SimpleX Chat

I always have a back-up chat app and I think it should not be Signal and then a Signal fork. Instead I have decided my back-up will be SimpleX Chat. SimpleX Chat is a great alternative to Signal. It has some great features similar to Signal even if the app is slightly more in the advanced end, its not a big deal since it comes with functions that are basically the same. When the app is first setup, you wont need to worry about the advanced part anymore, it works like most other messengers. If you know Signal or WhatsApp then you know how to use this too. And here is the good news, I will help you set it up.

In the same exact fashion as we installed Signal before, install SimpleX Chat. Just write “SimpleX” and you will find it right away.

          • Go to SimpleX Chat. (Which I will refer to as SimpleX).
          • First click the little profile picture in the lower left corner.
          • Go to “Settings”.
          • Go to “Appearance”.
          • Disable “Reachable app toolbars”.
          • Click the little profile picture in the upper left corner.
          • Select “Chat preferences”.
          • Enable “Disappearing messages”.
          • Set “Delete after” to 1 week.
          • Set “Delete for everyone” to always.
          • Go back.
          • Click the profile picture in the upper left corner.
          • Click on “Privacy & Security”.
          • Enable “SimpleX Lock”.
          • Set “Lock mode” to any you prefer. (Passcode is safest.
          • Set “Lock after” to 3 minutes or less
          • Go back.
          • Enable “Protect app screen”.
          • Enable “Encrypt local files”.
          • Enable “Protect IP address”.
          • Under each contact click on the contacts photo.
          • Click “Contact preferences”.
          • Enable “Disappearing messages”
          • Set “Delete after” to 12 hours or less. (I personally use 8).

In this preferences tab you can also decide if some contacts should be denied certain things. Sometimes you get a person from the internet and you prefer not to talk to them, this is where you can delete them. This by the way is an excellent way of having internet friends on the phone instead of giving any real information out. To add a friend from the internet anonymously follow these steps:

          • Within SimpleX click on the little pencil icon in the lower right corner
          • Click on “Create 1-time link”
          • Now share the link at the top of the screen.

What this will allow you to do is create an incognito profile which means each contact get a different name of yours. This can come in very handy as you might have family who are on SimpleX who has your true account name. So you wont have to redo everything if you want to shake a friend who is causing trouble. Instead you can just delete the friend as they only had a 1 time link. This is also great for privacy as nobody will know your true account. Consider that your internet friend might be a criminal, maybe he sells drugs on the side. Now you can be implicated because he don’t have your true account. This is a great protection for you and your loved ones.