Using XMPP clients for text messages and audio calls

mattp

There are several reasons why you might want to transmit text messages and audio calls through an XMPP client. For users in the USA, one big reason is that since VoLTE is not yet implemented in UT, SMS and calling through the cellular network basically does not work at the moment. (More details here: https://forums.ubports.com/topic/8338/updated-usa-t-mobile-and-mvno-settings-for-a-fully-functional-ut-device?lang=en-US) Other reasons to use XMPP include privacy and less reliance on big telecom companies.

JMP.chat is a service that provides you with a (US or Canada) phone number, and this phone number allows you to send and receive text messages and audio calls from XMPP clients. As long as you have an internet connection, you can communicate with other phone numbers. The person on the other end sees you as identified through your JMP number, just as if it were any normal phone number.

There are a few XMPP clients that one can use on Ubuntu Touch. And with these, an Ubuntu Touch phone becomes possible to use as a phone even without VoLTE implemented in UT. Converse.js is currently in the Open Store, and it works for text messages, but that client does not have audio calling implemented. Movim is a web-based client that can be used as a web app. Movim supports messaging and audio calling. This is what I have been using to turn my Ubuntu Touch device into a working phone.

A Guide
I wanted to share the steps I took in case anyone else is interested in this approach:

Sign up for a phone number at https://jmp.chat (currently only available in the US and Canada)
Use Webber to create a web app for the Movim XMPP client at the URL https://mov.im/login; alternatively, if you only need text messages, download the Converse.js XMPP client from the Open Store.
Sign in to the client app with your Jabber ID provided by JMP. You can now send and receive messages to phone numbers, and on Movim, you can place and receive audio calls as well.

Issue
The only issue that I experience is receiving notifications for incoming audio calls. (And that might be a separate and deeper issue.)
When Movim is the focused application, answering incoming audio calls works fine. Then I used the UT Tweaks application to prevent Movim web app from suspending when it was open but not the focused application. However, although an incoming call does initiate a ring tone, I am unable to actually answer the call. This same behavior occurs even when the display is off: an incoming call does initiate a ringtone, but after unlocking the phone, it's not possible to actually answer the call.

If anyone has thoughts on how to improve incoming call notifications on Movim, or any other questions or thoughts, happy to hear them.

wayneoutthere

@mattp

Hi!

A bunch of UT folks put this forum post in front of me today in our North American UT users telegram group. The idea we are tossing around as a possible plan (mainly to help callers in the USA who have now been shut down due to lacking Volte support) is to help give 'cell phone' capability to UT devices, without using a carrier - at least in the traditional way. I thought I would revive this thread as there seem to be a lot of people interested and it seems to be the seed of the topic.

I'm personally trying to get back into coding so this project here is needed badly it seems. I'd like to help but my skills are low still.

Here is the rough plan we were thinking, and not necessarily in this order:

XMPP (I haven't heard why XMPP and not something like Matrix, but it seems more decentralized from my brief study)
Review the new web app MOVIM (https://join.movim.eu/) - I started my first XMPP account here, btw, so feel free to message me with same user name)
Perhaps model Mastadon app for Ubuntu Touch (https://github.com/bendingthemrules/ubtouch-mastodon) and then make Movim work and look like Mastadon app...
My using jttps://jmp.chat/ you can create an account, get a phone number and text / phone with it
Somehow make webpush notifications jmp.chat servers work with the new app
If all this works, Ubuntu Touch would have a full 'cell phone like' experience but no carrier. You would be able to use your phone like a cell via wifi or, if you could get a data plan, via that.

Did I miss anything?

Call to action: we need a leader. And we need devs. At least I guess we do.

Hope this helps.

davedanger

@wayneoutthere this would be great. Also, I might add OMEMO encryption would be cool too.