[_jsnk]

I'm very upset by this decision. I've been using Signal as my SMS app for a very long time.

Messages that I would have sent via SMS currently will automatically get sent via Signal if the person I'm sending to has started using Signal without my knowledge. This has happened in several instances where I was pleasantly surprised to see a friend had started using Signal. Now that I'm forced into a separate SMS app, this will no longer be a possibility. I certainly won't be firing up Signal to see if a contact has joined before sending them an SMS.

[roter]

This. Now you have to remember who is in Signal and who isn't. All because apparently the double-check mark for messages between Signal users and the unlocked icon for SMS messages is too hard to comprehend. SMH.

[bxparks]

If I understand this, if I use SMS, I can send to everyone. If I use Signal, I can send to Signal users only. But I don't remember who's on Signal, and who's not. So I guess I will stop using Signal.

[usrusr]

If I want to message someone I open the contact and click on one of the messengers that are listed for the phone number. Why would I leave the memorizing to my brain?

[jcul]

Off topic slightly, but it amazes me how much SMS is used in outside my country (maybe just US?). I literally never SMS any personal contacts, usually WhatsApp. Even business stuff, sometimes initial contact may be SMS and then could often move to WhatsApp. I use signal with a small circle of friends, but no one I know uses SMS anymore.

[caf]

I have WhatsApp installed for two different group chats, Google Chat for another couple of group chats, but apart from that SMS is the standard here (which means opportunistically iMessage / Signal). I'm in Australia, where SMS typically have no per-message cost (the only thing that's charged per use on most mobile plans here is data and international calls).

[giskou]

I have been receiving notifications that a person in my contact list is now using Signal for years.

Apart from that, your use case has another possible issue. If a person stops using Signal, your messages will go to the void until Signal actually removes the user and your client switches back to SMS. This has caused a lot of confusion for some of my friends when I switched my signal account to a different phone number.

I think it's more reliable to use Signal for Signal.

[fluidcruft]

Exactly. Dumbest idea ever. Apparently Signal thinks they can recruit all of us as their sales force.

[alerighi]

Well this is also a problem. As it's said in the article, you risk getting charged for an SMS, that in some countries are expensive, most mobile plan in my country have 30+Gb for 7 euros at month, but SMS are 20 cent *EACH*. Practically in my country nobody uses SMS, and SMS are used only to receive 2 factor authentication codes (and spam).

Anyway a normal person already uses multiple messaging applications: WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook Messanger, Instagram direct messages, the good old email, SMS (I guess somebody they are still used reading the comments), adding Signal it's not that big deal.