Sync deleted messages

[liliakai]

No description provided.

[roadkillazpartybird]

I have noticed this too.

It would be much better if mobile settings automatically migrated to the desktop client, or at the very least, you could configure it individually on both the mobile and desktop clients.

[francwalter]

Best would be to have a setting in the mobile Signal to Sync deletions to Signal Desktop, by default unchecked, so it wouldn't touch actual behaviour.
At the moment I delete manually on both devices, on Signal mobile and Signal Desktop.

[floriangosse]

I think for a good user experience and to keep it simple for the user the deletions should be synced automatically without any extra setting.

[haffenloher]

@floriangosse Users may delete messages on one client (e.g. messages with attachments in order to free some disk space) without expecting them to be deleted automatically elsewhere.

[floriangosse]

That's right but I thing it's confusing for normal users when they open the web client and the messages are still there. And that's because they don't know the setting.

You mentioned the case that an user deletes a message to free some disk space: I think it's another problem. Because it shouldn't be needed to delete message because I want to remove attachments. It makes more sense to delete the attachment without the message itself.

[NS110]

+1 on the option to sync deletes or not. Turn it on by default.
Personally, people have access to my phone, but not my virtual machine running signal desktop.
I love the fact that when I delete a message on my phone, it remains on the desktop version.
Maybe the option could be on the desktop side, something like "Sync message deletions" or something like that and turning it off would simply ignore message deletion syncs.

[NS110]

As @scottnonnenberg says in #1195 :

Today we think of them as separate entities, each with their own, independent backups.

I question if this should be an option at all.
Messages that are deleted in the Mobile App before they are received by the Desktop App (probably because it isn't open) correctly don't make it to the Desktop App.
Disappearing messages correctly disappear from Mobile and Desktop Apps.

[h0jeZvgoxFepBQ2C]

It should really delete the messages on all devices, it really confuses users and has a higher priority than saving disk space imho. I also dont think it's worth to add an option button and make the GUI more complex.

Just delete messages (or attachments) on all devices, WhatsApp is handling it like this too and I think it's fine.

[corppneq]

... WhatsApp is handling it like this too and I think it's fine.

WhatsApp also does not have a desktop client. Just a remote control.

[h0jeZvgoxFepBQ2C]

WhatsApp also does not have a desktop client. Just a remote control.

For me both GUIs look and feel the same, dunno what you mean exactly. From my point of view there is no difference and I think they should behave the same.

[corppneq]

... dunno what you mean exactly.

Signal Desktop is a standalone program that works without the smartphone being on. WhatsApp Desktop is literally remote controlling the smartphone app and cannot function without the smartphone being on and connected to the internet.

I am not saying that deletions should not be synced! WhatApp does not need to sync deletions since the data are only stored on the phone. The Web-Client just displays the phone app content and does not permanently store any content on it's own.

[floriangosse]

Do we need a desktop client like it's currently? I think a client which just displays the app content would solve some other problems like huge disk usage.

[corppneq]

If Signal drops the standalone desktop client I will drop Signal.

btw. does somebody know what happened to the electron branch https://github.com/WhisperSystems/Signal-Desktop/tree/electron ?

[h0jeZvgoxFepBQ2C]

No, but there has been a release 2 weeks ago: https://github.com/WhisperSystems/Signal-Desktop/releases/tag/v1.0.26

Dropping the stand alone client is also not really related by this issue (maybe we should create a new one if needed), so lets continue with the sync of deleted messages :D

[rainerzufall]

Could you please take this discussion to the community forum: https://whispersystems.discoursehosting.net/ This is a bug tracker and since the issue was created by one of the developers and is already on the roadmap no further discussion seems to be appropriate. Please use the Github reactions to show your attitude towards this issue.

[MartinX3]

Same problem at my site.

Bug description

Steps to reproduce

1. Delete Conversation in Android

Actual result:

Nothing happens.

Expected result:

Conversation get's deleted in the Desktop App.

Platform info

Signal version:

1.9.0

Operating System:

Linux Ubuntu Mate 18.04

Linked device version:

4.19.3

Link to debug log

https://debuglogs.org/d06c5186cdce366db218d3c92806ee9370dc74bdb6f1621b3f6f0315f2c82662

[4mig4]

Signal-Desktop 1.21.0 and the problem is still present. As others said Sync between Desktop and Mobile App should happen for deleted messages.

[AbandonedCart]

The fact that deleted messages are not synced actually seems to contradict the security aspect.

If syncing deleted messages is outside the realm of realistic features (being 4 years without progress), then what about a caveat of desktop that all messages expire independent of other platforms? That should be easy enough to implement using some of the existing code.

[h0jeZvgoxFepBQ2C]

Is there any possibility to delete the messages completely? What happens when I lose my phone? I wont be able to delete then all messages on the signal server or? This should be really implemented :(

[AbandonedCart]

@h0jeZvgoxFepBQ2C From my understanding, the messages aren't stored on the server (hence no history on new / wiped installs). It's just the device memory you have to worry about.

I think that's why synced delete is troublesome. It would require some aspects of the delete for everyone logic, but only applied to one side of the conversation.

[shoeper]

Bad to see that this was removed from the roadmap. First in #5060 instead of fixing the bug the message was adjusted and now this.

Delete means delete and not delete on this, but keep on other devices.

[Bolpat]

Why not have the following options (edit: in the menu)?

• Delete on this device only.
• Delete on all of my devices.
• Delete for everyone.

It's clear and enables everything.

[dev-oskar]

Why not have the following options (edit: in the menu)?

• Delete on this device only.
• Delete on all of my devices.
• Delete for everyone.

It's clear and enables everything.

This would be the most secure, customizable and convenient way to handle this problem.
From my point of view I cannot agree more that it's a security flaw when the deleted messages aren't synced between devices.