Signal-desktop: Support multi-select for deleting conversations

[dfilskov]

Try to delete 50 contacts / conversations :) - it's really hard or impossible.

Using the mouse takes many clicks and movements - using the keyboard is even harder.

Please add the option of multi-selecting in all lists (conersations / messages / contacts) - also updating the tab order / navigation keyboard shortcuts would make things a lot easier.

[scottnonnenberg-signal]

We really do need additional detail here. What is the tab order which would be more logical? What set of steps were you going through to try to delete all contacts?

[dfilskov]

It's OK that Tab moves the focus to the contact / conversation list - but I think that Tab / Shift + Tab should not move the focus down / up through each conversation in the list. Arrow down/up would be great for tha. And Tab should move the focus away from the contact / conversation list.

Selecting multiple conversations / contacts is not possible. The possibility of selecting multiple conversations for archiving and contacts or messages deletion would solve this issue :)

Currently to e.g. delete 50 conversations you have do these actions _50_ times:

• Hold Tab and wait until the conversation is hightlighed and then tap Return (or click the unwanted conversation using the mouse)

• Press Tab several times to reach the three dots on the top right and tap Return (or move the mouse to the dots - then click).

• use arrow up to reach Delete and tap Return (or move the mouse to / click Delete conversation)

• Tab 6 times to reach the OK button and tap Return (or move the mouse to OK and click)

[scottnonnenberg-signal]

Multiselect would make all of this easier, but there are a few things we can do in the near term as well.

First, to get to your target conversation faster, you might consider using the search box.

Second, to open the top-right menu for a given conversation, you can use Ctrl+Shift+L

Third, we'll be making a fix to properly set focus in the confirmation dialog when you choose to Delete Messages.

[dfilskov]

Ah! - sounds great. Ctrl+shift+L sped up the process :) - it's still cumbersome to delete 50 conversations but less so with this shortcut! Thanks!

[pabl0]

My top UX issue with Signal-Desktop is how _incredibly_ tedious it is to delete a large number of individual messages in a single discussion.

Even to delete just a single message requires pointing the mouse pointer to the "..." menu (that appears on different location on each message, depending on how wide the bubble is), then selecting "Delete" from the context menu and then confirming the operation. There is a keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + D (why not just Del like on every other program?), but I still haven't found a reliable way to even select/highlight messages using the keyboard.

Deleting, say 50 (or hundreds) of messages this way really makes a grown man cry! Especially if you also need to delete the same messages on the primary mobile device manually (thankfully it is more straightforward on Android).

We _really_ need a way to select multiple messages (not only whole conversations) for deletion, and preferably there should also be a keyboard shortcut, not only mouse. Maybe there is some better way, but at least I have not figured it out.

[Go-rom]

Hello,
i use the archive feature a lot and yes, multiselect would help to speed up the workflow.
So thank you for this feature request

[N-Prime]

During today's server problems, one of my conversations was spammed with hundreds of error messages. This isn't a problem on a mobile device but is incredibly tedious to clean up on the desktop version without a means of multi-selecting messages.

The only way I can think of is by using some kind of script to automate mouse clicks and/or keyboard shortcuts to get it done faster.

[je-vv]

Multi select, for any purpose, whether deleting or archiving, or whatever other thing that can be done like forwarding for example, is something really missing...

[pabl0]

There is also some kind of hard-to-explain behaviour when deleting older messages in a discussion. It seems that after deleting a message, the view scrolls/jumps to the end of (or not quite) the discussion. In order to delete the next message, you have to scroll up to find where you were before. This feels somewhat random, like it only happens sometimes, maybe when there are pictures or other attachment near the point where you are deleting messages, one-by-one. I've probably spent hours and hours in total doing this during my usage of Signal-Desktop, so for me an easier way of deleting a bunch of messages is by far the most important improvement I can think of that the desktop flavour needs.

[ibby89]

I use Signal regularly as a secure method of sharing files and messages across all of my devices using "Note to Self". A lot of these messages I delete once I've gone through them and they've served their purpose. Multi-select both for sharing and deleting would be extremely useful and it is a feature I am really missing since migrating completely from Telegram.

Add to that the ongoing issues I am having with error messages in groups and in Note to Self (strangely); this would at least make the process of deleting those error messages less painful!

[scottnonnenberg-signal]

@ibby89 If you have an ongoing issue with errors in Note to Self, please provide a Debug Log and we can try to get to the bottom of it.

[ibby89]

Hi @scottnonnenberg
Thank you! Log is here: https://debuglogs.org/bea29dd4b81e88a24c34011ec0cb7866132af4edc7da4e123c8f98c3327c3a2f

It's only happening on Signal Desktop on both my laptop and desktop. Mobile apps are not showing any errors.

[scottnonnenberg-signal]

@ibby89 Please go into your desktop, the Note to Self chat, and choose 'reset secure session' from the top-right menu. If you see any further errors, please provide a new debug log as soon as possible. Thanks!