Using the preinstalled Google services effectively turns your smartphone into spyware. In the standard Android that comes preinstalled on most smartphones, Google services run with system privileges and can collect all kinds of data including location data. If Signal exclusively supports this, it reinforces dependence on Google and discourages people from using versions of Android that don’t include Google’s spyware.

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amiga386 2 hours ago | parent [-]

Then don't do that?

Install vanilla LineageOS or GrapheneOS with no GApps. Then install Signal from https://signal.org/android/apk/

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yolo1897 an hour ago | parent | next [-]

The whole point is that it's unusable without Google services due to battery drain. Meta got it right with WhatsApp and a battery-efficient WebSockets implementation for notifications without Google services, but Signal's implementation is poor.

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microtonal 2 hours ago | parent | prev [-]

That doesn't address the criticism that this thread started with:

Unified Push, which works flawlessly on Molly, could easily be implemented in the regular client.

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amiga386 an hour ago | parent [-]

It's a moot point, as Signal isn't going to support self-hosted notification servers any more than it'll support self-hosted communication servers.

Signal works without GMS or any alternative, at the cost of more phone wakeups. This is much more preferable to everyone whose WiFi or data service you use see you connect to "push.myownname.com", or for you to rely in some rando gatekeeping your message delivery.

	▲	cherryteastain an hour ago \| parent \| next [-]
		> everyone whose WiFi or data service you use see you connect to "push.myownname.com" Mozilla has one. Hell, Signal _themselves_ could host a UnifiedPush server. Not an excuse to say 'you use Google or our app uses 10x the battery'.
	▲	ada-h00k an hour ago \| parent \| prev [-]
		There is no reasonable reason why they shouldn't support it. Having my cell phone battery drain faster is a much bigger drawback for me than simply hosting my own push server at home.