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Alex Heikel
Tex — The most secure messaging app
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Niv Dror
Snowden Reacts:
Jack Smith
Why do startups feel the need to make outrageous and unverifiable claims such as "the most X". "The most beautiful X", "the most secure X"? I'd say better to just focus on how you're unique (which in this case seems to be privacy), vs claiming to be the "most secure" messaging app, which it doesn't seem to be, when you have others with end to end encryption etc
Alex Heikel
@_jacksmith Yes you´re right Jack, the thing is that now people tend to directly thing in encryption when the word secure is out... secure could be in many ways... the way we are secure now is focusing on the safe of the users... the user is always secure and his message is secure when talking each other... if you have the most encrypted message app but you are next to camera i can record anything you are writing and then publish anywhere and demonstrate that you are the one saying that... or if your write me with something even Snowden make... if i´m on your side i will be able to see who and what is he sayin Tex is secure on that, cause even if Obama write to Hillary something bad about Trump and this is next to Hillary, she wont be able to demonstrate that Obama is the one writing her...
Jack Smith
@alexheikel right. But I don't think you need to say you're the "most secure", because that's insulting to your competiton and doesn't actually say anything about what you do
Alex Heikel
@_jacksmith its not insulting, we actually watch things they do and some of them as the encryption we are going to implement, the thing is that the most secure that we said is in a way no one of the other apps do.... But yes maybe we could think in a easiest way for people to understand what we do and how we are safe or secure! Thanks anyway Jack!!
Laszlo Levente Mári
@alexheikel just a sidenote: make as much of your app open-source as you can. You must prove. Telling us that it's encrypted is close to nothing. MD5 is an encryption too but takes less than an hour to crack it with a modern computer. People will always need proof and the most effective way is to open-source at least your client but it's better if you are fully transparent. People can set up their own Texs and contribute
Alex Heikel
@noxowe yup we are definitely gona do that... we still have a lot to work with....
Vlad Arbatov
So... Basically less secure Threema.
Chris Messina
Top Hunter
How does this differ from what Kik offers?
Alex Heikel
@chrismessina hi Chris! it differ a lot... first we don´t have a registration, we only validate your phone number, nothing more, not even your name... second... you need a fake name (or username) but this can be changed at anytime and it is not unique... so we have a lot of Tony Starks... then... all conversations goes with your fake name only... so for example you can start a conversation with a friend named Elon... and he will receive that ¨batman¨ is talking him, so he start talking... and ¨batman¨ receive a reply from ¨The Joker¨... At this point ¨batman¨ knows who is ¨The Joker¨ but ¨The Joker¨ doesnt... so ¨batman¨ send him a 3 second ID Verification... So Chris we think this is the only way 2 peoples can talk safe and secure without being afraid of their conversation being published or showed out there..
Bret Cheng
So what's the story behind Tex? What did you or your friends/family/colleagues experience that makes you want to create this app? It seems to be an app for people who want to tell some important/confidential to someone they don't 100% trust. Which is something we don't usually do. What are the specific use cases?
Alex Heikel
@bretdabaker Hi bret, as told in many coments, there are a lots of things you could say even your brother or girlfriend that you may not want other to watch... of course, is a tool for a niche... but imagine that you are face to face to someone and you are telling him something... thats the most secure way to tell someone something.... just the 2 know they are together and just the 2 know what both are saying... there is no way you can prove the other person told you something... ok thats Tex
Chris Maddern
Are there rules on Product Hunt about misrepresentation of products?
Alex Heikel
@chrismaddern why misrepresentation?
Vasanth
I think this app is similar to https://www.producthunt.com/tech... but the text "The most secure messaging app" is misleading. Because when you say secure you should talk about security, encryption blah blah blah. like https://www.producthunt.com/tech... But your app should be called an ephemeral messaging app not the most secured messaging app. But I can't take a look at it yet as the page says "Bandwidth limit exceeded". :(
Alex Heikel
@vsnthv Solved! Sorry! And Its still very different from Peek... Tex is unique on how is secure and private
Fraser Smith
Most secure or not, how do you plan to gain traction against the established incumbents?
Alex Heikel
@frassmith we think we have a tool that people really need and will use, cause there is no other way you can message another person about anything and being so calm that what your are saying nobody, except the one you are messaging, will be able to see, or relate to you... so we have a hard job working on improve Tex for people so it would be an alternative when messaging someone
Alex Heikel
Feel free to ask us anything or give feedback. We're really just looking for people to use the app and start chatting with privacy and with your conversations being protected.
Kazuya Nakamura
Interesting concept for security. So This is my understanding from reading your website and description in App Store. Uniqueness of Tex is not encryption approach. Tex makes sure security by being anonymous using fake name. If I understand correctly, you can chat with someone with fake name. If someone wants to validate this fake name person is you, then can send you verification code. So they know this fake name is you. What is the best use case for using fake names?
Alex Heikel
@kzynakamura Hi Kazuya! Thanks for reading and answer! Yes we focus on regular users and regular use. We protect the sender, the message and the receiver, using both sides fakes names, and message are with encryption and also deleted when read. The fake name is the unique way we find out you can start a conversation with any people you want, about anything and that person wont be able to demonstrate who you are or what have you told him... So you can talk anyone and you are secure, and your conversation is secure, and the other person your are talking with is secure also!
Kazuya Nakamura
@alexheikel But what is the use of fake name if people can validate you anyway?
Alex Heikel
@kzynakamura is a 3 second validation only... And the user send only when he want
Neel Kadia
I guess, This should not happen when you product is on Product Hunt list.
Alex Heikel
@neelkadia Sorry! It was much more than we expected! Solved
Lou Acresti
Wouldn't hurt if you added end-to-end encryption to the mix! ;)
Alex Heikel
@louroboros Hi Lou! Yes we will of course! Its only that we are focusing now on the user experience and in the user identity security cause they now don´t have any other app doing that! Thanks
Laszlo Levente Mári
As a security expert I really find your about me page (on tumblr) misguiding. By deleting chat history and using fake names, an app won't get secure. Not at all.
Alex Heikel
@noxowe Yes Laszlo you are right, we are not focusing on that kind of security, we focus on regular privacy for the day to day conversations... there are tons of very encrypted messages apps(and all can be broken), here we give the sender and receiver security that no one will be able to demonstrate who or what they said... so they can talk without being afraid of their conversation published or showed to other peoples
Laszlo Levente Mári
@alexheikel In this case I understand your app, it's a cool idea but now I think that the title is very misguiding: "The most secure message app". Anyway, hope you will be able to solve more of these 'social' issues with your app!
Alex Heikel
@noxowe thank you so much Laszlo!
Washington Sanchez
@alexheikel @noxowe "there are tons of very encrypted messages apps (and all can be broken)" No. But giving you the benefit of the doubt, what kind of security are you giving that is superior to say Signal, for example?
Alex Heikel
@drwasho hi Washington!! No not superior or with better encryption... Different from signal and all other apps out there
Jason Banks
Hey Alex, The first question that comes to mind when I read "The most secure messaging app" is: what problem are you solving that existing apps aren't? For instance, Signal, Confide, Wickr or even Whatsapp and their end-to-end encryption. I know your differentiation isn't around full encryption, but rather ambiguity of your identity. Given that names aren't unique, if I end up with 20 Tony Stark's listed in my contacts, how do I easily differentiate between them? I'm a huge fan of solving real problems for real people...and I'm just curious what problem you're solving that apps like Confide or Wickr are not - or moreover, how are you improving what's already out there? Cheers, Jason
Alex Heikel
@jasonbanks hi Jason! The problem we are solving as you said is not encryption, there are several apps with that solution, we are working and solving a more day to day issue not a hacker issue... This is for regular people that the only thing they want is talk with other person and that nobody else could know what, when, who is talking... If You are in my contact list or I know your phone number and I want to tell you a secret, or something that I don't have the courage of saying you in person, or can't say you in person cause you are in States and I am in Paraguay and want to be safe that anything I said you you you won't be able to show to other people and if you are with someone and show you won't be able to demonstrate that is me the one writing you.... Imagine all the things people need to say to another but don't want cause they don't know with whom are you... Or if you can save the conversation and show to another... Or keep it for you....
Alex Heikel
@jasonbanks We don't want more screenshots or conversations on Facebook or Twitter we care about the privacy of the people in a way no one does...
Austin Sandmeyer
hmm. So two users using fake names to have a disappearing conversation... The fake profiles are the thing that gets me. I personally don't think I would ever respond to fake profiles messaging me. (Unless I have a ton of extra time laying around) I would find that annoying and immediately ask for verification, thus reducing the level of "Security" this app provides, besides the encryption. 🤔 I'm sure it has a market niche, but that doesn't include me. @AlexHeikel what does the roadmap look like in this app? focused on security? or other user features? Very intriguing concept.
Alex Heikel
@as_austin Hi Austin.... thats not really the way it works... you download > add your phone number > verify > chose a fake name (you chose for example ¨batman¨ you can change it anytime).... then all your contact from your address book that have tex apear available to talk... when start a conversation with one of your contact, they will receive: ¨batman¨ want to talk you... so he reply as (supposed he chose ¨the joker¨) ¨the joker¨... at this point you know who is ¨the joker¨ but on the other side he doesn´t who you are... so you can send him a 3 second and disappearing Verification ID... thats the only moment ¨te joker¨ could know with whom is talking and know he can reply if he want... It´s very very easy and simple to use... and we think there is a nice niche on this, thats way we have done it.... and of course we did it because we need it. Thanks anyway Austin
Alfonso C. Betancort
I'm not smart but neither stupid and I don't get the benefits of using this app over an anonymous email.
Alex Heikel
@abetancort alfonso there is no email....
Alfonso C. Betancort
@alexheikel There's as long as you open, use it an close the account it thru VPNs. If used for a single conversation it would be a chore to tie that up to single person if not given away in the conversation itself.
Jonas Petermann
whats the big difference to whatsapp's new encryption?
Alex Heikel
@jonas_petermann Hi Jonas, we have a regular encryption in our messages, but the thing is not about break or not the encryption... if someone wanna do it it can broke anything (iphone-fbi) With tex we care about regular users that need secure conversation with friends and family... if you wanna tell a secret, something that bother you or whatever you talk with friends and family every day in person and maybe you dont want to tell them in a message because he will have your conversation always in his phone and can show anyone... or if the other people is with someone it can show it the conversation immediately.... So tex is a message app that give that privacy you have when you are talking face to face to another person... just the 2 know who they are... and all that you say... it disappears...
Pallav Agarwal
But if you aren't focused on encryption, then someone who is monitoring the messages can still take a screenshot. The message would disappear but the screenshot would stay... would it not? Because even snapchat removes the messages once they are read by the user...
Alex Heikel
@pallav_agarwal yes we have encryption, but thats not our focus cause we know that everything can be broke (iphone-fbi)... about screenshot, yes you can do and it will stay, but if you take a screenshot the app will let the other know about that... and besides that... you cant relate a screenshot to someone cause you are talking with your fake name... so the screenshot could be related to ¨Tony Stark¨