Patches to Signal for Android removing dependencies on closed-source Google Mobile Services and Firebase libraries. In branches whose names include "-FOSS". Uses new "foss" or "gms" flavor dimension: build with "./gradlew assemblePlayFossProdRelease".
DISCLAIMER: You might want to consider the officially supported APK download from Signal if you don't mind proprietary dependencies. This is an unofficial client with no guarantees of timely (or any) updates. It's licensed under GPL3, like Signal, meaning it has no warranty and you use it at your own risk. Signal is a registered trademark of the Signal Foundation in the USA. This connects to Signal's servers, all terms from their Privacy Policy apply.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Isn't Signal for Android open source?
Not entirely. All official APKs include multiple closed source Google dependencies including Firebase Cloud Messaging (for notifications), Maps, Authentication and (since v5.24.15) Wallet/Payments. See the app/build.gradle file in Signal's source, or search the codebase for for any imports of com.google.android.gms or com.google.firebase - these two links search the whole Signal codebase for files that import those dependencies.
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What's the difference between this and official Signal for Android?
-Updates: Via F-Droid Repo vs Via Google Play
-Notifications: Websocket to Signal server vs Firebase Cloud Messaging if installed, otherwise websocket
-Maps: OpenStreetMap vs Google Maps
-Donations: Not supported in-app vs Google Wallet/Payments
A websocket connection often uses slightly more battery than Firebase Cloud Messaging, which the official client uses for message notification pings. Maps and in-app Donations in both official builds only work on devices with Google Apps (GAPPS) installed, otherwise the map is blank.
Signal versions 4.61.4 - 5.3.7 included Firebase ML Vision for facial recognition; this was replaced in 5.3.8 with Android's inbuilt support.
- Does GPS work?
GPS works for maps, but can be slow on phones without Google's location services installed; consider waiting a while, or installing another location provider to accelerate GPS locks like UnifiedNLP.
