Hello,
I use FB Messenger for exactly one contact. My father. He has a junky Android tablet and a flip-phone. We do not live in the same country.
I have been looking at different options for Facebook Messenger that I might be able to get him to install (because my account only exists to chat with him occasionally) and it would be a bonus if that app were privacy friendly. The problem is, I don’t know how to tell which would be the easiest for him. I mean, I thought it would be email and he proved me wrong by using Facebook Messenger…
Basically, which chat client might be the easiest for an older person like my father?
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Actually, a few weeks ago I tried to use a video call app with a friend who lives a few hours away in another city. They didn’t manage to proceed installing so I started to think to send them a cheap phone with LineageOS with the app pre-installed. That could cost me possibly 30 euros for such a second hand phone (Old Samsung, with unofficial LineageOS ROM, using Conversations or Matrix or Signal etc.), plus some additional shipping costs.(btw, In the end they did manage to install the app). I can imagine that this is not feasible for you, but I thought it is worth mentioning it, maybe for others.
Have you got an howto for this? :)
Depends on brand and type. Installing old Samsung phones with LineageOS is a bit more difficult because Samsung uses the ODIN layer. For that you need PIT files to create partitions. Here is an example of such an install. xda-dev forums can provide a lot of howtos and answers : https://forum.xda-developers.com/galaxy-tab-a/development/rom-lineageos-16-0-t3987317
I found a Feiteng H9500s, which is supposedly supposed to be a Galaxy S4 clone. I am going to follow an official installation guide of Galaxy S4 since clones are not supported by Lineage. Have you ever had any experience with those?
Maybe this has some useful info for you ? https://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2437550
It is recommended to be very strict with Brand name and model when it comes to flashing custom ROMs. If you brick it, and can’t un-brick it, you have a phone you cannot use.
OK! It is not even worthy the try. :)
Sometimes you can get an old Samsung Galaxy phone for say 25 to 40 Euros second hand. There’s unofficial and official LineageOS for some of those. Perhaps a nice idea for playing with custom ROMs and get experienced.
Signal is indeed an interesting option, though I must say that I find it annoying to see these kind of “Signal version expired : upgrade!” notifications several times a year. Another option is DeltaChat. More difficult to set up (also depending on the email provider) but has a messenger interface and once setup it is easy to use. https://delta.chat/en/ Then for your part, not an easy solution, but Matterbridge https://github.com/42wim/matterbridge could be an option to have you use Matrix, and then bridge to FB messenger. And there is : https://github.com/YunoHost-Apps/mautrix_whatsapp_ynh
Difficulty for me isn’t an issue. I just have a hard time seeing things through the eyes of someone who doesn’t really use technology that much. My father has never used a computer in his life but his friends made him get a tablet.
Matterbridge might be the solution I need. I’ll install that tonight and give it a test.
Thanks!
unpopular idea, but you can get rid of fb and use whatsapp, lesser of two significant evils imo. i “have” to have WA to communicate in my country, but at least no fb
Given the end-to-end encryption on whatsapp is it even evil at all? Except for the money you’d be giving Zuck that is.
i think the surveillance capitalism score is quite high due to access to contacts and you have to remember to keep denying access to photos, microphone etc if you anything more than text… not good, but getting rid of fb account seems a high priority
Well, trading FB for Owned-by-FB might be OK. I only use WhatsApp with one person as well but at least that person is able to switch if needed.
if you already have WA, that maybe the easiest for your father to switch to. Maybe the signal option is the same effort, but some don’t like that outfit either.
And installing WhatsApp on a tablet would be easy enough for a senior?
Whether the tablet has Wifi or LTE support is an important question for installation of some apps ???
they need a phone number to verify, didn’t see the flipphone part originally. these folks recommend telegram or hangouts
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I feel like the setup part would be a hassle and he just wouldn’t do it. I’m pretty sure his friends got him the Facebook account. I had to install the Messenger part for him but I won’t be going home for at least a year…it is on my list even though I don’t use it.
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