Remove entries from left pane with separate action from 'delete messages'

[tprosche]

• [x ] I have searched only open issues for duplicates

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Bug description

When deleting all messages of a conversation then the corresponding contact is removed from list of contacts (left pane).

Steps to reproduce

• Using Signal Desktop v1.0.40
• Left pane contains at least one contact
• Select one contact in left pane to show the conversation
• Select "Delete messages" from right pane's menu
• All messages are removed, but also the selected contact in left pane is removed [BUG-1].
• Trying to import contacts from mobile device via menu > settings > import contacts will not bring back the just removed contact [BUG-2].

Actual result:
All messages are removed -> ok.
Selected contact is removed -> bug.
It is no more possible to send messages to this contact (re-import this contact does not work -> bug).

Expected result:
All messages are removed. The contact remains in the list of contacts.

Suggestion:

• To remove a contact from contact list provide a menu item of the left pane, e. g. "Delete selected contact" and "Clear contact list".

Screenshots

-/-

Platform info

Operating System: Windows 10 Pro 64 bit v1709
Browser: -/-
Signal version:: v1.0.40

Link to debug log

-/-

[scottnonnenberg]

You can use the search pane in the top-left to send to any contact, even if they've been removed from the left pane. Once another message is sent to them or received from them, they will come back to the left pane.

[scottnonnenberg]

Some discussion on this topic has already happened here: #1859

I guess I'll leave this one open since you're the second one to open this in two days.

Perhaps you could talk a little bit more about why you delete message, why you still want them in the left pane after that, and your investigations (or lack thereof) of the search box.

[tprosche]

Why I delete all messages?

• Most of the time I use Signal Android.
• Sometimes (or because more comfortable) I use Signal Desktop. Then all messages gets synchronized in Desktop client, also the already deleted ones (deleted in Signal Android). To get a clear message pane I select "delete all messages" with the result that also the contact disappears. Before continuing this conversation I have to re-add the contact first.
  -> usability, not what one expects when select "delete all messages".

Further improvements:

• All: New option (or change behavior) to let Signal client not synchronize messages that have already been deleted in another client.
• Desktop: New menu item: "Delete selected contact"
• Desktop: New menu item: "Delete selected message" (as addition to "delete all messages") as it works in Signal Android

[arbie65]

I have problems with this new functionality too. I am in a lot of groups and need to interact with them but on the desktop I delete the conversations to reduce clutter which means the group is now hidden. I can remember names of contacts but groups is not as easy as they are frequently nonsensical so searching is not always an option. Now if I need to say something to a group of people I have to go to my phone to send the first message and then it appears on my desktop

[scottnonnenberg]

@arbie65 You should be able to search for the name of the group in the top-left box. That would allow you to start a conversation from desktop even if it wasn't already showing in the left pane.

[arbie65]

@scottnonnenberg that assumes I can remember part of the name of the group in the first place. Previously I could just scroll until I could see what I was looking for.

[arbie65]

@scottnonnenberg as this has become a feature request now to hide contacts, is there any luck that the current implementation can be backed out until a non confusing workable solution can be implemented?

[scottnonnenberg]

@arbie65 Likely not. The change was made because people were really unhappy that there was no way to hide contacts at all.

[JossMarley]

I cannot see the rationale behind this behavior. If I want to delete a person X from my contact list the only way to do it is to open a conversation with X and delete all messages (even if the conversation never happened)! This is quite confusing, at least to me. Still more confusing is that deleting some messages, just to keep tidy my desktop client, results in deleting contacts from the left contact list. I know that I can still search for hidden contacts, but as @arbie65 said sometimes remembering names of people/groups is not straightforward. Imposing other people to make use of disappearing messages just because it is not possible to delete a conversation without any side effect is very strange and doesn't make any sense to me.

P.S. I've read many discussions about the all new function proposed by @ProscheT (let Signal client not synchronize messages that have already been deleted in another client), but even if I understand the reason behind the current behavior I still hope for this new function to be implemented. It would be awesome not to delete the same message for every linked device and not to waste data to download already deleted messages.