Started looking for a messaging solution to communicate with my kid when he's away from home. Why not get him a phone with a SIM, you say? Well, he's not away that often, and I don't want to pay for an ongoing phone service that I'm not using. That removes WhatsApp, Viber, WeChat, Duo, Allo, etc. as an option as they require a verified mobile number in order to work. There are other options like Facebook Messenger and Google Hangouts, but that requires a user account, which I don't think a kid under 10 can legally sign up for.
Next best option? IM via XMPP. Signing up for an XMPP account is free and easy. All you need is a username and password. No other verification needed. For XMPP client, I'm using Conversations for Android. First, I tried ulloo.net. For some reason, OMEMO encryption didn't work. Tried xmpp.jp - same thing. At least xmpp.jp supports presence. Then I tried, chatme.im. This time, encryption (and presence) works fine. Note that chatme.im's website is in Italian, and I can't find any English option. (Google Translate is your friend.) If all you want is to register for an account, go here.
The great thing with Conversations is that it just works - no messy configuration needed. Just enter the username and password that you used when you signed up with your XMPP provider, and off you go.
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