Make a possibility to export and import history (local backups)

[ghsrcgh]

Please make a functions to:

• export history (backup)
• import history (restore backup) And it must work as local backup. You can encrypt it or not - it is not so important, but it must be stored on the local memory/sd card, without any cloud/internet services. I.e. offline backup.

Event if you will make only the first function (export history) - it will be very good.

Even Whatsapp (!!!) an IM for blondes have a local(!) backup function and restore.

You may export messages in .xml format to do not make a difficult for coding function. This is really require.

Export function must support few accounts (if used).

In addition it is better to have a function to export full settings too. To make it easier to recover Xabber on the other phone, if you are switching to another phone. (Settings for application, for accounts, and history).

(Just for example: Signal messenger have such feature for local backups)

[andrewnenakhov]

Actually we store all our chat history on XMPP server in message archive,and advise anyone to do so too. So we might do this eventually, but it's low priority for us.

[ghsrcgh]

1) Actually, many (not most) users for security purposes DISABLING function to store messages on XMPP servers (on every account) 2) This is not help to recover settings of application and account settings (login/passwords) on the new phone. For example, I have more than 5 jabber accounts.

[andrewnenakhov]

1. Well, disabling archive goes against what we're striving to achieve - seamless sync between devices. It can only be done with the archive on a server. If some users don't like the idea of their messages stored there, well, ... tough luck, it's not what's on our roadmap.
2. Logins and accounts settings are already synced between Xabber clients using Xabber account. Everything but passwords are synced to a new device and you only have to enter passwords to all your accounts. For now, we only sync accounts order and colour but plan to sync expanded/collapsed groups state, muted contacts, achieved conversations, custom notification sounds, etc - so every time you log into new device you can set it up by just providing your passwords (and even that might be unnecessary, we plan to implement a proper toket technology, too)

[ghsrcgh]

You will not be able to restore decrypted OTR messages using XMPP server store (PFS/etc; more over - OTR keys?). Many (not most) users uses OTR for communications. So, they will lost their history at all. With no options to restore.

Why it is so difficult to export all accounts to xml scheme (it is a common for history messages, like SMS Backup & Restore common format) and then (the second option) import it to the device? It is just writer to the formatted file and reader from the formatted file (and writer to the local DB).

This is a task for a few days in such format of developing.

[andrewnenakhov]

This again. First, people want their chats securely encrypted and stored only on the device, because they don't trust THE MAN and server admins to not access their data. Next, they want to conveniently access all their chats on other devices. And we have more work as a result. 😕 (and we'll have to add it on all versions of Xabber, right? Multiply our efforts by three)

This functionality is not really hard to implement, I agree with you. But for now, It's just not on top of our priorities. We are extremely busy building what we think we need to build, and what our paying customers ask us to build. We just don't really have time to invest in this facing our pressing urgent needs.

This said, we would be happy if someone sends us a pull request implementing this functionality, we'll test it and gladly include it in next update of Xabber. I hope for your understanding in this matter.

[ghsrcgh]

Idea of not avail info on the servers or somewhere is logical. Offline backups is a continue of this idea. It is logical too :). For example (simple case) - switching from one phone to another [new] one.

Yep, I understand about plans, etc. I know develop process.

Okay, so, what I may say to most of the guys, who are unable to code this and pull? Vote for this ticket and may be some plans will be changed or priority will be upped :)

Anyway, thank you for your work.

[traumschule]

being able to save chat history to a file would be definitively a great feature. right now one has to tab a message and manually mark every additional message to copy a conversion or parts of it.

[andrewnenakhov]

@ghsrcgh @traumschule there is an existing option to export all specific chat to an HTML file. It's not full 'save backup and restore as it was', but better than manually selecting all messages. Swipe left while in chat, to place where your vCard details are. There will be additional options, one of them is export history. It is saved as an HTML file.

[amacfie]

There will be additional options, one of them is export history. It is saved as an HTML file.

When I do this it says "File not found"