Is there any hope that signal will introduce the mesh tecnology to communicate without internet connection with other devices? it is a very useful function to be used as a last chance if the internet does not work, it could even save your life in cases of disaster, emergencies or earthquakes… Something like firechat (proprietary), briar (free software), the serval mesh (free software)…

Thanks for your attention

2

Hi,

I remembered having read about this suggestion a time ago and found a GitHub post:

3

Mesh networks are becoming more widespread and it should be implemented especially when the signal user base will grow (maybe now it’s still early). Whatsapp for its user base could work just via mesh (today who doesn’t use whatsapp? Except us :slight_smile: )

I know of course this requires a lot of work on the part of our developers and it is a very ambitious project, but I think it’s worth it, the purpose of signal is to make secure and free the communications and i can’t find ONE reason to not add this possibility.

4

Also hike messenger supports the mesh network

This app is very popular with 50.000.000-100.000.000 users and almost 3 million reviews, for the most part positive. It is reasonable to assume that many of these users benefit from the mesh implementation and the presence of mesh has been decisive for users in choosing this app.

Unfortunately it is proprietary and does not support a robust protocol of encryption as signal.

5

Premise: Signal is a great app and at present I can not recommend other alternatives, the developers are the best, but believe me…

It’s useless to waste your time, developers has already decided their roadmap. Someone proposed to add a way to send messages without internet connection and without the traditional telephone line, using the mesh protocol, but it was rejected without appeal:

I would like to change my mind but believe me it’s days that I think about it and I can not find a single reason for reject it. What need is there to have control over the passing data and reject the decentralization? Or maybe they are afraid of coming into conflict with some telephone company? If mesh spreads in an app as signal then it would really be a communication free from any constraint and out of any control, but currently we will always be dependent on our providers.

6

I understand that the proposal ([Feature request] Support offline mesh network messaging · Issue #5501 · signalapp/Signal-Android · GitHub) was rejected in 2016. However, I just want to follow up if the dev team has changed their mind. Also, I am really curios about the reasons why they rejected it in the first place.

I would love to contribute to the ‘off-the-grid’ feature.

7

I think a mesh system needs to be added into Signal especially since Hong Kong protesters are using apps that have this technology to prevent government censorship. I don’t want Signal to not be server based but to also add this mesh network to get around censorship.

8

This would be good for natural disasters, people do download mesh messaging apps during hurricanes so they can communicate when there is not wifi/data.

10

Guys, just hear me out before considering this. I’m from India. Kashmir has been deprived of internet for 3 months. There are huge human rights violation happening. We need a p2p networking module to be setup.

12

Maybe can we overcome this by making a heavy encryption around the packet of data and broadcast the same across devices with WiFi and Bluetooth till it reaches a device with internet connection and then pass it on to the server and ultimately deliver.

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Packets of data with layers of encryption around them. And because it has many layers, we shall call it: Onion routing.

See, the techinque already exists but can only work properly on larger networks, such as a LAN or WAN with one or more bridges to the global network. Such network can not be formed between only client devices. The hardware isn’t suited for that. Infrastructure is still required.

It should be perfectly possible to onion route Signal if the Signal service can be reached through it.

Welcome to the Forum.

There are apps specialised in this. Use these apps, complexity increases the surface for attacks, hence this being a bad idea; Signal is focused on security and privacy. Adding more and more features will in the end mean more ways to attack.

So, the best and easiest solution for you guys in Kashmir right now would be to use an app doing exactly that. I think Briar might be what you are looking for?

Also, development would take a while. Even if the team decide to implement this, it could take months (or even years). Priorities are on security, not on features. :slight_smile:

17

wouldn’t like to have that implemented in Signal.
p2p should have seperate, specialized apps, like firechat.
Add p2p to Signal would be confusing…

18

i do agree but they are not updating. All seems to be a dead project and briar doesn’t work on iOS

It does not work because of iOS limitations.

20

It would be interesting, the world is preparing to face a potential internet blackout due to quarantine. Introducing this technology could make a difference in case the signal servers should become saturated with requests.

21

Since you can’t rely on servers, why not implement p2p messages with trusted contacts?

Let the profiles be processed on the Signal servers, but it will also be possible to communicate p2p with your trusted contacts.

Due to recent events, the application has become completely useless.

22

What do p2p messages mean in this context? Messaging locally within the same WiFi network, like Briar does?