Feature request for TextSecure: Unread count on icon

[Falkvinge]

When I'm pushing TextSecure onto friends and family to spread adoption of encrypted communications, the showstopper is the lack of an unread messages count on the icon, like all other messaging apps have today.

When I send text messages to my mother, she will never read them, because when she turns her phone on, TextSecure won't show on her home screen as "1 unread message" with a little red circled "1" on the TextSecure icon. Drawing from UX from all other messaging apps today, the lack of such a number will instead indicate "nothing unread".

I understand such an indicator is a privacy leak, but it's also an adoption showstopper to take TextSecure beyond the hardcore carers for cryptography, and by extension, even the ability for people like ourselves to communicate securely with friends and family (since they won't use TextSecure).

Cheers, Rick

[RyanDawkins]

I thought this was something launchers did.. Not sure though :\

[Falkvinge]

For reference, I have been using TextSecure on a stock Samsung Galaxy Note, on a Galaxy S4 Mini, and on WhisperCore, and they all behave the same. Maybe there's a launcher API hook missing?

[Falkvinge]

Today, since my mom won't see the messages I send her over TextSecure, I have to fall back to Facebook Messaging instead, which is awful from a crypto and privacy standpoint :/

Just one example of how the lack of unread count is blocking adoption (at least, from my field of view).

[moxie0]

Your mom doesn't see the notifications in the notification bar?

On 08/26/2013 09:03 AM, Falkvinge wrote:

Today, since my mom won't see the messages I send her over TextSecure, I have to fall back to Facebook Messaging instead, which is awful from a crypto and privacy standpoint :/

— Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub https://github.com/WhisperSystems/TextSecure/issues/321#issuecomment-23274035.

http://www.thoughtcrime.org

[Falkvinge]

The messages do appear in the notification bar, but nobody I know actually uses that, me included: it's way too cluttered. (The only exception is if a message happens to come in while I happen to be watching the phone so I can read the message in the notification bar.)

Further, I could not conceivably justify and teach friends/family that "from now on, you must actively check the notifications to see if you have any messages rather than just glancing at the screen". I'm not sure I could even teach my parents to do that, when all other messaging apps follow the pattern of the unread counter.

[n7ekb]

I am finding the lack of an unread message count an adoption roadblock also. I end up sending a parallel clear-text message using the stock app begging the recipients to check their TextSecure messages. They ignore their notification bar for the same reasons other's have posted. The stock messaging app also has a "Message alert repetition" option which eventually gets the user's attention to unread messages if they aren't in the habit of looking at their phone...

[Falkvinge]

Hi people, any progress or thoughts on this? It's even blocking usage _forme as I don't see when people have messaged me, and I continue to see this as a major uptake blocker.

The CyanogenMod news was great, and such apps using TextSecure as a transport will have proper indicators, but most people will blankly refuse when you ask them if you can reflash their phone to CyanogenMod, so that standalone app will be needed for quite some time more.

[moxie0]

It's on the list. If you have time to take a shot at it yourself and send a pull request, feel free.

On 12/09/2013 09:32 PM, Falkvinge wrote:

Hi people, any progress or thoughts on this? It's even blocking usage /for/me_ as I don't see when people have messaged me, and I continue to see this as a major uptake blocker.

The CyanogenMod news was great, and such apps using TextSecure as a transport will have proper indicators, but most people will blankly refuse when you ask them if you can reflash their phone to CyanogenMod, so that standalone app will be needed for quite some time more.

— Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub https://github.com/WhisperSystems/TextSecure/issues/321#issuecomment-30200909.

http://www.thoughtcrime.org

[moxie0]

This isn't actually a feature supported by Android. Are you running TouchWiz or something? It seems there's a proprietary/hidden Samsung API you can use to add badges on some devices running TouchWiz. Is that what you want?

[ail1020]

I don't get an unread icon badge either. I'm using a samsung GS4 from verizon. It doesn't show on TouchWiz or Nova Launcher (I use Nova Launcher, but switched back to TouchWiz to check if it worked there).

[Prillan]

I've found two ways to implement this, one for Sony devices and one for Samsung.

Sony: http://marcusforsberg.net/blog/android-notification-badge-app-icon-sony/ Samsung: https://github.com/shafty023/SamsungBadger

The alternative is to create a 1x1 widget for this that can be used on all other devices.

[joeykrim]

@Prillan The links with code for Sony and Samsung are super helpful! Adding code for each specific launcher might create a bit of a maintenance burden in the future, especially given the feature isn't an official Android feature and any of the launchers could change the badge feature breaking support. Also, the specific launcher approach only reaches a portion of TextSecure users.

The suggested 1x1 widget approach seems to be a more ideal solution as there shouldn't be as much future maintenance given it is an official Android feature.

Are users, such as somebody's mother, who was mentioned previously, familiar with adding widgets? Is requiring users to understand widgets a reasonable trade off for reducing the potential future maintenance burden and being able to support a wider target audience?

[n7ekb]

I agree that the 1x1 widget approach seems to be the best solution for now given its status as an official Android feature. Grandma may need assistance in setting the widget up, but once setup correctly, such a widget would fill the need for lasting visual notification of pending messages.

[SevenFactors]

Just adding my 2 cents to this conversation for I too would like to see support for unread message count.

I use Apex Launcher Pro with the respective Apex notification addon. I've set it up so TextSecure is the SMS app to be used to display the unread count notification but this never works. Every other application supported by the Apex Pro notifier displays the counter just fine: Battery, Gmail, Phone Calls...

Perhaps there is some API connections missing between TextSecure and Android that would allow for such feature to become functional thus better integrating TextSecure with Android. For example, the one feature I miss from the stock android messaging app [at least that found in JellyBean] is the New SMS message notification on the lock screen. On the included image you can see the missed call lock screen missed call notification. The stock android SMS app had this same capability. It would be so sweet if TextSecure could do such thing.

Another missed feature of the stock android SMS app is the ability to reject calls with a text message all from within the lock screen. It is very nice to be able to: Swipe up >> select text message >> sent. "I am in a meeting" when all you are doing is making an extra 10 minutes to try and survive in Dark Souls.

As for the OP, I can relate. From my experience the elderly youth don't pay attention to the icons on the notification bar. From my experience, to most of them, touching any of those icons might result in the long awaited but feared end of the world. Yet on iOS, no issues for the red counter lets them know of their 15 unread FWD FWD FWD: namehere.pps chain emails. I love my grandma ^^

[acetylyne]

Just commenting to keep the topic alive, I have just started using text secure, and I think it's awesome! However, I too, use the Apex Launcher Pro with the Notifier plugin and as SevenFactors stated, I have TextSecure set as the app to watch, but the badges / notifications don't show up.

I'm not sure if this is something that TextSecure isn't presenting or something that Apex isn't looking for (In the Apex settings, under Labs, they have a special selection for WhatsApp) But I will also put a comment in to the Apex devs.

[mistabob]

Hi Guys, today I could reproduce the issue with the missing sms / message counter. In fact, Textsecure itself is the problem. In my case, not only the counter of Textsecure was dead, even the counter for unread SMS/MMS didn't show up anymore. After I removed Textsecure from my phone and reinstalled the Notifier-Plugin for APEX, the counter was visible again. It seems, as if Textsecure somehow blocks the communication between SMS/MMS API and APEX. I hope, this info will lighten up the dark a bit ;-)

[patcon]

This library might be helpful. https://github.com/arturogutierrez/Badges

Small library to show badges in app icons for unread messages on most common manufacturers: LG, Sony, Samsung and HTC.

(Only Apex Launcher Pro has badges. It is paid, so I couldn't confirm bugs/behaviour.)

[agrajaghh]

@patcon a similar library is already included in TS: https://github.com/leolin310148/ShortcutBadger

[patcon]

:+1:

(got my issues mixed up and didn't mean to comment on closed one :)

[Brenhoist]

Wow this request is so old and still we have nothing. I am exactly in the same situation, people who I encouraged to install textsecure don't see any indication of icon on missed, unread count. Despite its security features it is useless in actual daily usage just because of the one absent feature-unread count on the icon.

[wizardofid]

@Brenhoist "... and still we have nothing..." What do you mean? This issue is closed. As mentioned by agrajaghh ShortcutBadger is included. The number of missed calls and messages is in fact shown on the icon at my Samsung S3. Therefore i think it is correct that this issue is closed. Maybe your problem is device-dependend. Then it might be best to open a separate issue for this.

[McLoo]

@Brenhoist you'll need a launcher that supports the badging. (e.g. stock android launchers like Samsung, Sony, ... or 3rd Party launchers. For details see https://github.com/leolin310148/ShortcutBadger)

Android's or CM's default launcher do not support that. (Without manipulating the icons themselves, which is not allowed)