OpenPush, OpenStreetMaps, FDroid, & more....
To whom it may concern,
I have been looking into options for an SMS replacement and I keep coming back to Textra SMS. However, I see that you do not offer a direct apk download or have published on FDroid. I only use GrapheneOS or CalyxOS for improved privacy and security. So, google services are not an option.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heVNcdq2MKA and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrDUOtWXGv8
So, I would like to make a few suggestions & requests.
Suggest looking into the OpenPush project. This is a free and opensource project that can replace Google Firebase notifications. This will enable you to offer the same functionality to degoogled users as you do to google users.
https://f-droid.org/en/2020/02/03/openpush-talk.html
https://bubu1.eu/openpush/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxB6_ZsotR8
If OpenPush is not an option maybe try making the FOSS version of Textra SMS with persistent notifications. The FOSS version of Telegram, in FDroid, does this and essentially serves the same purpose. I would rather have OpenPush but it's still an option.
When offering locations within Textra SMS, if you ever do, maybe make OpenStreetMaps as an option. This is something that the FOSS version of Telegram also does. It meets the requirements of sending location without using privacy hostile Google Maps. Especially when people are using Android phones stripped of anything google, to include google maps.
Offer a way to pay for Textra SMS without going through google play store. PayPal, Librepay, and others are all options.
Request you make Textra SMS available on FDroid as well as offer a Direct apk download for degoogle android OS'. You have a great app. I have no doubt many would like to give it a try. You would gain more exposure and in turn gain more users on such app stores like FDroid as you would not have as many apps to compete with, if any.
You can even create your own FDroid repository
https://www.f-droid.org/en/tutorials/create-repo/
I hope your team will take some of these suggestions and requests into consideration. Would love to use your app someday. I'm just not willing to compromise privacy and security to use it. But since your app is open source. You have the potential to bringing it to even more users.
Thanks for your time. 😎