I generally agree, however the absence of any visual mark makes it harder for users to identify when chats are encrypted or not, and what type of encryption is being used. There should be some way to clearly distinguish between the different setups:
- No encryption
- Encrypted but without guaranteed E2EE
- Guaranteed E2EE but unverified identity
- Guaranteed E2EE and verified identity
Traditional PGP/GPG software typically issues a warning if the contact’s identity hasn’t been verified, though it still handles the encryption and signature verification fine. It would be good to translate those same ideas into easily understandable terms and an intuitive visual language for Delta Chat.
For example, in the context of a different (but related) discussion, I suggested using gray checkmarks for unverified contacts as opposed to green checkmarks. Admittedly this isn’t the best solution, since it could disadvantage people with color blindness, though I see it as a step in the right direction.