[frollogaston]

Is this an important feature? I know WhatsApp and iMessage have some kind of API for businesses, but as a regular user, I've never interacted with a legit business using it. Only been harassed by bots a few times.

My one serious problem with Signal is that it silently goes out of date then stops sending notifications, so I miss messages entirely. Kind of its one job.

[godelski]

Maybe maybe not. I think it is a useful feature for power users. The question is if targeting power users will help mass appeal. I'd argue with an app like Signal, yes it would. The power users are effectively their evangelists. APIs could enable a lot of features that people are asking for like location sharing, bots (e.g. on your IOT devices), and so on. The concern is more that introducing those things creates security risks but I think that's okay. Put a "developer mode" type switch like in Android.

But there are also other things I'd like to see.

For mass appeal I'd like to see them integrating Signal Stickers[0] into the app so people can search stickers. This has been a surprisingly common complaint among people I've converted over.

For both groups I'd love to see something like this feature request[1] I like that it could serve as the backbone of a mesh network and AirDrop is a incredibly popular. Would be super cool if you could hold a copy of the APK on your phone and drop it over to others to install that way. I imagine even a rudimentary mesh network could really reduce server loads. My GF and I often sync pictures to each other this way. No reason that needs to go over the network when we're sitting 5 feet from one another.

For power users I'd love to see a nuking capability. Bidirectional. I want to know that if I am at a protest or something and get picked up by the Gestapo that either I or a trusted friend can wipe my phone. It's not a cure all, but it greatly reduces the chances of "incriminating" evidence being found on my device. But such a feature seems quite unpopular on their forums (I am very much not a fan of their forums and the community there...)

[0] https://signalstickers.org/

[1] https://community.signalusers.org/t/signal-airdrop

[esseph]

> APIs could enable a lot of features that people are asking for like location sharing

Please, no. You don't need that as a feature when you can drop a maps link.

> it could serve as the backbone of a mesh network

????? What?

> For power users I'd love to see a nuking capability. Bidirectional. I want to know that if I am at a protest or something and get picked up by the Gestapo that either I or a trusted friend can wipe my phone.

If you are at a protest with your phone, you are very likely leaking enough signals intelligence to identify, analyze, and monitor you and the entire group you are/were in contact with.

To me? All of these requests sound like things that would make the app the exact opposite of what I am looking for. Right now it is damn near perfect.

[godelski]

  > when you can drop a maps link.

This does not update over time. So it has some serious limitations. The feature is actually quite helpful when meeting up with others, especially on longer road trips. It's a good way to allow the other person to know when to expect me as well as them know if I'm safe or have had hiccups. Means I am not using my phone while driving.

  > ????? What?

For that link the user was talking about sending multimedia directly between devices, like "Airdrop". Why stop at pictures and videos? Why not texts? If these are short range then why send over the servers? It saves Signal server costs as well as provides some extra privacy and security for users as their messages cannot be gobbled up over the network (you'd have to be physically in range). Capture and decrypt later (the motivation Post-Quantum resistance, as discussed in the Signal blog post) can't be done if you don't capture, right?

There is real desire to still be able to communicate at times when networks are down. Be that a natural disaster, a crowded/congested area, or a government shutdown. Means of passing digital media during such events is still critical. It's not like we pass each other physical notes anymore. Plus, behind a secure protocol that's a bonus.

  > If you are at a protest with your phone

Yeah sure, but reducing signals and information leakage is better than not reducing, right? Privacy and security are not binary things, they are continuums.

  > To me? 

Why?

Do these things stop you from using the app the way you currently use it?

[esseph]

If that's what you want, please just fork it.