Improve systray icon support

[todoneunl]

• I have searched open and closed issues for duplicates

People can start the current Signal Desktop (on Linux at least) with signal-desktop --start-in-tray.

I would like to request three improvements:

1. add a GUI setting for the systray to the application.

2. open and close the Signal Desktop GUI using a single left mouse click

3. add an option to use a keyboard shortcut to open and close the Signal Desktop GUI

Signal Version:

1.20.0

Operating System:

Ubuntu Linux 18.10 (but requesting for other desktop OS's as well)

[SourceBoy]

#2 is currently not possible due to current Electron behavior (for Linux). See #3045

[chylee]

On kubuntu 18.10 no icon image is a white square in system tray

[ymiroshnyk]

On Windows 10 I don't have icon in system tray at all.

[scottnonnenberg-signal]

@ymiroshnyk As in, you don't know how to turn it on? Or when you try to turn it on it doesn't work?

[ymiroshnyk]

@scottnonnenberg-signal I don't know how to turn it on. Although I explored all settings I found in the app. And if it is possible to turn it on, it's very strange it's not enabled by default.

[scottnonnenberg-signal]

@ymiroshnyk The feature is still in beta. You can use these command line flags to turn it on: --start-in-tray and/or --use-tray-icon

[ymiroshnyk]

@scottnonnenberg-signal thanks. It works just fine.
Although, a long time ago when skype was a good messanger, it had the best notification of unread message for Windows I ever saw. It opened minimized window for the conversation and highlighted it in task bar. I'll create feature request fot such behaviour. It's pretty easy to implement, but convenience raises a lot.

[ymiroshnyk]

Opened feature request #3177

[Cory-Watson]

I also get a white square on my system tray in KDE Plasma 5.15.4

signal-desktop v1.23.2

I would like to just replace the icon myself but not sure where to start looking...? I've found the 'hi-color' png icons but they look nothing like the ones below. Any recommendations?

Here's what the icon looks like normally: (its the leftmost icon)

Here's what it looks like with a new message:

@jeroenpraat

I would like to request three improvements:
3. add an option to use a keyboard shortcut to open and close the Signal Desktop GUI

Couldn't you just use your desktop environment's shortcuts for this?

[lhzw]

En, on windows 7, a click can open the gui window, but on deiban two clicks are needed.

I'd like a global shortcut to open the window very much, do not like to click the icon with mouse again and again, thank you.

[kevin192291]

If it is okay, I would be happy to help adding an option for opening the app with --start-in-tray and/or --use-tray-icon or another way. Is this issue open to contributors?

[Cory-Watson]

En, on windows 7, a click can open the gui window, but on deiban two clicks are needed.

I'd like a global shortcut to open the window very much, do not like to click the icon with mouse again and again, thank you.

I'm not sure what desktop environment you are using, but this sounds more like something you should configure yourself outside of the signal application.

[scottnonnenberg-signal]

@kevin192291 As long as you're flexible with the specific wording and visual designs (ideally you could talk with our designers), you could absolutely take this feature on!

[rebastion]

No I have no tray icon at all (switched back from the snap where tray functionality was working to the official version....)

[stale]

This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has not had recent activity. It will be closed if no further activity occurs. Thank you for your contributions.

[peterthomassen]

This is still current.

[indutny-signal]

I believe system tray is now enable for Windows user and (if I'm not mistaken) for beta users of Linux. Could you give beta a try and see if it works there, please?

Thanks!

[peterthomassen]

@indutny-signal I just installed Signal 5.18, which was in beta status at the time of your comment. I cannot find any setting in the preferences dialog to enable the tray icon (on Linux), so it seems like you're mistaken. -- That said, it still works when setting --use-tray-icon on the command line.

(I'm not trying to revive this issue and will shut up now; I just wanted to provide the response @indutny-signal asked for.)

[indutny-signal]

@peterthomassen I'm afraid this option is available only the Beta channel and not on the Prod channel. In other words, 5.18.0-beta.x had it, but 5.18.0 doesn't have it. We are still testing the feature, and trying to get as much feedback as possible before enabling it for all our Linux users. Could you give a try to 5.19.0-beta.1 sometime, please?

[peterthomassen]

@indutny-signal I tested 5.21.0-beta.2 just now, and the system tray settings work perfectly (both minimizing to tray, as well as start in system tray). It would be nice to see this a general release soon! 🥳 🚀

[indutny-signal]

Perfect. Thanks for confirming!