Signal-android: Disappearing messages not currently working

[GSPP]

• [x] I have searched open and closed issues for duplicates
• [x] I am submitting a bug report for existing functionality that does not work as intended
• [x] I have read https://github.com/signalapp/Signal-Android/wiki/Submitting-useful-bug-reports
• [x] This isn't a feature request or a discussion topic

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Disappearing messages currently do not work at all. I have multiple conversations where the timer is clearly set to 1 week and has been for month. Yet, I can still scroll up months back and see all messages.

I can see both the timer and the messages on my Nexus 5X and on my Signal Desktop.

Device info

Device: Nexus 5X
Android version: 8
Signal version: 4.23.4 / 1.15.0

[2-4601]

Could you post a debug log and possibly try to find out the steps how to reproduce this?

[2-4601]

I tried this a little bit and stumbled upon this:

• in a group enable 5 second disappearing messages from your Android device
• send message from Desktop (your own slave) to the group
• messages don't disappear on Android

https://debuglogs.org/b9693a4b643451941fabda526885a1542c7c3b6b8add24424e3f4f7df7eaa4fe

Moto G4 Play, Android 7.1.1, Signal 4.24.5
Desktop v1.15.0-beta.10

[jeremymasters]

if you send messages from your android device, do they disappear on the android device and/or desktop?

[2-4601]

if you send messages from your android device, do they disappear on the android device and/or desktop?

Yes.

[jeremymasters]

It might be worth updating your android version to the newest (4.24.6) just to be safe. Also, it looks like there's been some work around disappearing messages on the desktop version. Might be worth checking with @scottnonnenberg-signal on it with a debug log from desktop version.

[greyson-signal]

@GSPP For the messages on Android, when you look at the timer on the message, is the timer empty?

Also, for more specific info, can you long-press one of the messages that you think should be disappeared, then click the little info button in the action bar? It should take you to a message details screen, and that screen should have a field called "Disappears" that will tell you how much longer Signal thinks the message should last. Let me know what that says, or send a screenshot.

Thanks!

[greyson-signal]

@GSPP Also, if you could describe your general usage patterns between Android and Desktop, that'd be super helpful. e.g. Did you set the timer's on one platform, and then message on another? Is it a group chat where someone else may have changed the timer? Stuff like that. Thanks again!

[greyson-signal]

@2-4601 The issue you described should be fixed in 4.24.7. Thank you!

[2-4601]

@greyson-signal 4.24.7 indeed fixed that specific case.

[landry314]

so this issue should be closed?

[GSPP]

On mobile and on desktop the timer is clearly identified as "1 week". Messages have both been sent and received by both sides on both devices many times. They do not selectively disappear.

On mobile I openend message details of a very old message. There is no mention of anything related to disappearing. Just sent/received date and time.

I could try changing the timer. I avoided that so far in order to preserve evidence.

I have closed, opened and sent a test message on Signal Desktop. Debug log:

INFO 2018-08-05T20:23:05.190Z Load expired messages
INFO 2018-08-05T20:23:05.191Z Message expired {"sentAt":1532895784733}
INFO 2018-08-05T20:23:05.202Z next message expires 2018-08-05T20:23:07.414Z
INFO 2018-08-05T20:23:06.191Z Sending a keepalive message
INFO 2018-08-05T20:23:08.190Z Load expired messages
INFO 2018-08-05T20:23:08.192Z Message expired {"sentAt":1532895787016}
INFO 2018-08-05T20:23:08.203Z next message expires 2018-08-05T20:52:31.375Z
INFO 2018-08-05T20:24:02.192Z Sending a keepalive message
INFO 2018-08-05T20:24:58.190Z Sending a keepalive message
INFO 2018-08-05T20:25:54.190Z Sending a keepalive message
INFO 2018-08-05T20:26:50.192Z Sending a keepalive message
INFO 2018-08-05T20:27:46.194Z Sending a keepalive message
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:19.396Z Remove all notifications
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:19.893Z Updating BrowserWindow config: {"maximized":true,"autoHideMenuBar":false,"width":1296,"height":978,"x":-8,"y":-8}
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:20.397Z Update notifications: {"shouldClearNotifications":false,"shouldPlayNotificationSound":false,"shouldShowNotifications":false,"type":"noNotifications","isNotificationGroupingSupported":false}
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:20.869Z unloading conversation +[REDACTED]128 due to: inactivity
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:21.337Z Updating BrowserWindow config: {"maximized":true,"autoHideMenuBar":false,"width":1296,"height":978,"x":-8,"y":-8}
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:21.343Z unloading conversation +[REDACTED]128 due to: windows closed
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:21.343Z unloading conversation +[REDACTED]719 due to: windows closed
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:21.361Z Update notifications: {"shouldClearNotifications":false,"shouldPlayNotificationSound":false,"shouldShowNotifications":false,"type":"noNotifications","isNotificationGroupingSupported":false}
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:32.645Z app ready
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:32.653Z Ensure attachments directory exists
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:32.658Z updateSchema: Current schema version: 1; Most recent schema version: 1; SQLite version: 3.20.1; SQLCipher version: 3.4.2;
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:32.736Z Location reset needed
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:32.736Z Initializing BrowserWindow config: {"show":true,"width":1296,"height":978,"minWidth":640,"minHeight":360,"autoHideMenuBar":false,"webPreferences":{"nodeIntegration":false,"nodeIntegrationInWorker":false,"preload":"[REDACTED]\app.asar\preload.js","nativeWindowOpen":true},"icon":"[REDACTED]\app.asar\images\icon_256.png","maximized":true}
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:34.852Z Updating BrowserWindow config: {"maximized":true,"autoHideMenuBar":false,"width":1296,"height":978,"x":-8,"y":-8}
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:35.342Z Using OS-level spell check API with locale de_DE
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:35.573Z pre-main prep time: 4 ms
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:35.609Z Build expires: 2018-11-01T06:10:28.000Z
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:35.636Z background page reloaded
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:35.636Z environment: production
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:35.638Z Start IndexedDB migrations
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:35.638Z Run migrations on database with attachment data
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:35.758Z Database status {"firstMigrationVersion":12,"lastMigrationVersion":18,"databaseVersion":18,"isAlreadyUpgraded":true}
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:35.758Z Storage fetch
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:35.806Z upgradeMessages: Mandatory message schema upgrade started. Target version: 7
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:35.812Z upgradeMessages: upgrade without index {"done":true}
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:35.812Z upgradeMessages: upgrade without index complete!
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:36.570Z upgradeMessages: upgrade with index {"done":true,"numProcessed":0,"fetchDuration":757,"upgradeDuration":0,"saveDuration":0,"totalDuration":757}
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:36.570Z upgradeMessages: upgrade with index complete!
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:36.570Z upgradeMessages: Message schema upgrade complete
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:36.862Z Starting background data migration. Target version: 8
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:36.864Z ConversationController: starting initial fetch
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:36.882Z ConversationController: done with initial fetch
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:36.883Z listening for registration events
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:36.885Z Next signed key rotation scheduled for 2018-08-06T19:21:54.805Z
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:36.886Z connect
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:36.887Z getAllFromCache
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:36.887Z opening message socket https://textsecure-service.whispersystems.org
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:37.971Z open inbox
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:38.017Z Sync read receipt configuration status: {"status":"skipped","reason":"hasPreviouslySynced"}
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:38.017Z Start idle detector
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:38.020Z next message expires 2018-08-05T20:52:31.375Z
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:38.020Z getAllFromCache loaded 1 saved envelopes
WARN 2018-08-05T20:28:38.021Z getAllFromCache final attempt for envelope +[REDACTED]367.1 1532807021077
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:38.493Z websocket open
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:38.493Z got request PUT /api/v1/queue/empty
ERROR 2018-08-05T20:28:39.126Z queueCached error handling item +[REDACTED]367.1 1532807021077
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:39.126Z MessageReceiver: emitting 'empty' event
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:40.128Z Update notifications: {"shouldClearNotifications":false,"shouldPlayNotificationSound":false,"shouldShowNotifications":false,"type":"noNotifications","isNotificationGroupingSupported":false}
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:41.306Z fetchMessages
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:41.314Z GET https://textsecure-service.whispersystems.org/v1/profile/+[REDACTED]719
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:41.814Z Conversation +[REDACTED]719 took 506 milliseconds to load
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:42.163Z GET https://textsecure-service.whispersystems.org/v1/profile/+[REDACTED]719 200 Success
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:42.169Z GET https://cdn.signal.org/profiles/x
ERROR 2018-08-05T20:28:42.708Z GET https://cdn.signal.org/profiles/x 403 Error
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:42.712Z done with status fetch
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:44.183Z Upgrade message schema (with index): {"done":false,"numProcessed":1,"fetchDuration":6,"upgradeDuration":1,"saveDuration":9,"totalDuration":16}
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:44.187Z next message expires 2018-08-05T20:52:31.375Z
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:49.677Z Send pre-checks took 13 milliseconds
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:49.694Z Sending message to conversation +[REDACTED]719 with timestamp 1533500929693
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:49.950Z next message expires 2018-08-05T20:52:31.375Z
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:50.327Z PUT https://textsecure-service.whispersystems.org/v1/messages/+[REDACTED]719
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:50.711Z PUT https://textsecure-service.whispersystems.org/v1/messages/+[REDACTED]719 200 Success
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:50.722Z Set message expiration {"expiresAt":1534105730712,"sentAt":1533500929693}
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:50.827Z PUT https://textsecure-service.whispersystems.org/v1/messages/+[REDACTED]367
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:50.947Z next message expires 2018-08-05T20:52:31.375Z
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:51.147Z PUT https://textsecure-service.whispersystems.org/v1/messages/+[REDACTED]367 200 Success
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:51.785Z queueing envelope +[REDACTED]719.1 1533500929693
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:51.786Z delivery receipt from +[REDACTED]719.1 1533500929693
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:51.948Z next message expires 2018-08-05T20:52:31.375Z
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:54.907Z Send pre-checks took 11 milliseconds
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:54.923Z Sending message to conversation +[REDACTED]719 with timestamp 1533500934923
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:55.097Z next message expires 2018-08-05T20:52:31.375Z
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:55.310Z PUT https://textsecure-service.whispersystems.org/v1/messages/+[REDACTED]719
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:55.644Z PUT https://textsecure-service.whispersystems.org/v1/messages/+[REDACTED]719 200 Success
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:55.655Z Set message expiration {"expiresAt":1534105735644,"sentAt":1533500934923}
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:55.782Z PUT https://textsecure-service.whispersystems.org/v1/messages/+[REDACTED]367
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:56.098Z next message expires 2018-08-05T20:52:31.375Z
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:56.146Z PUT https://textsecure-service.whispersystems.org/v1/messages/+[REDACTED]367 200 Success
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:56.204Z queueing envelope +[REDACTED]719.1 1533500934923
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:56.204Z delivery receipt from +[REDACTED]719.1 1533500934923
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:57.099Z next message expires 2018-08-05T20:52:31.375Z
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:59.184Z Upgrade message schema (with index): {"done":false,"numProcessed":1,"fetchDuration":6,"upgradeDuration":0,"saveDuration":7,"totalDuration":13}
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:59.186Z next message expires 2018-08-05T20:52:31.375Z
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:59.590Z Send pre-checks took 12 milliseconds
INFO 2018-08-05T20:28:59.606Z Sending message to conversation +[REDACTED]719 with timestamp 1533500939605
INFO 2018-08-05T20:29:00.002Z PUT https://textsecure-service.whispersystems.org/v1/messages/+[REDACTED]719
INFO 2018-08-05T20:29:00.187Z next message expires 2018-08-05T20:52:31.375Z
INFO 2018-08-05T20:29:00.337Z PUT https://textsecure-service.whispersystems.org/v1/messages/+[REDACTED]719 200 Success
INFO 2018-08-05T20:29:00.346Z Set message expiration {"expiresAt":1534105740337,"sentAt":1533500939605}
INFO 2018-08-05T20:29:00.448Z PUT https://textsecure-service.whispersystems.org/v1/messages/+[REDACTED]367
INFO 2018-08-05T20:29:00.666Z queueing envelope +[REDACTED]719.1 1533500939605
INFO 2018-08-05T20:29:00.666Z delivery receipt from +[REDACTED]719.1 1533500939605
INFO 2018-08-05T20:29:00.782Z PUT https://textsecure-service.whispersystems.org/v1/messages/+[REDACTED]367 200 Success
INFO 2018-08-05T20:29:01.188Z next message expires 2018-08-05T20:52:31.375Z
INFO 2018-08-05T20:29:09.183Z Upgrade message schema (with index): {"done":false,"numProcessed":1,"fetchDuration":1,"upgradeDuration":1,"saveDuration":8,"totalDuration":10}
INFO 2018-08-05T20:29:09.185Z next message expires 2018-08-05T20:52:31.375Z
INFO 2018-08-05T20:29:12.507Z Loaded this list of log files from logPath: log.log, log.log.0, log.log.1

[GSPP]

I just noticed that recent messages disappear correctly. The chat log shows an entry where disappearing messages was enabled. Before that there is no expiry, though. It seems that the timer is not applied retroactively to existing messages.

If this is by design it's not what I want as a user. I'd need to clear the chat directly after enabling the timer to make sure that old messages eventually die.

[2-4601]

Good to hear that it's not a bug after all. If the timer applied to all messages then it would also remove other people's past messages from their conversations. I don't think that's what most users would expect or want.
If you want to make sure that old messages eventually get removed, there's a trimming option in the settings. You can for example choose to keep only 5000 messages and let the rest get deleted automatically.

Since this isn't a bug I'm going to close this issue and if you want to discuss more about disappearing messages and how they should work, please come to the forum (you can use your GitHub account as login).