Signal Desktop does not support Signal as SMS client

[j00bar]

Howdy!

I set Signal to be my default SMS application. When a new SMS comes into my phone, I do not see that SMS message in Signal Desktop. I would expect that new SMS messages that Signal handles on my phone are able to be viewed and replied to from Signal Desktop. Additionally, I would expect searching for contacts to start a new conversation on Signal Desktop to search my SMS contacts as well when the app is configured to be the default SMS client - it currently does not appear to.

I'm running Marshmallow on a Nexus 6.

Thanks! I love Signal Desktop - makes using it at work so much easier when I don't have to look at my phone.

[2-4601]

http://support.whispersystems.org/hc/en-us/articles/214515938-Can-I-send-SMS-MMS-through-the-Desktop-Client-

[liliakai]

Sorry but we're not going to do this. You computer can't send SMS from your phone number, and your SMS-only contacts can't receive Signal messages.

You might think we could do some kind of SMS proxy thing with the phone, but that would be difficult, fault-prone, and generally more far trouble than it's worth. Plus we would then have to deal with the UX of mixed encrypted and unencrypted messages, not to mention SMS and MMS failures, on desktop, a problem that has plagued Android since the beginning, and never really had great solution.

[c-prompt]

A request to re-open this issue/feature request...

Not allowing non-secure messaging to go through Signal will be a huge limitation for general acceptance of Signal Desktop (and likely will limit acceptance of Signal Android). Consider it this way: if you only allowed secured messages in and out in the Android app, barely anyone would use it. The reasons should be obvious.

I used to use AirDroid through my local network (i.e., not signing in as I don't trust them) to send/receive SMS via my desktop. When I switched to Signal Android, I could no longer use it. I then tried Vysor (directly plugging the device in via USB) but Signal Android shows a blank screen.

I was waiting for Signal Desktop to provide the lost functionality of full SMS via the desktop. If that won't happen per @liliakai's comment above, I'll have to go back to using non-secured SMS on Android. There are too few people using Signal to give up being able to send/receive via the desktop or, put another way, send/receive via the desktop with many people is more important than securely messaging with just a few.

Please reconsider giving Signal Desktop the ability to send/receive/sync non-secured SMS messages, even if it means directly connecting your phone to the desktop (e.g., through USB, a trusted local network, or bluetooth).