this post was submitted on 10 Oct 2023
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It's hard to get phone service without unlimited SMS in the USA. Using it is still worse than most alternatives so I do find it weird that people aren't adopting chat apps more eagerly.
You'd have to convince everyone to switch to it and most Americans are going to have the reaction of: "Why would I want another fucking app that I have to make another damn account for when I have something that does pretty much what I want built in"
Activity groups will usually use some other service for member messaging (ex: my D&D group uses Discord for campaign discussion even though we all have eachothers phone numbers, a outdoor activity groups like a hiking group may use a facebook page, etc.)
It's not necessary to convince everyone to switch. Even one person switching from SMS to an internet-based chat app means a better chat experience with that person.
I've had multiple apps to be able to talk to everyone I know since about 1998, so I find the strong resistance you're describing bizarre. I have encountered it a few times though.
Right, nearly all US carrier and MVNO plans have offered unlimited SMS and MMS for years now. It's free, it's built-in, and it's easy. For most, it doesn't matter if chat apps are better, so it's been very difficult to convince people you chat with to switch to a different app.