I finally started using Molly to send and receive messages via Signal. Molly is a hardened fork of Signal for Android, offering features such as an encrypted message database, automatic locking, shredding no longer needed secrets from RAM, notifications via UnifiedPush, and Tor / SOCKS proxy support. This is by no means an alternative to Signal itself, but rather an alternative (and hardened) Android client for Signal. While these extra security features are great, my main motivation to use Molly was battery saving, actually. I’m on GrapheneOS, which does offer sandboxed Google Play (opt-in), yet I’ve chosen not to use it. This means I’m not using Google’s Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) for notifications either, which Signal by default heavily relies on. However, it continues to make me very glad I can still use a secure and open source mobile operating system (GrapheneOS) in 2025, without needing to rely on proprietary and privacy-impairing functionality.

When not using Google Play services (e.g. GrapheneOS, LineageOS users), Signal can be a real battery drain. Molly with UnifiedPush on the other hand is extremely battery efficient.

Here’s how to set this up, using Nextcloud as the UnifiedPush provider.

  • Victor@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    2 months ago

    Molly and Signal apps can be installed on the same device.

    Big warning here, if you switch to Molly on the same device, your Signal install will go offline/be disconnected.

    I just wanted to try the Material You theme that Signal is missing, but this made me apprehensive.

    • 0bs1d1an@infosec.pubOPEnglish
      0·
      2 months ago

      Of course, Signal will be unlinked when using Molly. Molly however supports multiple devices.

      • Victor@lemmy.worldEnglish
        0·
        2 months ago

        Right, but Molly saying they can be installed on the same device alongside Signal is kind of confusing because it implies they can be USED simultaneously, kind of like Telegram and Telegram X. But this is not the case as far as I understand.

          • Victor@lemmy.worldEnglish
            0·
            2 months ago

            I tried every way I could find but every path I took in the setup process of Molly told me to scan a QR code, but how tf do I scan a QR code with my phone, that is shown on my phone’s screen. So I gave up. I really tried to make Molly a linked device. 🤷‍♂️ If anybody has the exact process for this, please hit me with a reply. Would love to try Molly on the side of Signal proper, without losing Signal as the main app/device.

              • Victor@lemmy.worldEnglish
                0·
                2 months ago

                Really though? 😆 I guess that’s what I gotta do. (I won’t btw.) But what if I didn’t have another camera lol. This whole setup would fail miserably. Just let me have a link I can click as well. 💀

                  • Victor@lemmy.worldEnglish
                    0·
                    2 months ago

                    I won’t do any of this stuff, mostly because I don’t care enough to test it, and I soft-refuse to get this to work unless it’s in a way the app developers intended. I don’t know why I have this principle. The shit needs to work without workarounds, otherwise it’s bad design. Kind of?

                    But I really appreciate the help, regardless. ❤️

    • WeAreAllOne@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
      0·
      2 months ago

      Warning. If switching from newest version of Signal to Molly, this might not work since Molly is quite few versions behind → compatibility issues.