Need a Decent Phone
- Thread starter LunarMist
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Mercutio
Fatwah on Western Digital
Some of the software sucks, but the phone works fine otherwise.
I need to figure out the best way to block the cameras.
You can just deny the camera permission to the camera app you have installed. That'll take care of it just fine, although every time you accidentally open the camera somehow, it'll bug you about it.
I use the Google Messages app. I also link it to my desktop and laptop so I can reply there.
messages.google.com
Messages by Google - A simple, helpful text messaging app
Messages is a simple, helpful messaging app that keeps you connected with the people who matter most. Text anyone from anywhere across devices.
messages.google.com
Mercutio
Fatwah on Western Digital
SMS is evil and no one should use it under any circumstance, since it requires users to disclose their phone number. My phone number is absolutely privileged information.
iMessage is just SMS but worse, and also assures that any binary attachments are mangled by Apple before they are delivered.
Whatsapp and Facebook messenger are evil because they are owned by Facebook.
Signal is just Whatsapp, but owned by a couple shady-ass Russians. Also: no one uses it.
Telegram has all of the privacy bona fides and about 1/20th the user base of Signal. Also they dropped support to act as an SMS replacement on Android, which took away the most compelling argument that could be made for having it.
Teams is evil because it's a separate thing from Skype, a product I actually used to kinda like that no one uses any more, and I'm not OK with having multiple chat services from the same goddamned company on my devices. See also: Google Duo and Google Allo. Are either of those still a thing? I have no idea.
Discord is evil because those fuckers can't be bothered to open anything up for web indexing. These days I check what available support options are for hardware and software products and if I see something about Discord, I just won't buy or use that thing. This one is especially important when it becomes clear that the responsible party in Discord chat is clearly irritated that they have to answer the same questions multiple times a day, yet they don't have any kind of support document elsewhere. I got rid of my Snapmaker printer after learning that the only meaningful support for them was Discord.
I will reluctantly accept Google Chat or Snapchat. I have a Google Voice number that I give to things that absolutely think they HAVE to be able to send SMS messages. The number isn't tied to a real phone. I just receive emails of whatever texts or voice mails people leave.
Email is on the other hand perfect. It's easy to understand, easy to filter and easy to script. It works on a potato. I can make IFTTT triggers. Everyone can have as many addresses as they want. It does not have the power to make my phone ring, and I can delay responding or treat it as real time as necessary. I cannot understand why anyone would bother with anything.
Reading all this, if you think that I do not wish to be contacted, you are absolutely correct.
iMessage is just SMS but worse, and also assures that any binary attachments are mangled by Apple before they are delivered.
Whatsapp and Facebook messenger are evil because they are owned by Facebook.
Signal is just Whatsapp, but owned by a couple shady-ass Russians. Also: no one uses it.
Telegram has all of the privacy bona fides and about 1/20th the user base of Signal. Also they dropped support to act as an SMS replacement on Android, which took away the most compelling argument that could be made for having it.
Teams is evil because it's a separate thing from Skype, a product I actually used to kinda like that no one uses any more, and I'm not OK with having multiple chat services from the same goddamned company on my devices. See also: Google Duo and Google Allo. Are either of those still a thing? I have no idea.
Discord is evil because those fuckers can't be bothered to open anything up for web indexing. These days I check what available support options are for hardware and software products and if I see something about Discord, I just won't buy or use that thing. This one is especially important when it becomes clear that the responsible party in Discord chat is clearly irritated that they have to answer the same questions multiple times a day, yet they don't have any kind of support document elsewhere. I got rid of my Snapmaker printer after learning that the only meaningful support for them was Discord.
I will reluctantly accept Google Chat or Snapchat. I have a Google Voice number that I give to things that absolutely think they HAVE to be able to send SMS messages. The number isn't tied to a real phone. I just receive emails of whatever texts or voice mails people leave.
Email is on the other hand perfect. It's easy to understand, easy to filter and easy to script. It works on a potato. I can make IFTTT triggers. Everyone can have as many addresses as they want. It does not have the power to make my phone ring, and I can delay responding or treat it as real time as necessary. I cannot understand why anyone would bother with anything.
Reading all this, if you think that I do not wish to be contacted, you are absolutely correct.
I know you've been complaining about txt for as long as I've known you here and it's still working fine for me decades later.
It's way more accepted as a quick communication norm than email and I'd rather use it. For contacts that want to txt that I don't trust they get my Google voice number as a proxy and that works well.
It's way more accepted as a quick communication norm than email and I'd rather use it. For contacts that want to txt that I don't trust they get my Google voice number as a proxy and that works well.
Mercutio
Fatwah on Western Digital
If you're OK with letting people have your personal phone number, fine. There's no technical reason for things to work that way any longer, and I don't want to be forced to disclose the number people can call whenever they want. One of the major annoyances with SMS is the assumption that someone you've texted will see and respond immediately, or respond to it faster than other forms of communication. It's gotten better because of things like Phone Link and Intel Unison, but so, so, SO many people think that everyone just lives with a phone attached to their hand. Actual calls are a whole other level of irritation. I overwhelmingly want to type what I want to communicate so there's evidence of correspondence anyway and to keep the expectations of people who want to discuss their issues with me within the realms of reason.
I never said it was a technical reason but it's a social construct that's quite normal for a ton of people. The email-is-technically-better is subjective if people don't want to use it as their norm. I'm fine with my friends/family having my personal number so they can txt me, I want them in my life so why wouldn't I give them my number?
The immediate reply assumption was real for me like 10 years ago but it's no longer a thing for me or the people I txt with in my life. We've all accepted slow responses; my phone is on 100% silent and no vibration all the time. That trend has come and gone from my perspective. Maybe it's still true in your world though.
The immediate reply assumption was real for me like 10 years ago but it's no longer a thing for me or the people I txt with in my life. We've all accepted slow responses; my phone is on 100% silent and no vibration all the time. That trend has come and gone from my perspective. Maybe it's still true in your world though.
What's so personal about a phone number? I have at least three phone numbers, plus one at work. Only about a half-dozen people text me regularly on #2, then there are spammers and a few legit business texts on phone #1. Mostly phone #1 is for the incessant 2FA texts from every system at work. Phone #3 is on the Fibres and doesn't get texts AFAIK.
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Mercutio
Fatwah on Western Digital
I used to get calls almost constantly, frequently at the least opportune times and often very often from people I really couldn't bill or hold accountable for the time. Like some random jerk would have my phone number because I'm the office support person and his computer at home was screwing up on a Sunday morning. I'd be mean about that sort of call, but I'd get them enough that I decided that my cell number is privileged information. I last changed my cell number about the time texting started to become common (2003? Blackberry days) and that was honestly the last straw. I just didn't give out that number. Maybe 20 people can call me. I've had second numbers several different ways (Ooma, Grand Central, Vonage et al) but at this point I'm convinced that sharply keeping my cell number private has been the healthiest decision I ever made.
I've also found that the people who want to SMS the most are the neediest customers and least articulate when they want something. I don't feel bad at all cutting them off from that. I'm glad all my communication with them is centralized to my email account.
I've also found that the people who want to SMS the most are the neediest customers and least articulate when they want something. I don't feel bad at all cutting them off from that. I'm glad all my communication with them is centralized to my email account.
ddrueding
Fixture
Not disagreeing with your reasoning Merc, but I went a different way that leads to a similar outcome. Only numbers I whitelist ring or ping or notify in any way. Everyone else is dumped to a voicemail that informs them to contact me via email and doesn't allow messages to be left.
Doing the approved list is also a good idea too.
I also installed the Phone by Google app to replace my default Samsung dialier and it's also helped a bit with managing unwanted calls.
play.google.com
I also installed the Phone by Google app to replace my default Samsung dialier and it's also helped a bit with managing unwanted calls.
Phone by Google - Apps on Google Play
Reliable phone calls with spam protection, caller ID and more helpful features
sedrosken
Florida Man
Anecdotal, but the Google Phone app doesn't work so hot on a device that uses dual SIMs. I separate my calls by which SIM they're coming in on using ringtones, but the Google Phone app just uses the same one for both and I wasn't able to configure this.
Mercutio
Fatwah on Western Digital
You can set ringtones for callers. That's a bit of a PITA but it's probably worthwhile to do. I have a folder full of sounds I have assigned to specific people that I've been using for years and years. You might also be able to do it with Tasker or the like.
sedrosken
Florida Man
The problem is, there's no limit to the numbers that can call on my work number (it's posted publicly) so it's infeasible for me to do that. It's a whole lot easier to just separate by SIM.
Mercutio
Fatwah on Western Digital
I rely on the noises my phone makes to track normal activity vs anything out of the ordinary. I also want some noises to ALWAYS play from the phone speaker rather than bluetooth. My phone is almost never on silent, unless I'm at a concert or something. I have a whole bunch of triggers to make particular noises based on what shows up in my inbox.
Unless you have a phone glued to your person as a vibrator, then without any sounds how do you know if there is an important incoming call?
Mercutio
Fatwah on Western Digital
The Google and Samsung SMS applications have some kind of external access from the web, which probably sets them ahead of other SMS software.
I usually have my phone around but it's set to complete silence, no vibrating either. I genuinely don't care if I miss 99% of calls.
I'm not sure yet. I found this']https://securitygladiators.com/security/software/keyboard/android/]this list[/url].
Mercutio
Fatwah on Western Digital
My standard for over a decade was the paid version of Swype. Swype had an online synching dictionary that I really appreciate since I use a lot of jargon and it had the very best keyboard support for punctuation while swiping and also cut, copy and paste. Microsoft bought and abandoned Swype. I can still use the APK, but it no longer supports the dictionary sync and does not have a bulk import function outside what used to be sync'd from the account and some devices I have now are blocked from installing it for some reason.
Gboard DOES allow bulk import of a user dictionary, but it doesn't sync dictionaries between devices. It's easy enough to keep a file containing my words on hand, but it's deeply annoying that I should have to.
Swiftkey and the Samsung keyboard might support dictionary sync but don't have an import function.
In the end, I'd still rather be using Swype than anything that's still available.
Gboard DOES allow bulk import of a user dictionary, but it doesn't sync dictionaries between devices. It's easy enough to keep a file containing my words on hand, but it's deeply annoying that I should have to.
Swiftkey and the Samsung keyboard might support dictionary sync but don't have an import function.
In the end, I'd still rather be using Swype than anything that's still available.