4 ms·

There’s no app for Apple platforms making it a lot less useful.

jagermo 8mo ago
fair point, especially in the west. But looking at the market share, Android is probably the platform to build for, especially if you have an additional phone. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_operating_systems https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_operating_syste...
prmoustache 8mo ago
Briar has the advantage of being usable with bluetooth and internet so it makes it much more useful.
- hardran3 8mo ago
  Bitchat also has internet based chat, in addition to bluetooth mesh.
maqp 8mo ago
That's probably because AFAIK Apple doesn't allow process forking, making any Tor-based messenger almost impossible to run as Tor would have to run as part of the main thread.
- zenmac 8mo ago
  but having the bluetooth part working on iOS should not be an issue right?
- plasticeagle 8mo ago
  This is entirely false, Apple allows the use of threads in their applications.
  - maqp 8mo ago
    Oh I found a better explanation >iOS doesn’t allow apps to fork subprocesses. While on the desktop Tor is running as a separate process, on iOS Tor is hacked to run as a thread inside the app itself. Therefore, you can’t have a system-wide Tor process like desktop and Android. If Tor is running in one app, and you open a different one, it’s not automagically going to start using Tor. https://www.quora.com/How-effective-is-the-Tor-app-for-iPad-and-iPhone/answer/Kamran-Khan-92 https://www.quora.com/How-effective-is-the-Tor-app-for-iPad-...
- joecot 8mo ago
  It's because iOS needs push notifications to resume background apps, and there's no secure way to do the push notifications https://code.briarproject.org/briar/briar/-/wikis/FAQ#will-there-be-an-ios-version-of-briar https://code.briarproject.org/briar/briar/-/wikis/FAQ#will-t...
troupo 8mo ago
Apple pulled similar apps from the App Store: https://www.npr.org/2019/10/10/768841864/after-china-objects-apple-removes-app-used-by-hong-kong-protesters https://www.npr.org/2019/10/10/768841864/after-china-objects...
- dncornholio 8mo ago
  Similar? Very different. The HKmap.live app was build and marketed directly for the protests. It tracked social media and geolocated where the police and protests were happening, etc. This is a big distinction.
utopiah 8mo ago
True but I assume Apple users understand they exclude themselves by demanding a "benevolent dictator" insuring they are "safe".
deleted 8mo ago
[deleted]
zikduruqe 8mo ago
How about Berty? https://berty.tech/features https://berty.tech/features
- edent 8mo ago
  "Warning: the Android app (including apk) is currently unavailable for download and use due to an ongoing essential security update."
anigbrowl 8mo ago
Buy a cheap shit android phone for under $100 and never associate it with a SIM

fair point, especially in the west. But looking at the market share, Android is probably the platform to build for, especially if you have an additional phone. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_operating_systems https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_operating_syste...

prmoustache 8mo ago

Briar has the advantage of being usable with bluetooth and internet so it makes it much more useful.

hardran3 8mo ago
Bitchat also has internet based chat, in addition to bluetooth mesh.

maqp 8mo ago

That's probably because AFAIK Apple doesn't allow process forking, making any Tor-based messenger almost impossible to run as Tor would have to run as part of the main thread.

zenmac 8mo ago
but having the bluetooth part working on iOS should not be an issue right?
plasticeagle 8mo ago
This is entirely false, Apple allows the use of threads in their applications.
- maqp 8mo ago
  Oh I found a better explanation >iOS doesn’t allow apps to fork subprocesses. While on the desktop Tor is running as a separate process, on iOS Tor is hacked to run as a thread inside the app itself. Therefore, you can’t have a system-wide Tor process like desktop and Android. If Tor is running in one app, and you open a different one, it’s not automagically going to start using Tor. https://www.quora.com/How-effective-is-the-Tor-app-for-iPad-and-iPhone/answer/Kamran-Khan-92 https://www.quora.com/How-effective-is-the-Tor-app-for-iPad-...
joecot 8mo ago
It's because iOS needs push notifications to resume background apps, and there's no secure way to do the push notifications https://code.briarproject.org/briar/briar/-/wikis/FAQ#will-there-be-an-ios-version-of-briar https://code.briarproject.org/briar/briar/-/wikis/FAQ#will-t...

troupo 8mo ago

Apple pulled similar apps from the App Store: https://www.npr.org/2019/10/10/768841864/after-china-objects-apple-removes-app-used-by-hong-kong-protesters https://www.npr.org/2019/10/10/768841864/after-china-objects...

dncornholio 8mo ago
Similar? Very different. The HKmap.live app was build and marketed directly for the protests. It tracked social media and geolocated where the police and protests were happening, etc. This is a big distinction.

utopiah 8mo ago

True but I assume Apple users understand they exclude themselves by demanding a "benevolent dictator" insuring they are "safe".

deleted 8mo ago

[deleted]

zikduruqe 8mo ago

How about Berty? https://berty.tech/features https://berty.tech/features

edent 8mo ago
"Warning: the Android app (including apk) is currently unavailable for download and use due to an ongoing essential security update."

anigbrowl 8mo ago

Buy a cheap shit android phone for under $100 and never associate it with a SIM