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+#+title: Session Private Messenger
+#+date: 2020-03-25
+#+description: Exploring the Session Private Messenger application.
+#+filetags: :privacy:
+
+* Privacy Warning
+The company behind Session (Loki Foundation) is from Australia. If you
+didn't know, Australia has introduced
+[[https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/legislation/bills/r6195_aspassed/toc_pdf/18204b01.pdf][legislation]]
+mandating companies comply with government requests to build backdoor
+access into applications. For more information, read my article on
+[[./2020-01-25-aes-encryption.html][AES Encryption]].
+
+* About Session
+[[https://getsession.org][Session]] is a private, cross-platform
+messaging app from the [[https://loki.foundation][Loki Foundation]]. As
+someone who has spent years looking for quality alternatives to major
+messaging apps, I was excited when I first heard about Session. Reading
+through [[https://arxiv.org/pdf/2002.04609.pdf][Session's white paper]],
+you can learn the technologies behind the Session app. Part of the
+security of Session comes from the Signal protocol, which was forked as
+the origin of Session.
+
+#+begin_quote
+Session is an end-to-end encrypted messenger that removes sensitive
+metadata collection, and is designed for people who want privacy and
+freedom from any forms of surveillance.
+#+end_quote
+
+In general, this app promises security through end-to-end encryption,
+decentralized onion routing, and private identities. The biggest change
+that the Loki Foundation has made to the Signal protocol is removing the
+need for a phone number. Instead, a random identification string is
+generated for any session you create. This means you can create a new
+session for each device if you want to, or link new devices with your
+ID.
+
+Since Session's website and white paper describe the details of
+Session's security, I'm going to focus on using the app in this post.
+
+* Features
+Since most people are looking for an alternative to a popular chat app,
+I am going to list out the features that Session has so that you are
+able to determine if the app would suit your needs:
+
+- Multiple device linking (via QR code or ID)
+- App locking via device screen lock, password, or fingerprint
+- Screenshot blocking
+- Incognito keyboard
+- Read receipts and typing indicators
+- Mobile notification customization
+- Old message deletion and conversation limit
+- Backups
+- Recovery phrase
+- Account deletion, including ID, messages, sessions, and contacts
+
+* Downloads
+I have tested this app on Ubuntu 19.10, Android 10, macOS Monterey, and
+iOS 15. All apps have worked well without many issues.
+
+Below is a brief overview of the Session app on Linux. To get this app,
+you'll need to go to the [[https://getsession.org/download/][Downloads]]
+page and click to link to the operating system you're using.
+
+For Linux, it will download an AppImage that you'll need to enable with
+the following command:
+
+#+begin_src sh
+sudo chmod u+x session-messenger-desktop-linux-x86_64-1.0.5.AppImage
+#+end_src
+
+#+caption: Session Download Options
+[[https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20200325-session-private-messenger/session_downloads.png]]
+
+* Creating an Account
+Once you've installed the app, simply run the app and create your unique
+Session ID. It will look something like this:
+=05af1835afdd63c947b47705867501d6373f486aa1ae05b1f2f3fcd24570eba608=.
+
+You'll need to set a display name and, optionally, a password. If you
+set a password, you will need to enter it every time you open the app.
+
+#+caption: Session Login (Linux)
+[[https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20200325-session-private-messenger/session_linux_login.png]]
+
+#+caption: Session Login (macOS)
+[[https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20200325-session-private-messenger/session_macos_login.png]]
+
+#+caption: Password Authentication
+[[https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20200325-session-private-messenger/session_password_authentication.png]]
+
+* Start Messaging
+Once you've created your account and set up your profile details, the
+next step is to start messaging other people. To do so, you'll need to
+share your Session ID with other people. From this point, it's fairly
+straightforward and acts like any other messaging app, so I won't dive
+into much detail here.
+
+** macOS
+#+caption: macOS Conversations
+[[https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20200325-session-private-messenger/session_macos_conversations.png]]
+
+One key feature to note is that the desktop application now provides a
+helpful pop-up box explaining the process that Session uses to hide your
+IP address:
+
+#+caption: IP Address Help Box
+[[https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20200325-session-private-messenger/session_ip.png]]
+
+** iOS
+The mobile app is quite simple and effective, giving you all the
+standard mobile messaging options you'd expect.
+
+#+caption: iOS App
+[[https://img.cleberg.net/blog/20200325-session-private-messenger/session_ios.png]]
+
+* Potential Issues
+I've discovered one annoying issue that would prevent from using this
+app regularly. On a mobile device, there have been issues with receiving
+messages on time. Even with battery optimization disabled and no network
+restrictions, Session notifications sometimes do not display until I
+open the app or the conversation itself and wait a few moments. This is
+actually one of the reasons I stopped using Signal (this seems fixed as
+of my updates in 2021/2022, so I wouldn't worry about this issue
+anymore).
+
+Looking for another messenger instead of Session? I recommend Signal,
+Matrix, and IRC.