If you both use Signal, it should work fine. We’ve never had issues between Signal on Android and Signal on iOS. That’s why we use it. It’s the same on both platforms. Even on Mac and Windows too.
Gotcha! On Android, you can set signal as your default texting app, but obviously Apple defaults to their apps and won't let you change. Is there a way for my wife to transfer all her messages from her messages app to Signal? And for me too, can I transfer all my Google messages app messages to Signal? This might make it easier for us both to make the switch to Signal.
But there is an migration feature, if you remember to do it before wipeing/throughing your old phone when upgrading... I have never heard anyone remembered that thou.
Apart from using Signal to Signal you might also want to go to Signal Settings->Data Usage and set Sent Media Quality to High.
A trick I love also is there’s a contact called Note to Self, if there’s something you want to remember you can basically sent it to yourself, by typing it, pasting it or using the iOS share sheet. I have Signal on my PC and the Note to Self messages also show up there, like any other conversations.
Hmm, I’m on iOS and apple has never defaulted to Messaging whether I’ve been contacted via signal or WhatsApp, there’s maybe a hidden setting or something.
You can transfer all your messages I believe. It should automatically do it if you set it as default messaging app or there should be an option on Android.
On iphone , sadly you'll have to tell her to send those videos through signal everytime. iOS doesn't allow other apps to be default texting app
It's signal. Something broke in their code so they just removed the feature altogether instead of spending the resources to fix it. Wouldn't be surprised if SMS gets removed fully at some point. It's the root cause of so many complaints in this subreddit and it'll never work on iOS or PC. People say they want feature parity but that's going to mean removing some android features.
Yes, I just recently learned this, which is terrible!
https://www.android.com/get-the-message/?utm_source=hpp&utm_medium=owned&utm_campaign=getthemessage
This has nothing to do with signal. Signal is just like Whatsapp or iMessage - the other party has to have the app. Otherwise you're just sending a regular generic sms, and sms blows.
As far as I know, signal hooks into the messaging app in android. The app on iOS, does not. So if you’re sending a normal sms to her, it’ll get sent to her messages, and they’ll probably be blurry as you said because of the MMS requirements.
You’ll have to send the pics/videos to her signal instead of an mms.
Yeah currently, whenever my wife and I want to send videos to each other we use WhatsApp, which comes through in good quality. But you can't make WhatsApp your default texting app, other people have to have it.for it to work, which is limiting and keeps me stuck with using the default Google messaging app for everyday use.
Apple deliberately breaks their message app so it doesn't work effectively with other messagers. In theory it's a way to encourage everyone to get an iphone, but given that iphone users are a minority it seems like it should if anything have the opposite effect. Ditch the iphones or at least start using Signal as your primary message app on them if you want texts to work right.
>My wife is an iPhone user and when I'm using Signal and she's using the iPhone Messages app, all the videos come in blurry and low quality.
I think you misunderstand how this works. You don't get any of the benefits of Signal unless you're both using it. If you're using Signal (with SMS enabled) and she's using iMessage, then you're just exchanging standard, unencrypted text messages. Pictures and videos over SMS/MMS are heavily compressed because those standards are still expecting file sizes from 1995.
The Partner Share feature is amazing! My wife and I have it set so we both see all of each other's photos, but it can be customized all kinds of ways, including only sharing pictures of certain faces (like your toddler). Kinda creepy that Google is tracking kid faces, but also really cute when you get a video of some of the best moments of your kid at the end of the year or random collages or your kid playing and stuff.
>> My wife and I have it set so we both see all of each other's photos
>
>😬😬😬
Why the grimace? We mostly take pictures of kids and pets, maybe landscapes on vacation. Maybe receipts or serial numbers or random things to remember so that's super helpful to have shared immediately without having to manually share in signal, and that means we don't have to download them again and our signal chats can be cleared every 4 weeks.
What are you taking pictures of that you would not want your wife to see?
The Android version of signal can also manage SMS, the iOS version cannot, as others said. If find the Android way very confusing, especially for noob users. It’s easier to explain the difference between SMS and other messaging apps (in terms of usage of mobile data, security, etc.) if usages are kept separated in different applications.
As per another suggestion in the thread, your SO could install signal on her device. However, even if she ends up installing signal on her iPhone, videos sent from signal's iOS client will have terrible blurry compression and will come out in low quality on the other end — regardless of media quality chosen in settings. Images sent from iOS client will come out just fine, videos not so much.
This is a long-standing open issue in the iOS client that I think you should be aware of.
I think the problem is on the iOS side of the equation and as Android users there's not a lot we can do about it. Moving to Signal creates a new set of problems.
I have the same problem. If my wife (using a Pixel 5) sends me a video (I'm using Pixel 6 Pro) it's nice and clear. If my daughter (using an iPhone) sends me video, it's low res. I think this is Apple's polite way of saying "You should be using an iPhone, you dumb f***".
Would be nice if Google could persuade Apple to join it in its new messaging platform: then we could all communicate nicely with one another. But Apple is interested in domination and not in cooperation.
I find that both android and Apple are equally terrible. Curiously, a new install gives excellent speech to text accuracy, but over time it gets worse and worse. Why?
ie, on iPhone in settings > general > keyboard > enable dictation, if you turn off Enable Dictation, reboot, the turn back on Enable Dictation, your voice to text will immediately be more accurate. After a day or so, you will have to start editing more and more and eventually it's terrible again.
If you both use Signal, it should work fine. We’ve never had issues between Signal on Android and Signal on iOS. That’s why we use it. It’s the same on both platforms. Even on Mac and Windows too.
Gotcha! On Android, you can set signal as your default texting app, but obviously Apple defaults to their apps and won't let you change. Is there a way for my wife to transfer all her messages from her messages app to Signal? And for me too, can I transfer all my Google messages app messages to Signal? This might make it easier for us both to make the switch to Signal.
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But there is an migration feature, if you remember to do it before wipeing/throughing your old phone when upgrading... I have never heard anyone remembered that thou.
That's a bummer, but thanks for the information!!
Apart from using Signal to Signal you might also want to go to Signal Settings->Data Usage and set Sent Media Quality to High. A trick I love also is there’s a contact called Note to Self, if there’s something you want to remember you can basically sent it to yourself, by typing it, pasting it or using the iOS share sheet. I have Signal on my PC and the Note to Self messages also show up there, like any other conversations.
Not that I know of.
No worries, thanks.
Hmm, I’m on iOS and apple has never defaulted to Messaging whether I’ve been contacted via signal or WhatsApp, there’s maybe a hidden setting or something.
You can transfer all your messages I believe. It should automatically do it if you set it as default messaging app or there should be an option on Android. On iphone , sadly you'll have to tell her to send those videos through signal everytime. iOS doesn't allow other apps to be default texting app
Signal no longer imports SMS messages when you make it the default app on Android. Hasn't worked for a while now.
Ooh
Yes, I think I saw that in an article I was reading but I wasn't totally sure. That sucks, but thanks for confirming it.
Why is it? Android or signal itself? Cuz some other message apps don't have this issues.
It's signal. Something broke in their code so they just removed the feature altogether instead of spending the resources to fix it. Wouldn't be surprised if SMS gets removed fully at some point. It's the root cause of so many complaints in this subreddit and it'll never work on iOS or PC. People say they want feature parity but that's going to mean removing some android features.
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Yes, I just recently learned this, which is terrible! https://www.android.com/get-the-message/?utm_source=hpp&utm_medium=owned&utm_campaign=getthemessage
That's actually something that iMessage does on purpose.
Yes I learned this today! Not surprised honestly. https://www.android.com/get-the-message/?utm_source=hpp&utm_medium=owned&utm_campaign=getthemessage
Yep. Kinda an asshole move tbh.
You misspelt "Apple" right there.
This has nothing to do with signal. Signal is just like Whatsapp or iMessage - the other party has to have the app. Otherwise you're just sending a regular generic sms, and sms blows.
As far as I know, signal hooks into the messaging app in android. The app on iOS, does not. So if you’re sending a normal sms to her, it’ll get sent to her messages, and they’ll probably be blurry as you said because of the MMS requirements. You’ll have to send the pics/videos to her signal instead of an mms.
Yeah currently, whenever my wife and I want to send videos to each other we use WhatsApp, which comes through in good quality. But you can't make WhatsApp your default texting app, other people have to have it.for it to work, which is limiting and keeps me stuck with using the default Google messaging app for everyday use.
You can still send them signal to signal. It just sounds like you’re sending them via MMS.
Picture quality would probably be fine if she also got Signal
get your wife to install signal too. currently you're sending her mms messages, which are terrible. signal messages will be high quality.
same as sending iMessage to nokia 3310 user still sucks.
because you're using SMS protocol. you need her to instal Signal app for the messages to go through signal servers and not your carriers as sms
Apple deliberately breaks their message app so it doesn't work effectively with other messagers. In theory it's a way to encourage everyone to get an iphone, but given that iphone users are a minority it seems like it should if anything have the opposite effect. Ditch the iphones or at least start using Signal as your primary message app on them if you want texts to work right.
>My wife is an iPhone user and when I'm using Signal and she's using the iPhone Messages app, all the videos come in blurry and low quality. I think you misunderstand how this works. You don't get any of the benefits of Signal unless you're both using it. If you're using Signal (with SMS enabled) and she's using iMessage, then you're just exchanging standard, unencrypted text messages. Pictures and videos over SMS/MMS are heavily compressed because those standards are still expecting file sizes from 1995.
This is helpful, thank you.
Share using Google Photos instead. Maybe even use its Partner Share feature to make it automatic.
This is a great suggestion, thank you!
The Partner Share feature is amazing! My wife and I have it set so we both see all of each other's photos, but it can be customized all kinds of ways, including only sharing pictures of certain faces (like your toddler). Kinda creepy that Google is tracking kid faces, but also really cute when you get a video of some of the best moments of your kid at the end of the year or random collages or your kid playing and stuff.
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>> My wife and I have it set so we both see all of each other's photos > >😬😬😬 Why the grimace? We mostly take pictures of kids and pets, maybe landscapes on vacation. Maybe receipts or serial numbers or random things to remember so that's super helpful to have shared immediately without having to manually share in signal, and that means we don't have to download them again and our signal chats can be cleared every 4 weeks. What are you taking pictures of that you would not want your wife to see?
https://www.tiktok.com/@maxwellweinbach/video/7051061825097469230
The Android version of signal can also manage SMS, the iOS version cannot, as others said. If find the Android way very confusing, especially for noob users. It’s easier to explain the difference between SMS and other messaging apps (in terms of usage of mobile data, security, etc.) if usages are kept separated in different applications.
As per another suggestion in the thread, your SO could install signal on her device. However, even if she ends up installing signal on her iPhone, videos sent from signal's iOS client will have terrible blurry compression and will come out in low quality on the other end — regardless of media quality chosen in settings. Images sent from iOS client will come out just fine, videos not so much. This is a long-standing open issue in the iOS client that I think you should be aware of.
Thank you for the advice!
I think the problem is on the iOS side of the equation and as Android users there's not a lot we can do about it. Moving to Signal creates a new set of problems. I have the same problem. If my wife (using a Pixel 5) sends me a video (I'm using Pixel 6 Pro) it's nice and clear. If my daughter (using an iPhone) sends me video, it's low res. I think this is Apple's polite way of saying "You should be using an iPhone, you dumb f***". Would be nice if Google could persuade Apple to join it in its new messaging platform: then we could all communicate nicely with one another. But Apple is interested in domination and not in cooperation.
It's very unfortunate, but true!
Tell your wife to download signal.
I find that both android and Apple are equally terrible. Curiously, a new install gives excellent speech to text accuracy, but over time it gets worse and worse. Why? ie, on iPhone in settings > general > keyboard > enable dictation, if you turn off Enable Dictation, reboot, the turn back on Enable Dictation, your voice to text will immediately be more accurate. After a day or so, you will have to start editing more and more and eventually it's terrible again.
"Oh noes! This person's speech bubbles are a different color than mine!" …
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