I can tell when someone is actually typing

marcellus23 3y ago

> Can you talk a bit more about how iMessage is fundamentally diferent than SMS on the functionality level It's different in the same way every messaging app is different from SMS: * Group chats, with custom group names and icons * High quality images/videos * Reactions * Stickers * Rich link previews * Threads * etc. etc. > why iMessage is able to be the skeleton key into your iPhone I don't think a lot (any?) of the vulnerabilities are unique to iMessage. It's more about the fact that SMS/iMessage is a means for someone to send you data that's then parsed/decoded immediately by the system.

Obscurity4340 3y ago
Isnt that the reason sandboxes exist? I just feel like these thins happen way less often with Signal and [shudder] Whatsapp...
- dmonitor 3y ago
  iMessage is a much juicier potential attack vector. over 50% of the US market (trends towards the richer half, too).

TerrifiedMouse 3y ago

Some carriers charge per SMS - after X SMSs per month. iMessage is completely free. Kind of important to be able to tell if you are burning up your SMS quota.

Tagbert 3y ago

Both iMessage and Webkit have to accept requests from unknown sources that can contain a wide variety of content type. some other content types, like EPS are themselves programming languages that could contain infiltration scripts. That is why Apple has dropped EPS support. Similar situation can happen for other kinds of image and video content. I don't know much about how iMessage communication is implemented but it does offer end to end encryption and supports richer interaction and content than plain SMS does. that was one of the reasons that Apple marked SMS clients with the green bubbles to indicate not to expect the same interaction with them. It was some little shits that turned that into an anti-status symbol.

Obscurity4340 3y ago
I just laugh because Signal is way better than all of this and—wouldn't ya know—the default is "blue bubbles". They are the ultimate blue bubble to me because its almost all yours and gives you way more control than anything else like iMessage and its all audited and open for examination (theoretically)
- pertymcpert 3y ago
  Sorry in which way is Signal better?
- rootusrootus 3y ago
  Signal can be better in all ways except the one that matters most. Not a single person I communicate with uses it. So it's useless.
  - Obscurity4340 3y ago
    You gotta find a way to make it clear you dont consent to be sharing your stuff with anyone but you , case closed. It has all the same toys and whistles so theres just no excuse. Its a boundary and we all need to get real better at understanding and being respectful thereto. Only issue is if you want them more than they you, there's a bit of a dance to navigate . If the like Musk, send them to all his endorsementz. At the end of the day, it will have to be a negotiation at play and its more of a toughlove ultimatun purely for the area of which messenging platforms to engage with.

andylynch 3y ago

Different like … totally. SMS was part of the very early GSM design work in the mid ‘80s and is built into the network at a fundamental level (this is why the particular character limit etc etc)- it was designed in the GSM/SS7/ telco world and has been used for over thirty years. iMessage was designed and built by Apple as a single operator with virtually total control of the backend and user devices. They achieve similar results in completely different ways, the best analogy I can think of is how octopus’s and jellyfish can see too, but evolved eyes very different to our own.