[Feature Request] SMS Text Messaging

[kgizdov]

Hi,

I love Telegram and have been using it for a while now. Forgive me if this has been discussed before, but is it possible to include SMS support (encryption as well)?

I was using TextSecure before and having the option to text securely when offline is very appealing to me.

Thanks!

[LibertyPaul]

encrypted message is larger than text itself, and SMS has limitation of length. So it will either reduce max length of message or increace bill on cellphone service

[kgizdov]

Well, as I mentioned TextSecure has a good implementation and these other arguments are pretty obvious. Obviously, when offline picture messages are not going to be available. Also, text messages are cheaper than mobile data any day. Furthermore, all the people I know have unlimited texts nowadays. This is a backup anyway.

It could just be something like - long press to send an SMS when offline.

I'm open for a user-wide discussion on this and finding the best way to be implemented, if the devs are willing.

[LibertyPaul]

About prices: I have 75mb per day(with speed limiting after reaching limit) LTE for ~4$/month and SMS price is ~0.04$, so if I will use SMS instead of mobile data I will start loosing money on 100th message, which is pretty small amount. I dont know about world wide prices, but in Russia prices for SMS is high.

[kgizdov]

OK, sorry to hear that and sorry to do this, but this is going to be a long answer.

First of all, because your plan is that, does not mean that the rest of us are forbidden to ask for this option. In Europe for example, everyone* has unlimited free texts. We don't pay for those. We pay for mobile data. Not just me, everyone*. Moreover, if you want to compare contacts (and this issue is not about that) - I have unlimited data (as in no throttling, no cap, etc), unlimited texts (SMS) and 200 min to everyone in the country for £12.90 ($20.19) a month. So, you may not see a reason to drop the occasional SMS, but I disagree.

Moreover, I am by no means suggesting to scrap the online messages, but to add support for when it is logically preferable to use SMS messages. I'll give you a few examples. I travel a lot and sometimes I am staying in a rural place with no WiFi, no 3G/4G(LTE) signal and mobile data is out of the question. Then, my only option is to use SMS. As you might have guessed SMS in not a very secure and efficient protocol, so I turned to TextSecure to solve that problem. Another example is when you're on a train or bus, and mobile data is intermittent or non-existent. Instead of wasting huge amount of battery trying to reconnect and send a message in bits and pieces, it is more efficient to use SMS. I am sure you get the picture. Plenty of examples out there.

Furthermore, I am proposing this as a backup feature. There are two things to say about this. One is obvious, using SMS when you have no other option. The other is for when people have their data turned off. I presume, I correct me if I am wrong, that you are one of those people. Having only 75MB a day does not sound like a plan that you leave your data on all the time. So if someone wants to get your attention now, they can't. They have to wait until you turn on your data. Whereas, if you can text them, they will immediately know that you are looking to speak to them. This is usually the case with some friends, who do not have unlimited data or choose to save battery. I have to text them to get a hold of them.

What I am getting at is, there are a lot of reasons for this to be implemented and I think the devs should at least give it a thought, research a bit, look at some successful implementations and decided if they want to include in the app. There is a lot to be said about the convenience gain of that feature. If the devs decide it is not worth it, that's fine. This app is solid as it is and maybe this way it will leave space for another app to provide a better solution in the future.

*by everyone, it is included in most contracts and it's not even an option lately.

[LibertyPaul]

Well, 75mb per day is more than I need to let LTE to be turned on all day long. But there is another question. Telegram's kill feature is security. SMS, even as option, cant provide this. Encryption algorithm needs to send 1-2 SMS with public keys and another things SMS is not intended for. Well, ok, your mobile plan allows you to send unlimited SMS, but this feature will be pain for amateurs w/o unlimited SMS. They'll send data over SMS and unexpectedly their funds will go down to 0.

[kgizdov]

Yes, well, sorry to keep mentioning TextSecure, but they have designed around that.

What they have implemented is the following:

First time you connect to someone, you exchange public keys online, usually through their servers. Then when you talk, the SMS is encrypted with the corresponding public key and decrypted on the other side with the already available private key. No key is sent over SMS. Besides, public keys can be safely made public anyway.

Also, since encrypting a message does not change its length, you always send the number of characters you typed. No more and no less. No extra charges. Of course if you end the secure session (chat) you have to re-exchange those keys again, but that is not the fault of the design.

The app is really user friendly. The setup is exactly the same with TextSecure and Telegram. You enter your phone number, you get a confirmation SMS. Everything else is automatic. You choose who to talk to securely, and if they are registered you just open a chat and that's it. Later you can just send them encrypted SMS in the current session by tap+hold on the send button and choosing 'send secure SMS'.

I think this could be easily translated to Telegram, as most of the infrastructure is already there. Of course, I am assuming a lot here and I might be wrong.

But please, go and check out TextSecure, they have done a good job securing SMS.

[sigod]

@kgizdov How do you expect it to be implemented on desktop? Do you have a SIM slot in your notebook?

[kgizdov]

@sigod, I'm sorry to have misled you, but I never said it should be implemented on PC.

But think of it this way. Facebook messenger, Google Hangouts and so on exist on PC and mobile, but on mobile those same applications can manage your SMS texts.

This is kind of obvious, isn't it.

[sigod]

@kgizdov, I'm not voting againts it. I'm just not sure if this is the right place to discuss it.

[kgizdov]

@sigod , I'm not sure what you mean. I can't think of a better place to discuss it

[sigod]

@kgizdov, then you must ask whole Telegram team to come here.

[kgizdov]

@sigod , do you know something we don't? Do you have any suggestions? Please do share. I do not understand what you mean.

[kgizdov]

@sigod , @LibertyPaul , sorry guys. I just noticed I posted this on the desktop app. Is there a way of transferring/referring this issue to the relevant repo in stead of starting in all over again?

[kgizdov]

I have my response. The dev said he's never going to do it. Thank for the help and sorry for the confusion.

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