cmc/cleberg.net

  1#+date:        [2020-03-25 Wed 00:00:00]
  2#+title:       Review: Session Messenger
  3#+description: A user review of the Session Messenger app on Linux, macOS, and iOS.
  4#+slug:        session-messenger
  5#+filetags:    :privacy:
  6
  7* Privacy Warning
  8
  9The company behind Session (Loki Foundation) is from Australia. If you didn't
 10know, Australia has introduced [[https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/legislation/bills/r6195_aspassed/toc_pdf/18204b01.pdf][legislation]] mandating companies comply with
 11government requests to build back door access into applications. For more
 12information, read my article on [[file:2018-11-28-aes-encryption.org][AES Encryption]].
 13
 14* About Session
 15
 16[[https://getsession.org][Session]] is a private, cross-platform messaging app from the [[https://loki.foundation][Loki Foundation]]. As
 17someone who has spent years looking for quality alternatives to major messaging
 18apps, I was excited when I first heard about Session. Reading through [[https://arxiv.org/pdf/2002.04609.pdf][Session's
 19white paper]], you can learn the technologies behind the Session app. Part of the
 20security of Session comes from the Signal protocol, which was forked as the
 21origin of Session.
 22
 23#+begin_quote
 24Session is an end-to-end encrypted messenger that removes sensitive metadata
 25collection, and is designed for people who want privacy and freedom from any
 26forms of surveillance.
 27#+end_quote
 28
 29In general, this app promises security through end-to-end encryption,
 30decentralized onion routing, and private identities. The biggest change that the
 31Loki Foundation has made to the Signal protocol is removing the need for a phone
 32number. Instead, a random identification string is generated for any session you
 33create. This means you can create a new session for each device if you want to,
 34or link new devices with your ID.
 35
 36Since Session's website and white paper describe the details of Session's
 37security, I'm going to focus on using the app in this post.
 38
 39* Features
 40
 41Since most people are looking for an alternative to a popular chat app, I am
 42going to list out the features that Session has so that you are able to
 43determine if the app would suit your needs:
 44
 45- Multiple device linking [via a quick-response (QR) code or identifier (ID)]
 46- App locking via device screen lock, password, or fingerprint
 47- Screenshot blocking
 48- Incognito keyboard
 49- Read receipts and typing indicators
 50- Mobile notification customization
 51- Old message deletion and conversation limit
 52- Backups
 53- Recovery phrase
 54- Account deletion, including ID, messages, sessions, and contacts
 55
 56* Downloads
 57
 58I have tested this app on Ubuntu 19.10, Android 10, macOS Monterey, and iOS 15.
 59All apps have worked well without issue.
 60
 61Below is a brief overview of the Session app on Linux. To get this app, you'll
 62need to go to the [[https://getsession.org/download/][Downloads]] page and click to link to the operating system
 63you're using.
 64
 65For Linux, it will download an AppImage that you'll need to enable with the
 66following command:
 67
 68#+begin_src sh
 69sudo chmod u+x session-messenger-desktop-linux-x86_64-1.0.5.AppImage
 70#+end_src
 71
 72* Creating an Account
 73
 74Once you've installed the app, simply run the app and create your unique Session
 75ID. It will look something like this:
 76=05af1835afdd63c947b47705867501d6373f486aa1ae05b1f2f3fcd24570eba608=.
 77
 78You'll need to set a display name and, optionally, a password. If you set a
 79password, you will need to enter it every time you open the app.
 80
 81* Start Messaging
 82
 83Once you've created your account and set up your profile details, the next step
 84is to start messaging other people. To do so, you'll need to share your Session
 85ID with other people. From this point, it's straightforward and acts like any
 86other messaging app, so I won't dive into much detail here.
 87
 88** macOS
 89
 90One key feature to note is that the desktop application now provides a helpful
 91pop-up box explaining the process that Session uses to hide your IP address:
 92
 93** iOS
 94
 95The mobile app is simple and effective, giving you all the standard mobile
 96messaging options you'd expect.
 97
 98* Potential Issues
 99
100I've discovered one annoying issue that would prevent from using this app
101regularly. On a mobile device, there have been issues with receiving messages on
102time. Even with battery optimization disabled and no network restrictions,
103Session notifications sometimes do not display until I open the app or the
104conversation itself and wait. This is actually one of the reasons I stopped
105using Signal (this seems fixed as of my updates in 2021/2022, so I wouldn't
106worry about this issue anymore).
107
108Looking for another messenger instead of Session? I recommend Signal, Matrix,
109and internet relay chat (IRC).