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Revision as of 13:14, 14 October 2021

Infobox:

Basic data

Maintainer Daniel Gultsch

Developer Siacs.eu

Year of release 2014

Current version 2.9.13[1] (May 26, 2021)

Operating system Android ≥5.0

Programming language Java

Category Instant Messenger

License GPL (Free Software)

German language yes

conversations.im


Conversations is a free instant messaging client for Android. It is largely based on recognized open standards such as the Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol (XMPP) and Transport Layer Security (TLS).

The development focus is on secure communication and implementation of XMPP extensions that are important for mobile use. The trade press praised the decentralized and open nature of the transmission network and simple, intuitive usability with user guidance familiar from other applications. It enjoys recognition as a serious attempt to raise the mass suitability of XMPP-based messaging to a competitive level.[2]

The source code of the program is maintained at GitHub and is subject to the terms of version 3 of the GNU General Public License (GPL). The program can be installed for free (or donation-based) using F-Droid or for a fee in the Google Play store. Google recorded over 100,000 installations as of November 2020.[3]

Features

Conversations natively (i.e. without an additional module) offers both optional end-to-end encryption (OpenPGP or OMEMO) and line encryption (Transport Layer Security). The latter must be configured by the servers of the parties involved in the conversation.

Conversations allows multiple clients/endpoints logged into an account simultaneously (through XMPP) and also message delivery to multiple clients (synchronization) using the protocol extension "Message Carbons" ("carbon copies", XEP-0280).

Files can be sent; also encrypted. Transmitted images are displayed embedded in the conversation view (image messages).[4]

As an XMPP client, Conversations offers interoperability with other XMPP (client) software in principle and is also not tied to vendor server infrastructure. 

   Group chat (MUC)
   Optional address book integration
   Support for multiple user accounts/addresses

Implemented XEPs

Conversations handles the following XMPP extension protocols (XEP, official extensions of XMPP)[5]: 

   XEP-0027: Current Jabber OpenPGP Usage
   XEP-0030: Service Discovery
   XEP-0045: Multi-User Chat (MUC)
   XEP-0048: Bookmarks
   XEP-0084: User Avatar
   XEP-0085: Chat State Notifications
   XEP-0092: Software Version
   XEP-0115: Entity Capabilities
   XEP-0163: Personal Eventing Protocol for avatars and nicknames
   XEP-0166: Jingle (file transfer only)
   XEP-0172: User Nickname
   XEP-0184: Message Delivery Receipts (reply only)
   XEP-0191: Blocking command
   XEP-0198: Stream Management
   XEP-0199: XMPP Ping
   XEP-0234: Jingle File Transfer

   XEP-0237: Roster Versioning
   XEP-0245: The /me Command
   XEP-0249: Direct MUC Invitations (reception only)
   XEP-0260: Jingle SOCKS5 Bytestreams Transport Method
   XEP-0261: Jingle In-Band Bytestreams Transport Method
   XEP-0280: Message Carbons (syncing)
   XEP-0308: Last Message Correction
   XEP-0313: Message Archive Management (logs stored on server)
   XEP-0319: Last User Interaction in Presence
   XEP-0333: Chat Markers
   XEP-0352: Client State Indication
   XEP-0357: Push Notifications
   XEP-0363: HTTP File Upload
   XEP-0368: SRV records for XMPP over TLS
   XEP-0377: Spam Reporting
   XEP-0384: OMEMO Encryption

Quicksy

The offshoot Quicksy was also created by Daniel Gultsch.[6] Users of this client open an account at the host quicksy.im, where the username consists of the phone number. This enables a contact search of other users of the app via the phone book. This is intended to lower the barrier to entry into the Jabber network. Quicksyn users can also communicate with XMPP users on other hosts.[7]

History

Initial code was contributed to the public repository on January 24, 2014.[8] The first official version 0.1 was released on March 24, 2014,[9] when (often only allegedly) "secure" messengers for mobile devices were gaining strong popularity in the wake of the Snowden disclosures (June 2013) and Facebook's buyout of WhatsApp (February 2014).[10] It was soon met with positive feedback.[2][11]

It was added to Google Play later in spring 2014 and to the alternative Android software repository F-Droid with version 0.1.3 on April 6, 2014.[12]

Since version 0.2, released on May 12, image messages (file transfers, in plain text or OpenPGP-encrypted) are supported, from version 0.4 (June 30) also OTR-encrypted.[4][13] Version 1.0 followed on February 1, 2015.[14]

Andreas Straub participated in the Google Summer of Code for Conversations in 2015.[15][16] This produced drafts of a new end-to-end encryption standard (OMEMO), which were submitted to the XMPP Standards Foundation (XSF) for standardization.[17][18]

As of version 2.0.0, the ability to use Off-the-Record Messaging (OTR) for encryption has been removed. Furthermore, OMEMO is now enabled by default in individual chats and private group chats.[19] Version 2.2.0 implemented previously optional extensions to record voice messages and share location in Conversations in May 2018.[20]

Version 2.3.0 introduced support for TLS 1.3 in September 2018.[21]

Version 2.8 introduced encrypted audio and video calls in April 2020.[22]

Reception

The Free Software Foundation includes Conversations in their software directory.[23]

In an analysis of Conversations and Xabber apps, researchers found "forensic artefacts" (sic) could be found on an Android device including local user, contacts and body of messages sent or received using the app, as plaintext in the main database maintained by the app.[24]

In a 2020 review, Decentralize Today said "XXMP and Conversations has the potential to be a an excellent and super secure messenger if you host it yourself," but "problems could emerge when you use XMPP with contacts who are on different servers."[25]

Anticapitalist webhost company, Autistici, wrote detailed setup instructions for Conversations for their XMPP service.[26]

CopperheadOS developers recommend Conversations.[27]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Release 2.9.13 · iNPUTmice/Conversations". GitHub. Retrieved 2021-10-14.
  2. ^ a b "Conversation: OpenSource Instant-Messenger im Holo-Design und mit Ende-zu-Ende-Verschlüsselung". Android User (in German). 2014-05-15. Retrieved 2021-10-14.
  3. ^ "Conversations (Jabber / XMPP) - Apps on Google Play". play.google.com. Retrieved 2021-10-14.
  4. ^ a b "Update zum Beitrag: Conversations: Neuer Jabber/XMPP Client für Android | Netbunker". web.archive.org. 2016-01-21. Retrieved 2021-10-14.
  5. ^ Gultsch, Daniel (2021-10-14), Conversations, retrieved 2021-10-14
  6. ^ "Quicksy". Quicksy. Retrieved 2021-10-14.
  7. ^ Böck, Hanno (November 22, 2018). "Mit der Telefonnummer ins Jabber-Netz". www.golem.de. Retrieved 2021-10-14.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. ^ Gultsch, Daniel (January 24, 2014). "Initial Commit, Conversations". github.com.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  9. ^ "Release 0.1 · iNPUTmice/Conversations". GitHub. Retrieved 2021-10-14.
  10. ^ Frosch, Tilman; et al. (2014). "How Secure is TextSecure?" (PDF). Cryptology ePrint Archive: 17. {{cite journal}}: Explicit use of et al. in: |last= (help)
  11. ^ "Conversations – WhatsApp Alternative #9: XMPP im Google Style « N-Droid Magazin". web.archive.org. 2016-01-19. Retrieved 2021-10-14.
  12. ^ "Difference between revisions of "eu.siacs.conversations" - F-Droid". f-droid.org. Retrieved 2021-10-14.
  13. ^ Gultsch, Daniel (2021-10-14), Conversations, retrieved 2021-10-14
  14. ^ "Release 1.0 · iNPUTmice/Conversations". GitHub. Retrieved 2021-10-14.
  15. ^ "Summer of Code 2015 - XMPP WIKI". wiki.xmpp.org. Retrieved 2021-10-14.
  16. ^ "Google Summer of Code 2015 Organization XMPP Standards Foundation Project Axolotl support for Conversations". www.google-melange.com. Retrieved 2021-10-14.
  17. ^ "Wayback Machine". web.archive.org. 2016-01-29. Retrieved 2021-10-14.
  18. ^ Gultsch, Daniel (2015-09-02). "OMEMO Encrypted Jingle File Transfer". xmpp.org. Retrieved 2021-10-14.
  19. ^ "Changelog for conversations 2.0 beta". Github. March 17, 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  20. ^ "version bump to 2.2.0-beta + changelog". Github. May 12, 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  21. ^ "version bump to 2.3.0 + changelog". Github. October 5, 2018.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  22. ^ "Release 2.8.0 · iNPUTmice/Conversations". GitHub. Retrieved 2021-10-14.
  23. ^ "Conversations.im - Free Software Directory". directory.fsf.org. Retrieved 2021-10-14.
  24. ^ Akinbi, Alex; Ojie, Ehizojie (2021-03-06). "Forensic analysis of open-source XMPP/Jabber multi-client instant messaging apps on Android smartphones". SN Applied Sciences. 3 (4): 430. doi:10.1007/s42452-021-04431-9. ISSN 2523-3971.
  25. ^ "The 2020 review of Messaging Service Providers: XMPP/Conversations". Decentralize.Today. 2020-09-16. Retrieved 2021-10-14.
  26. ^ "autistici.org - Conversations Configuration Howto". www.autistici.org. Retrieved 2021-10-14.
  27. ^ "CopperheadOS usage guide - Copperhead". copperhead.co. Retrieved 2021-10-14.
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