There is a catch. Account is lost after the app crashed.

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    I tried to set up Threema on my old Windows Phone running Windows 8.1, which is not my primary phone. It worked well at first so I invited my friends and convinced them to buy the app. Everything worked smoothly for one month (apart from minor things, like the app always struggled to send pictures and video in the proper proportions and tended to put the picture on its side). But the major problem happened just yesterday when the app reported me that it crashed. I restarted the app and never got access to my account again because it offered me to create account anew or restore from a backup, but the backup didn't exist because it is not created by default.

    I did not know that backup was needed, and that it was needed not only for data but for ID and contact list, too, and that I needed to manually set it up. I did not know it because it was not clear from the description of the service. So I ran into this very likely mistake. It was a trap. I read FAQ and understood that I lost the access to my account forever because of the app crash. My account is still shown to my friends like it is still active and receiving messages. It is a bit confusing. If my access to the account cannot be restored, is there at least a way to delete it? I wrote to Threema support, but got no response. No robot response, no registered number for the support ticket. Nothing. I understand that their support simply doesn't exist. What do I do?

    First of all: the Threema support exists, responeded and already helped me and other people.

    Second: Threema is built with a view on privacy. There are as less things stored on their server as they like to. So your ID, contacts, messages etc. are all stored locally on your device only (and messages of course on your chat partners devices with whom you wrote). If you do not want to loose access to your account (which is your ID and your private key to that ID), you should have created at least an ID backup (if possible on Windows Phone, but I think it is).

    Even if you didn't do any data backup, you may have setup Threema Safe, which will backup your ID, private key, contacts, groups and some things more but NO media nor messages.

    Do you remember setting up Threema Safe (which was implemented in the latest Windows Phone update to allow users changing to iOS or Android)?

    With that you type in your Threema ID and your password to restore access to your account/ID on this device.

    If you didn't set a revocation password within the app as it was still operating, you can't delete your ID. It will be shown inactive to all who have you in their contact list within the next weeks.

    Did you set up Threema Safe as mentioned above? As far as I know, setting up Thema Safe is suggested during the installation procedure of Threema since a couple of months ago. Maybe you set it up back then using a standard password and forgot about that? If so, you’re lucky and you may restore almost everything except for the chat contents.


    good luck!

    Andy

    Zitat von sergeykofanov

    I restarted the app and never got access to my account again because it offered me to create account anew or restore from a backup, but the backup didn't exist because it is not created by default.

    Many people don't realize that Threema does not work with "accounts". There's no central storage of your keys or your data on a server. This is a privacy feature that differenciates Threema from most other apps where you can just "log in" with your phone number or email address and get all your data back.

    Zitat
    I did not know that backup was needed, and that it was needed not only for data but for ID and contact list, too, and that I needed to manually set it up. I did not know it because it was not clear from the description of the service.

    The setup process explains the need of a backup in the first screen after the ID has been generated. Quote:

    "All you need to chat is stored only on your device. You don't have an account with us and we cannot help you out if you lose your phone or accidentally delete your data. Threema Safe creates automatic backups of all the important data, including your keys, your contact list and your group memberships, anonymously on a secure server of your choice."

    If you do not enable Threema Safe there is an extra confirmation step:

    "Do you really want to continue without enabling Threema Safe?"

    I know it's a lot of text and many users just skip it over assuming it works the same way as the other apps which collect as much peronal data as they can.

    Anyway, if you enabled Threema Safe, try to remember the password and restore your ID, otherwise you'd have to create a new ID. Revoke the old one if you setup a revocation password. If you cannot revoke is, it will be shown as "inactive" (greyed out) in other people's contact list after some time.