Signal-desktop: Import failed. Make sure your computer and your phone are connected to the Internet.

[TRLocklear]

• [X] I have searched open and closed issues for duplicates

---

Bug description

Signal on my Samsung Android phone and also on my Windows 10 PC. On my PC when I go to “Settings” and under “Contacts” I click “Import now” to Import all Signal groups and contacts from my mobile device (Samsung Note 5), it tells me that the “Import failed. Make sure your computer and your phone are connected to the Internet.” My PC and my mobile phone are on the Internet. My PC is connected directly to the Internet and my Samsung Note 5 is on my home Wi-Fi. It tells me that is “Importing” but after a while it fails.

Steps to reproduce

• using hyphens as bullet points
• list the steps
• that reproduce the bug

Actual result: Describe here what happens after you run the steps above (i.e. the buggy behaviour)
Expected result: Describe here what should happen after you run the steps above (i.e. what would be the correct behaviour)

Screenshots

Platform info

Operating System: Windows 10
Browser: Google Chrome

Signal version: 4.6.1

Link to debug log

https://gist.github.com/7d00bdea74f4be06b000ee35dedfc4a7

[scottnonnenberg]

Hi there, @TRLocklear. Thanks for the detailed issue - the screenshot, steps and debug log are much appreciated. Can you also provide the debug log from the android device? This line in the log seems to indicate that it's on the sending side: 2017-05-29T04:51:52.150Z sync timed out

[supersjimmie]

Looks like I have the same problem?

Windows log:
```2017-06-29T12:28:42.746Z clear attention
2017-06-29T12:28:53.583Z PUT https://textsecure-service-ca.whispersystems.org:80/v1/messages/+[REDACTED]090
2017-06-29T12:28:54.239Z PUT https://textsecure-service-ca.whispersystems.org:80/v1/messages/+[REDACTED]090 200 Success
2017-06-29T12:28:54.258Z PUT https://textsecure-service-ca.whispersystems.org:80/v1/messages/+[REDACTED]090
2017-06-29T12:28:54.375Z PUT https://textsecure-service-ca.whispersystems.org:80/v1/messages/+[REDACTED]090 200 Success
2017-06-29T12:29:53.556Z sync timed out
2017-06-29T12:30:13.011Z clear attention

IOS log:
```2017/06/29 14:28:53:996  Got message with verb: PUT and path: /api/v1/message
2017/06/29 14:28:53:997  [TSMessagesManager] received envelope: <Envelope type: SignalEncryptedMessage, source: [ REDACTED_PHONE_NUMBER:xxx090 ].2, timestamp: 1498739333563 content.length: 211 />
2017/06/29 14:28:54:026  Got message with verb: PUT and path: /api/v1/message
2017/06/29 14:28:54:027  [TSMessagesManager] received envelope: <Envelope type: SignalEncryptedMessage, source: [ REDACTED_PHONE_NUMBER:xxx090 ].2, timestamp: 1498739334239 content.length: 211 />
2017/06/29 14:28:54:031  [TSMessagesManager] handling content: <Content: <SyncMessage: ContactRequest />>
2017/06/29 14:28:54:042  [TSAttachmentStream] Writing attachment to file: /var/mobile/Containers/Data/Application/3CF70D9E-1D2D-4A21-8601-048D17D81510/Documents/Attachments/7ED8A87D-10D0-4DB7-94A6-1CEE7B50C771.dat
2017/06/29 14:28:54:045  [OWSMessageSender] Failed to write data for outgoing attachment with error:Error Domain=NSCocoaErrorDomain Code=4 "Het bestand '7ED8A87D-10D0-4DB7-94A6-1CEE7B50C771.dat' bestaat niet." UserInfo={NSFilePath=/var/mobile/Containers/Data/Application/3CF70D9E-1D2D-4A21-8601-048D17D81510/Documents/Attachments/7ED8A87D-10D0-4DB7-94A6-1CEE7B50C771.dat, NSUnderlyingError=0x17045cc20 {Error Domain=NSPOSIXErrorDomain Code=2 "No such file or directory"}}
2017/06/29 14:28:54:050  [TSMessagesManager] Failed to send Contacts response syncMessage with error: Error Domain=NSCocoaErrorDomain Code=4 "Het bestand '7ED8A87D-10D0-4DB7-94A6-1CEE7B50C771.dat' bestaat niet." UserInfo={NSFilePath=/var/mobile/Containers/Data/Application/3CF70D9E-1D2D-4A21-8601-048D17D81510/Documents/Attachments/7ED8A87D-10D0-4DB7-94A6-1CEE7B50C771.dat, NSUnderlyingError=0x17045cc20 {Error Domain=NSPOSIXErrorDomain Code=2 "No such file or directory"}}
2017/06/29 14:28:54:065  [TSMessagesManager] handling content: <Content: <SyncMessage: GroupRequest />>
2017/06/29 14:28:54:068  [TSAttachmentStream] Writing attachment to file: /var/mobile/Containers/Data/Application/3CF70D9E-1D2D-4A21-8601-048D17D81510/Documents/Attachments/3D5F3CCF-1093-46D2-AE6C-2057BDDC77D7.dat
2017/06/29 14:28:54:069  [OWSMessageSender] Failed to write data for outgoing attachment with error:Error Domain=NSCocoaErrorDomain Code=4 "Het bestand '3D5F3CCF-1093-46D2-AE6C-2057BDDC77D7.dat' bestaat niet." UserInfo={NSFilePath=/var/mobile/Containers/Data/Application/3CF70D9E-1D2D-4A21-8601-048D17D81510/Documents/Attachments/3D5F3CCF-1093-46D2-AE6C-2057BDDC77D7.dat, NSUnderlyingError=0x174c4ec40 {Error Domain=NSPOSIXErrorDomain Code=2 "No such file or directory"}}
2017/06/29 14:28:54:071  [TSMessagesManager] Failed to send Groups response syncMessage with error: Error Domain=NSCocoaErrorDomain Code=4 "Het bestand '3D5F3CCF-1093-46D2-AE6C-2057BDDC77D7.dat' bestaat niet." UserInfo={NSFilePath=/var/mobile/Containers/Data/Application/3CF70D9E-1D2D-4A21-8601-048D17D81510/Documents/Attachments/3D5F3CCF-1093-46D2-AE6C-2057BDDC77D7.dat, NSUnderlyingError=0x174c4ec40 {Error Domain=NSPOSIXErrorDomain Code=2 "No such file or directory"}}

(in this log, the text " bestaat niet." means "does not exist.")

IOS and Windows 10/Chrome, both fully updated and Signal installed today.
IOS connected to guest wifi, Windows connected to corporate with internet access.

[scottnonnenberg]

@supersjimmie That looks like an iOS bug. Please enter a new issue here: https://github.com/WhisperSystems/Signal-iOS/issues

[scottnonnenberg]

@TRLocklear I took another look at the log, and it looks like there are several attempts to do a contact sync, and a least one of them was successful. Looks like the first one did fail, though. Is that right?

[mdwy62]

I am not able to import contacts (same error message) from my Android (nougat) phone. I tried putting my phone in airplane mode and then turned on wifi to make sure desktop and phone were on the same network. signal-desktop running on Chromium Version 60.0.3112.78 (Developer Build) Built on Ubuntu , running on Ubuntu 16.04 (64-bit).

[scottnonnenberg]

@mdwy62 Please consider submitting your debug logs for both the phone and desktop so we can track this issue down for you.

[mdwy62]

Here is the log from the phone. Where should I look for a log on the desktop? I don't see a way to access it throught signal desktop.

Device  : LGE LG-H901 (pplus_tmo_us)
Android : 7.0 (171431702265b, NRD90U)
Memory  : 19M (13.65% free, 512M max)
Memclass: 256
OS Host : LGEACI6R1
App     : Signal 4.9.8

--------- beginning of system
08-16 08:46:25.059 13200 13200 I Timeline: Timeline: Activity_idle id: android.os.BinderProxy@12b0aac time:384033619
08-16 08:46:27.078 13200 13200 I ViewRootImpl: ViewRoot's Touch Event : ACTION_DOWN
08-16 08:46:27.138 13200 13200 I ViewRootImpl: ViewRoot's Touch Event : ACTION_UP
08-16 08:46:28.670 13200 13200 I ViewRootImpl: ViewRoot's Touch Event : ACTION_DOWN
08-16 08:46:28.732 13200 13200 I ViewRootImpl: ViewRoot's Touch Event : ACTION_UP
08-16 08:46:28.803 13200 13200 I Timeline: Timeline: Activity_launch_request id:org.thoughtcrime.securesms time:384037363
--------- beginning of main
08-16 08:46:28.887 13200 13200 W MessageRetrievalService: Active Count: 0
08-16 08:46:28.907 13200 13200 W PassphraseRequiredActionBarActivity: onCreate(null)
08-16 08:46:28.911 13200 13200 W ExperienceUpgradeActivity: getExperienceUpgrade(275)
08-16 08:46:28.913 13200 13200 W PassphraseRequiredActionBarActivity: routeApplicationState(), state: 0
08-16 08:46:28.916 13200 13200 W PassphraseRequiredActionBarActivity: initializeClearKeyReceiver()
08-16 08:46:28.949 13200 13200 W PassphraseRequiredActionBarActivity: onResume()
08-16 08:46:29.100 13200 13200 W KeyCachingService: onStartCommand, org.thoughtcrime.securesms.service.action.ACTIVITY_START_EVENT
08-16 08:46:29.100 13200 13200 W KeyCachingService: Incrementing activity count...
08-16 08:46:29.102 13200 13200 W MessageRetrievalService: Active Count: 1
08-16 08:46:29.193 13200 13710 D OpenGLRenderer: endAllActiveAnimators on 0xcca89580 (MenuPopupWindow$MenuDropDownListView) with handle 0xc9686a30
08-16 08:46:29.209 13200 13200 I Timeline: Timeline: Activity_idle id: android.os.BinderProxy@d2f5160 time:384037769
08-16 08:46:30.510 13200 13200 I ViewRootImpl: ViewRoot's Touch Event : ACTION_DOWN
08-16 08:46:30.576 13200 13200 I ViewRootImpl: ViewRoot's Touch Event : ACTION_UP
08-16 08:46:32.964 13200 13200 I ViewRootImpl: ViewRoot's Touch Event : ACTION_DOWN
08-16 08:46:33.043 13200 13200 I ViewRootImpl: ViewRoot's Touch Event : ACTION_UP
08-16 08:46:33.113 13200 13200 I Timeline: Timeline: Activity_launch_request id:org.thoughtcrime.securesms time:384041672
08-16 08:46:33.156 13200 13200 W PassphraseRequiredActionBarActivity: onPause()
08-16 08:46:33.196 13200 13200 W KeyCachingService: onStartCommand, org.thoughtcrime.securesms.service.action.ACTIVITY_STOP_EVENT
08-16 08:46:33.196 13200 13200 W KeyCachingService: Decrementing activity count...
08-16 08:46:33.196 13200 13200 W MessageRetrievalService: Active Count: 0

[scottnonnenberg]

@mdwy62 The triple-dot button at the top of the left-pane, then 'Submit debug log.' Since it's pretty long, we'd prefer that you submit the URL of the log here, not the actual contents. Thanks!

[mdwy62]

Got it. Thanks. https://gist.github.com/c15724158635becbd0210f90122d0cbd

[liliakai]

@mdwy62 your log has a bunch of

sync timed out

That means we didn't get the data from the android client, but there's no evidence of a sync request in the snippet of android log above. Was it captured immediately after an attempted contact import?

[mdwy62]

I thought it was just after. Trying again. Just captured another failed import attempt.
Signal-Desktop Log: https://gist.github.com/fd3b863150631f422feac03a33ade52d
Signal-Android Log: https://gist.github.com/05b2264ea601188127569e689e08c4af

[scottnonnenberg]

@mdwy62 Thanks for those additional logs. It looks like the sync was never started by desktop for some reason.

I just submitted a pull request which will capture more information in these scenarios to make it easier to track down the problem: https://github.com/WhisperSystems/Signal-Desktop/pull/1381

[mdwy62]

Thanks Scott (and Lilia) - I am not clear what, if anything, I should do. Do I install a new version of the chrome extension with additional logging capabilities? - Mark

[scottnonnenberg]

Nothing to do now. We'll release a build soon with those logging changes, and you'll either get that build automatically a bit after we download it, or, when we comment here you can go to chrome://extensions and click the 'Update extensions now' button.

[EvanCarroll]

Also getting this error
https://gist.github.com/4c5f2a5501816f529bc77b8ef75058dd

[scottnonnenberg]

@EvanCarroll Thanks for providing that new log. I see that messages are being sent requesting both the contacts and groups, both with no error. You're sure that your mobile device is ready to receive that message and respond to it? Do you have the Signal app up and running when you do this?

[EvanCarroll]

Yep, connected with signal app up. I see no notification.

[scottnonnenberg]

@EvanCarroll Alright then, time to step it up a notch! If we've sent the message successfully, then we need to investigate the mobile device. Attempt to start a new import again, wait until you get the timeout, then extract logs from both your desktop installation and your mobile device.

[bsaint9]

I'll chime in with mine (Pixel XL 8.0/MacOS 10.12.6). Same issue for me too:
Desktop: https://gist.github.com/949215946affd164944a3455e1b2a17f
Android: https://gist.github.com/8b841e7c16d008fa357a0c36a0ca5e62

[liliakai]

@bsaint9 Smoking gun in the Android log.

MultiDeviceContactUpdateJob: Not multi device, aborting...

Looks like a case of https://github.com/WhisperSystems/Signal-Android/issues/6505

[bsaint9]

So, after some trial and error, I was able to get it working. I followed all the steps here, but, before reinstalling the app, I unlinked it from the android client. I then reinstalled the app, and re-linked it. Everything worked fine this time, and I don't see those errors in the logs anymore. Unlinking and Relinking wasn't enough... I had to follow these steps and include the unlink/relink step before reinstalling the desktop client. Hope that helps everyone.

https://support.signal.org/hc/en-us/articles/218514998-How-do-I-update-contacts-on-Signal-Desktop-

[scottnonnenberg]

Is this still happening to people? Has it perhaps been fixed on the Android side?

[mdwy62]

For me, looks like it has been resolved - Thanks!

I also use Signal on Android as my default Message App. My Signal
contacts on Adroid seem to have transferred over to Chrome. The regular
SMS messages have not but I think that is by design.

• Mark

On 02/11/17 17:17, Scott Nonnenberg wrote:
>

Is this still happening to people? Has it perhaps been fixed on the
Android side?

—
You are receiving this because you were mentioned.
Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub
https://github.com/WhisperSystems/Signal-Desktop/issues/1208#issuecomment-341595281,
or mute the thread
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[codeslinger]

This happened to me on iOS attempting to install the Mac client. I ended up uninstalling Signal Desktop and then had to reinstall Signal iOS as it was completely frozen even after multiple force-quits.

[scottnonnenberg]

@codeslinger Please enter a bug in the iOS project https://github.com/WhisperSystems/Signal-iOS/issues! I'm sure they'd very much like to prevent that kind of full freeze for their users.

Note also that 'uninstalling' the new Signal Desktop may still leave all of your configuration files behind, since they are in a different place from the application files.

[codeslinger]

I'm aware: I cleaned out ~/Library/Application Support/Signal as well

[scottnonnenberg]

@vovcacik Your android log has "Not multi device, aborting..." in it, which means that the failed import is likely due to this Android bug: https://github.com/WhisperSystems/Signal-Android/issues/6505

Any additional information you can provide about your experience will help us track down and fix that issue. Thanks!

[vovcacik]

@scottnonnenberg You're right. My problem got fixed in signalapp/Signal-Android#7175. I assume the same is true for @bsaint9 above.

[SeppPenner]

I'm still seeing this issue, logs are under: https://gist.github.com/SeppPenner/2e3b9b20ed70079f8ab1fbfb67ed4a76.

Original issue is here: https://github.com/signalapp/Signal-Desktop/issues/2476

I'm on Signal 4.21.6 on Android and 1.13.0 on Windows now.

[scottnonnenberg-signal]

@SeppPenner This is the Signal Desktop repository. If you want this to be fixed, you need to make sure progress is happening on bugs (or create bugs) in the Signal Android repository: https://github.com/signalapp/Signal-Android/issues

[SeppPenner]

@scottnonnenberg-signal: Ok, I've created one issue in the Android repository now: https://github.com/signalapp/Signal-Android/issues/7941

[TSSchoof]

I have the same issue, but I am on my companies network on the desktop and on data on my mobile.
I'm not sure if I should make a new issue for this or not?

Windows log: https://gist.github.com/TSSchoof/740681400e1583601f9e9f2696900206

I can actually send and receive messages through the application, I just have no contacts (and the group name is not coming over)

[fabrei]

I have the same issue with the signal desktop app on debian stretch and the signal app on my ubuntu touch 16.04 ota 9.

Here are the signal desktop logs and here the signal ut logs. The timestamps of the desktop logs are not that right; I dont know why..

The last successful import of my contacts was on 12/16/2018, which the signal desktop app is telling me at "File" -> "Preferences". The last release of the ut signal app was at 01/01/2018. So it seems to be a desktop app issue from version 1.20 and above.

It is not a big issue, but the contacts at the desktop app look like 01234567 ~ foo bar and not just foo bar

any ideas?

[scottnonnenberg-signal]

@fabrei Please enter a new bug. Your device is receiving attachments it doesn't like - likely the size in the protobuf doesn't match the attachment it downloaded from the CDN.

[fabrei]

done: https://github.com/signalapp/Signal-Desktop/issues/3397

[lakozapamcenje]

I'm having the same problem on v1.25.1 on Windows. I can send messages, just can't see any contacts, only phone numbers. I had problem this morning - Signal would start, but I could not see the program main window nor the icon in the taskbar, so I uninstalled it and then reinstalled it immediately. It solved the problem of starting the application, but after linking the phone I've got stuch with this problem of being unable to sync.

[kenpowers-signal]

@lakozapamcenje Can you get us a debug log? You can upload a debug log from desktop by going to View > Debug Log.

[scottnonnenberg-signal]

@Traktuner Looking at your log, I'm not sure what you're trying to Import. We don't support sending old messages from your mobile device to Desktop. Maybe that's what you're trying to do?

[ghost]

@Traktuner Looking at your log, I'm not sure what you're trying to Import. We don't support sending old messages from your mobile device to Desktop. Maybe that's what you're trying to do?

Thanks for you reply! I clicked the "import contacts" button, wich always resulted in the "Import failed" message. I just updated to the latest TestFlight build, now the import worked like a charm.
Thank you!

[afiaka87]

@Traktuner Looking at your log, I'm not sure what you're trying to Import. We don't support sending old messages from your mobile device to Desktop. Maybe that's what you're trying to do?

It might be useful to make this clearer near the description of the "Import Contacts" functionality. I'm aware you probably do this for privacy reasons, but it's definitely one of those things you're used to coming from a platform like iMessage, etc.

Not trying to be critical btw. I understand that the wording "Import Contacts" implies just that, and not that messages will show up. But for some reason my biases led me to believe there had to be a way to get my old messages synced across and that this would be the way to do it.

[ghost]

@afiaka87 For me, it was clear, and I already wrote that it worked as It should. No need to change any descriptions.
It was just a version mismatch - beta iOS with non-beta Signal app.

[afiaka87]

Fair enough. Sorry to have taken your time. @Traktuner

[derekllaw]

I had this issue with Windows and iOS. I had not understood until I read one of the comments above that the Signal app needs to be running on the iPhone for the import to work. It might help if it said this next to the button, or at least explained it in the error message rather than the "not connected to the internet" message.

[someone235]

I had the same issue.
Desktop log: https://gist.github.com/someone235/6cb730de1cb2c273279ee2b3695430d9
Android log: https://debuglogs.org/058bc27e453a9c22ec718f04032721c2c5447c8b50efdfbe497ffa8072e7a4fc

[antiftw]

I had this same issue with the Linux Deskop version. I got the same error as the OP: "Import failed. Make sure your computer and your phone are connected to the Internet."

However while I was typing this and looking up some information, to make sure, I tried disconnecting my phone from the Wi-Fi and tried the import while just being connected to 4G, and suddenly it worked. So maybe this can help others out there.

[nickenchev]

I had this same issue with the Linux Deskop version. I got the same error as the OP: "Import failed. Make sure your computer and your phone are connected to the Internet."

However while I was typing this and looking up some information, to make sure, I tried disconnecting my phone from the Wi-Fi and tried the import while just being connected to 4G, and suddenly it worked. So maybe this can help others out there.

This worked for me, thank you. Though the fact that this type of bug and "fix" exist concerns me as a programmer.

[mnuriyumusak]

For me this steps worked:

1- send message to only contact on the desktop app which is "Notes to me"
2- See your message from your phone
3- send a message to one of your contact from your phone
4- you should be able to see the contact and message on the desktop app
5- now, you can import your contacts successfully from preferences menu

[vfxdev]

I had this same issue with the Linux Deskop version. I got the same error as the OP: "Import failed. Make sure your computer and your phone are connected to the Internet."

However while I was typing this and looking up some information, to make sure, I tried disconnecting my phone from the Wi-Fi and tried the import while just being connected to 4G, and suddenly it worked. So maybe this can help others out there.

This has worked for me as well, thanks! Linux desktop (Ubuntu 20.10) and iOS phone. Both on the same network.

[MarkusMayer]

Has the same problem with my android phone. Turning off WIFI did the trick.

[TheSlowGrowth]

Same here

[mnj93]

For me this steps worked:

1- send message to only contact on the desktop app which is "Notes to me"
2- See your message from your phone
3- send a message to one of your contact from your phone
4- you should be able to see the contact and message on the desktop app
5- now, you can import your contacts successfully from preferences menu

This worked for me.

[MarkusMayer]

Maybe there are different scenarios. When I tried yesterday I didn't have the "Notes to me" contact. My contact list was completely empty. After turning off WIFI however the import worked.

[jorisw]

For me, import didn't work either, but letting it fail, then sending a message on my phone to a group chat in there, suddenly made the group appear on my Mac.

[rtxm]

Importing was failing (not even a "Notes to me" contact) until I:

• turned wifi off on my phone
• sent a message to a contact from my phone.

Only then did the import succeed.

[Perkolator]

This definitely should be fixed somehow. I tried to turn off wifi but that alone didn't work. After writing a "note to self" on my android phone, and seeing it appear instantly on signal app in linux (mint 20), only after that the import works on linux app. Dunno if the "wifi off" was necessary. The "not connected to internet" error message is totally misleading.

[klynchatl]

This worked for me :

1. Quit app on both phone and desktop
2. Start app on phone
3. Send message to a contact
4. Start app on desktop

After Step 4, all of my contacts appeared in the desktop app

[Brocaljer]

I had the same issue and noticed that the big problem that I encountered in importing my contacts was the fact that I had Signal set as my main SMS as well. Once I disabled SMS, all of my contact currently on Signal showed up. However, when I turn on SMS, shouldn't I be able to send and receive messages with ANY of my contacts? It shouldn't be restricted to just my Signal contacts, should it?

[antiftw]

@Brocaljer What I understood from what I read is that you will just send regular SMS's to the contacts that do not have Signal.

If I scroll through my contacts using the Signal app (on my phone) I see a blue letter in front of the contacts that also have Signal, and that letter is not there with regular contacts. This only seems to apply to Android devices though, since Apple doesn't allow you to change your default SMS application. I do not know this from experience since I try to keep away as far as possible from Apple devices. However I do not see regular contacts appearing in the Desktop application, but that seems logical to me.

The main reason to allow signal to be your default SMS app, seems to just make sure everything is consolidated in one place. I would like to refer to this Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/signal/comments/85fupm/why_use_signal_for_sms/

[octoviaa]

This worked for me :

1. Quit app on both phone and desktop
2. Start app on phone
3. Send message to a contact
4. Start app on desktop

After Step 4, all of my contacts appeared in the desktop app

Works for me. Thank you

[frenkcleven]

This worked for me :

1. Quit app on both phone and desktop
2. Start app on phone
3. Send message to a contact
4. Start app on desktop

After Step 4, all of my contacts appeared in the desktop app

Worked for me as well on iOS/macOS.

[m-beau]

This worked for me :

1. Quit app on both phone and desktop
2. Start app on phone
3. Send message to a contact
4. Start app on desktop

After Step 4, all of my contacts appeared in the desktop app

Worked for me as well, on mac OSX/iOS

[chovy]

would having two devices with same name screw it up? I have two laptops both hostsnames are the same.

[cynici]

This worked for me :

1. Quit app on both phone and desktop

2. Start app on phone

3. Send message to a contact

4. Start app on desktop

After Step 4, all of my contacts appeared in the desktop app

Same "Import failed" issue on Fedora 33 running flatpak Signal desktop. This works for me.

[chovy]

worked on manjaro, thanks bud! must be a bug.

[Schnuecks]

For me this steps worked:

1- send message to only contact on the desktop app which is "Notes to me"
2- See your message from your phone
3- send a message to one of your contact from your phone
4- you should be able to see the contact and message on the desktop app
5- now, you can import your contacts successfully from preferences menu

Worked for me too, thanks
Disable wifi works too

[Ilanad]

1. Quit app on both phone and desktop

1. Start app on phone

2. Send message to a contact

3. Start app on desktop

Wanted to confirm that this worked for me as well, running on MacOS 10.13.6 and iOS 12.2

[rayfallon]

This issue happens for me too. iOS 14.3, iPhone SE (2nd edition) and Windows 10.

[stefanhendriks]

Unfortunately it didn't work for me.

Also when going to "Settings"->Import contacts. It hangs on "Importing" and after a while says I should be connected to the internet. (which I am). I only see one contact, and its messages. But at the same time Signal (on Mac) said I should accept the incoming messages (at the same time that they are being displayed).

Error screen (in dutch though):

Using Signal v1.39.5
Mac: Catalina 10.15.7
MPB 16 inch, 2019 edition.
iOS: 14.3 (18C66) / iPhone 8

Both connected via Wifi. Same router. Tried Phone over 4G (laptop via Wifi) and redid these steps but did not resolve the issue.

Maybone worth noticing that I didn't set a verification PIN yet (it keeps asking me this).

[msavara]

None of the top solutions works anymore. This seems to be a new problem after those big outages.

Perfectly misleading error message.

[stefanhendriks]

Desktop app was upgraded (to version v1.39.6). After it restarted I saw all my contacts. Something got fixed along the way?

edit:
I also tried re-importing and it succeeds now. 🎉

[rayfallon]

Same for me. However, there is no 'check for updates' in Signal, you have to go to the website and download the installer yourself. Feels like Signal is a work in progress ... it's a bit away from being as feature rich as WhatsApp but I'm sure it'll get there. It of course doesn't have the same budget as Facebook either :-)

[stefanhendriks]

@rayfallon interesting. I had a message in the Desktop app saying I should restart to get the latest version. So I did. (I am using the Mac version).

[rayfallon]

Ah, I'm on Windows which might explain it.

[scottnonnenberg-signal]

This is a very old catch-all bug. I'm going to close it. If you're still running into import difficultes, please create new issue.

[jaromor]

This is a very old catch-all bug. I'm going to close it. If you're still running into import difficultes, please create new issue.

No offense but this makes very little sense to me. It doesn't seem like a fix has been merged (have I missed it among the comments?), people are still reporting the issue (just ran into it myself, 1.40.1), yet you are closing it...? Very strange.

[Gordon-Dry]

Same. Makes no sense. Never been fixed.

[EvanHahn-Signal]

Let's move discussion to #5040, which is a more active issue.