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Evgeny @ SimpleX Chat
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* docs: user guide for the 7.1 apps * docs, website: guide order, badge benefits, message expiry; soft line breaks on the site * docs: guide videos for the first profile, invitations, joining and the address * docs: guide screens with the iPhone status bar * docs: guide shows full and cut screens only * docs: guide pages corrected in place, keeping master's structure * docs: group chat and SimpleX address pictures in the iPhone frame * docs: plainer wording in the guide * docs: guide checked against how SimpleX explains its features * docs: guide answers on profiles, channel privacy, SOCKS and names * docs: android guide picture from the emulator in the pixel 7 frame
100 lines
4.2 KiB
Markdown
100 lines
4.2 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: Managing data
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---
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# Managing data
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## Automatic message deletion
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To delete messages from your local chat database after a set period of time,
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open [the app settings](./app-settings.md#opening-the-app-settings), tap **Chat
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data** and choose the period in **Delete messages after**.
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**Please note**: This option does not delete messages for other users, only for you. This option is set independently for each chat profile.
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To set a different period for one chat, choose it in **Delete messages after**
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in the chat info.
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## Chat database
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To open your chat database settings:
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- [Open the app settings](./app-settings.md#opening-the-app-settings).
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- Tap **Chat data**, then **Database passphrase & export**.
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### Database passphrase
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<img src="./images/managing-data-passphrase.png" alt="Database passphrase screen on iOS with Save passphrase in Keychain turned on" width="300">
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By default, database passphrase is random, you have to set it manually to be able to export it.
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To set your own passphrase, tap **Database passphrase**, enter it in **New
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passphrase…** and **Confirm new passphrase…**, and tap **Update database
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passphrase**. To change a passphrase that you set before, also enter it in
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**Current passphrase…**.
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The app saves the passphrase on the device, in iOS Keychain, in Android Keystore,
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or in the app settings as plaintext on desktop. After you set your own
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passphrase, you can turn off **Save passphrase in Keychain** (iOS), **Save
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passphrase in Keystore** (Android) or **Save passphrase in settings** (desktop).
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The app then asks for the passphrase each time it starts, and notifications on
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iOS and Android are limited (see
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[Notifications](./notifications.md#notifications-and-the-database-passphrase)).
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On desktop, a passphrase that you set at the first start is not saved. A lost
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passphrase cannot be recovered.
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### App data backup
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The app data is not saved in iOS backups, and Android backup is turned off for
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the app. To keep a copy of your data, [export the database](#export-database)
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regularly: importing an old copy may disrupt your conversations with some
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contacts.
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### Export database
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Here you can export the chat database to a file. The file also contains your
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files and the app settings. The app stops the chat to export the database, and
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the chat stays stopped after the export. To start it again, turn on the toggle
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under **Run chat**.
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### Import database
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Here you can import the chat database from a file. Your current chat database is
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deleted and replaced with the imported one. When the chat starts again, the app
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asks for the passphrase of the imported database.
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### Delete database
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Here you can delete your chat database. All your SimpleX Chat data will be lost,
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unless you have just exported the chat database.
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## Delete files and media
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<img src="./images/managing-data-chat-data.png" alt="Chat data screen on iOS with Delete messages after, Database passphrase and export, and Delete all files" width="300">
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You can delete all sent and received files and media stored in the app with
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**Delete all files** in **Chat data**, without deleting the messages. When you
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have several chat profiles, the button is **Delete files for all chat
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profiles**.
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## Migrate to another device
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You can move all your chat profiles, contacts, messages and files to a new
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device. The app encrypts them and uploads them in chunks to your XFTP file
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servers.
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1. On the old device, open [the app
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settings](./app-settings.md#opening-the-app-settings) and tap **Migrate to
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another device**. The app stops the chat. Set a database passphrase, or
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confirm the one you set before, and tap **Archive and upload**. When the
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upload completes, the app shows a QR code and a link.
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2. On the new device, install the app and tap **Get started** (iOS and Android)
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or **Create your profile** (desktop). Tap **Migrate** (**Migrate from another
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device** on desktop) at the top of the screen. Scan the QR code (iOS and
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Android) or paste the link, then enter the database passphrase and tap **Open
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chat**.
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3. When the new device shows **Chat migrated!**, tap **Finalize migration** on
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the old device, then **Delete database from this device**.
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Do not use the same database on two devices. It breaks the decryption of
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messages from your connections.
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