Messages get stuck as "Decrypting, please wait..."

[Bujiraso]

Hi, I have noticed an issue where a message is received and it says "Decrypting, please wait..."and it doesn't decrypt until you lock and unlock the database.

This occurred for me when I first turned on the phone (mine is a SGS2, i9100m) and the database was locked but I received new messages. The TextSecure app was also updating (either in progress, or just finished, I didn't notice which) if that's relevant.

Maybe a feature to individually re-decrypt messages that are stuck would help? Thanks

[mikemee]

I have noticed this but only in the following scenario:

• restart phone, thus TextSecure not running
• receive an SMS message
• TextSecure says "Decrypting message ...."
• I realize that I haven't entered my password yet to unlock
• I enter my password
• The "Decrypting message..." remains until I power cycle the phone and sign in to TextSecure again.
• New text messages are received ok, but the original one received before signing in to TextSecure remains in this state.

[Prillan]

This happens for me directly after an update (the last 3 at least).

I just press the padlock symbol (in the notification area) to clear the password cache and then enter the password again.

[darkwisperer]

This happens occasionally to me too. (just yesterday on V.0.9.9.8) on Android 4.1.1, Motorola Atrix HD. Phone was on and TextSecure was locked. When I entered my password the new message stayed encrypted for an hour or so and then it became a bad encrypted message.

[ryancdotorg]

I just had this happen in TextSecure 1.0.6, Android 4.4.2 KOT49H, Nexus 5. Phone was powered on but the screen was off, passphrase is disabled (phone is full-device encrypted), and the sender was not using TextSecure. I killed the running TextSecure tasks and the message became readable when I re-opened TextSecure.

[dserodio]

This just happened with TextSecure 2.0.1, Android 4.4.2, Nexus 5. After killing the TextSecure process and opening it again it was able to open the SMS. The sender of these messages doesn't have TextSecure installed, I'm not using full device encryption and I don't have a passphrase set in TextSecure.

[moxie0]

@dserodio did it happen on the first start after an upgrade?

[dserodio]

@moxie0 Yes, it did. I'll comment here in case it happens again.

[moxie0]

Got it, we'll look into that.

[sebfisch]

This happens to me occasionally when receiving normal (unencrypted) SMS. Last time when it happened, I closed the app by swiping it out of the recent apps menu. After reopening it, the previously stuck message was shown. I did not set-up a password.

I am on CM maguro nightly for Galaxy Nexus (11-2014220-NIGHTLY-maguro) and I set-up whisper-push prior to installing TextSecure 2.0.3.

[moxie0]

@sebfisch We should have a fix in the next release.

[osdiab]

Just tried sending a picture via MMS to one of my friends through a secure conversation, he sent one to me, both of us never could decrypt the other's MMS. :P Is this still in the pipeline @moxie0 ?

[generalmanager]

@osdiab Is it showning the "decrypting, please wait message" or are you maybe having this problem (which is generally not an MMS issue): https://github.com/WhisperSystems/TextSecure/issues/1432

AFAIK the "traditional" problem with decrypting messages was indeed fixed a long time ago, but there are several problems with MMS which still break things.

[skibbipl]

@generalmanager Yesterday I recieved 2 normal SMS, and they failed to decrypt. This issue is definitely not solved :( Any tips hot to decrypt them?

[patcon]

This seems to only affect SMS/MMS when they are candidates for encryption, which is deprecated.

This can probably be closed.

[itys]

Issue persists, request this not be closed as TextSecure is the default SMS app for most TextSecure / Signal users. While SMS encryption may be deprecated, TS still needs to be able to properly handle unencrypted SMS.

Scenario

• Phone on airplane mode
• Normal, non TextSecure SMS' sent and cached by the network
• SMS' received when phone set out of airplane mode
• Several "Decrypting, please wait..." messages unable to be read

Troubleshooting steps taken

• Lock TextSecure and unlock
• Reboot device
• Run updates to ensure latest version of TextSecure

Debug log submitted

[rhodey]

@itys you're saying that before the airplane mode changes you had no Decrypting, please wait... messages, and then after disabling airplane mode you received SMS messages and had multiple Decrypting, please wait... messages? Are there one per message? Is this is one or multiple conversations?

that would be super surprising as we've heard of nothing like this months, possibly years.

[itys]

@rhodey Multiple per message and multiple conversations as shown in the debug log. I appreciate your cautious doubt and surprise - however, yes, this has happened a couple times over the past month.

[arleslie]

Just had this happen on v3.18.3. I opened the app as the notification appeared even though the message was sent minutes before. Locking and unlocking the app fixed it.

Note, this was also a pushed message, not sms.

[automated-signal]

GitHub Issue Cleanup: See #7598 for more information.