Multiple device setup is complex

Feature Proposal
,
1

Android installation went quite seemless.
Adding Windows app was more complex.

  1. Windows 10 defender blocked the exe code
  2. When installed, no way to see the + button to start a new conversation
  3. no way to get my Google contacts displayed as in my Android device
  4. sending to myself a message was impossible until I typed a lenghty encryption code

I am as many users using multiple devices to tchat and communicate.
I can use a Chrome OS as well as a Windows laptop or an iOS tablet to tchat.
If the process is complex, your smart solution will remain smart on Github.

Thank you to redesign this multiple device process ASAP to speed up adoption.

2 Likes
2

the recommended way is to use backups to setup multi-device. (transfers existing messages, chats, encryption keys, contacts and so on.)
We’re planing to make backup transfer easier (transfer the backup encrypted over local network initiated by an qr code scan).

We didn’t bought an certificate yet, so the builds are unsigned and windows defender seems to block everything unsigned. Why didn’t you download it though the store app? if you’re on win10, you might as well use it: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/p/deltachat/9pjtxx7hn3pk?activetab=pivot:overviewtab

related: Windows Defender reports malware

2 Likes
3

Do we need to transfer a full backup, aren’t all messages present in the IMAP account anyway?

Could we maybe have QR-only setup like this:

  1. Existing device: send autocrypt setup message, including Profile image+nickname (I think those are just headers?)
  2. Existing device: shows a QR code containing account details (servers+credentials) AND the autocrypt secret
  3. New device: scan the QR code
  4. New device: login to account, setup autocrypt using QR code secret, set nickname+image
  5. New device: load existing messages

I guess QR codes with credentials are a bit icky, maybe the QR code could be encrypted with a passcode the user has to copy, or a hash of the current time.

Minor nit: it would be nice if “Send copy to self” was automatically enabled when setting up multiple devices.