this post was submitted on 25 Sep 2026
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All the purist here would rather use matrix to send messages to themselves...
Signal is an amazing alternative to WhatsApp and one of the few apps you can actually get non-techies to install. If it's not for you then don't use but don't say stupid shit like "why would anyone use it? it's not perfect!".
Signal is as good as it gets for normies
There is no such thing as "perfect". They will always find something to complain about.
What about Matrix is harder than email?
for me, it's that it breaks randomly. all. the. time.
With element, it was constant across two different homeservers I tried. Either logging me out, or just randomly unverifying my client and failing to decrypt messages.
with fluffychat, it's been more stable, but recently it's taken to logging me and a friend of mine out at random just like Element. After logging back in, it constantly tells me there's an error fetching the notification (even though I'm not launching from a notification) due to the account not existing.
The protocol feels incredibly fragile, since it seems every implementation trips over the same footguns, and it makes the user experience horrible.
The getting people to use it.
Took me months after issueing my friends and family accounts for most of them to get the concept and install something to log into (I still get complaints about Element, and thats one of the nicer ones).
For mobile apps, if its not seamlessly integrated into their existing accounts or they have to remember a new password, you might as well have given them a bag of spiders.
The fact that every OS comes with pre-installed email client and everyone knows at least 3 free email providers but most people have no idea what matrix even is?
Actually I was installing signal in my relatives phone to replace the sms app, they used it even without knowing... I understund why they remove the sms part but it was a sad day for me, now noone from my "normies" use it anymore