Confusing UX to add an email address where you have to go back to the app to Continue

[ara4n]

Since I did not save my password when signing up, I proceeded to set an email. Got a confirmation email and clicked the link in it.

Then signed out and clicked the "Set a new password" link.

But it does not work. I always get the message "Failed to send email: This email address was not found".

Says https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23395431

[turt2live]

this sounds a bit like a Synapse bug.

[bwindels]

So the order is like this?:

• sign up with username, password and e-mail
• receive e-mail to confirm address, clicked link
• this logged the user out, also offering to reset the password
• Having forgotten their password, the user tries to reset the password, which fails with "Failed to send email: This email address was not found".

Or did they set their e-mail only after registration?

[no-gravity]

@bwindels: Only after registration. I described the whole process here:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=23395111

[ara4n]

Getting more reports of this:

Going to mark this as a fire, given it's a massive regression if people can't add email addresses to their accounts.

[ara4n]

(this particular report was on Riot iOS ftr)

[t3chguy]

Since I did not save my password when signing up, I proceeded to set an email. Got a confirmation email and clicked the link in it.

Then signed out and clicked the "Set a new password" link.

Seems like the user never clicked Continue back in riot-web to confirm the add and call the /add API so their e-mail never got added.

[t3chguy]

I am assuming this is a case of confusing UX where the user has to do the following flow

1. Enter e-mail into riot-web's settings and click Add
2. Await the e-mail and click the link in it
3. Close the tab that link opens
4. Return to the riot-web where they requested the e-mail to be added and click Continue

Step 4 seems to be very unclear and very unlike other platforms. The link in the email tries to help but doesn't do well:

[wipascal]

The UX is not the problem. I follow the exact steps (1.-4.) which you describe and after step 4. I get an error. See screenshots.

[t3chguy]

What server are you using? Synapse 1.15.0 has a bug with this, should be resolved by 1.15.1

https://github.com/matrix-org/synapse/releases

[wipascal]

I am using matrix.org.

[t3chguy]

This issue is about riot-web/desktop - and I cannot reproduce the issue there other than the poor UX. The 401 is expected and the client should prompt you to verify your password as per the Server's demand. Seek help on the support tracker for the app which you are using.

[wipascal]

Alright, then it seems everything works as expected. (I was just hoping to "rescue" my account even though I lost the password and did not set an email address.)

[t3chguy]

Most Matrix servers will require the Password to be able to add a new e-mail address, seems that there is a bug in riot-ios preventing that prompt from coming up, have reported it to the relevant team.

[wipascal]

Thanks!

[MadLittleMods]

Available 3PID's in Element are email and phone number, see https://spec.matrix.org/unstable/appendices/#3pid-types

All settings -> General tab -> Email addresses -> Add a new email

Go to email and click the confirmation link -> Now go back to your main Element window and press Continue to complete the process.

Your email has now been validated, please return to your client. You may now close this window.