Add BlueBubbles to F-Droid or the Aurora Store (for custom ROM users)

[sabogalc]

[sabogalc]

From @Tagavari regarding AirMessage

AirMessage relies on closed-source Google libraries and services for some of its features, here's what I can remember:

• AirMessage Cloud (push notifications + Google sign-in)

  • I assume that any user of F-Droid probably isn't interested in AirMessage Cloud, so that one's not really an issue.

• Firebase Analytics + Crashlytics

  • I'd be fine with disabling Analytics and Crashlytics for F-Droid builds.

• Security provider updates

  • While this is nice to have, in practice I haven't seen it used much, and it's only really relevant for devices that don't receive system updates anymore.

• ML Kit (smart reply)

  • For devices running Android 10 or older, AirMessage uses Google's ML Kit for reply suggestions at the bottom of the conversations list and in notifications. On Android 11+, AirMessage uses TextClassifier, which is built into the operating system.
  • The ML Kit implementation would have to be disabled for F-Droid builds, and users running a custom ROM may not have access to TextClassifier. From what I've seen, some users like this feature while others keep it turned off, so this would be a tradeoff for some.

• Google Maps (iMessage location attachments)

  • This one really comes down to how each user uses iMessage. This would probably have to be one of the tradeoffs of running the F-Droid version. It might be possible to replace Google Maps with OpenStreetMap, though I can't see this being worth it unless there's a large enough number of users on the F-Droid version.

If there's enough interest in getting AirMessage on F-Droid, I'd be happy to work towards that!

How many Google services does BlueBubbles implement/rely on? And would microG be a viable solution for either AirMessage or BlueBubbles on F-Droid?

[zlshames]

I don’t know if using MicroG works for BlueBubbles. I've never tested it and would greatly appreciate anyone who has a custom ROM to see if they can use MicroG with BlueBubbles.

We mostly just use Firebase services I’m fairly certain

[sabogalc]

While it's not exactly the same situation, I made a poll to see how interested people were in adding AirMessage to F-Droid, and below are the results.

[mike-lloyd03]

It's a bit late but I'm currently running BlueBubbles on CalyxOS with microG and I haven't had any issues. An F-droid build that didn't require FCM would be much appreciated!

Thanks for the truly outstanding service you've provided!

[nep2ner]

I'd love to see a websockets notification solution in BlueBubbles! I'm using AirMessage because it can give me notifications in-app via websockets, but I was really missing out on the tapbacks and reply functions. So it's silly, but I'm thinking about I using AirMessage for notifications but then opening up BlueBubbles when I want to use a tapback or reply :laughing:

[tneotia]

While we probably wouldn't make an F-Droid version simply due to increased maintenance (completely different branch of the app with any Google stuff removed), the next update will include the option to use a foreground service to get notifications over websockets. If you are not using the built-in ngrok/cloudflare proxy services, Firebase is no longer required at all for the Android app.

[mike-lloyd03]

Works for me! Thanks so much!