Can't connect session to key backup, leading to lost keys

[schildbach]

Steps to reproduce

• Go to Safety & Privacy settings
• Encryption→Secure Backup says: "This session is not backing up your keys, but you do have an existing backup you can restore from and add to going forward. Connect this session to key backup before signing out to avoid losing any keys that may only be on this session."
• Click "Connect this session to Key Backup"
• It restores the keys from the backup. (Why? I'd expect to actually backup my keys to the backup, rather than restoring from it.)
• After the process is finished, nothing has changed. Encryption→Secure Backup still says: "This session is not backing up your keys, but you do have an existing backup you can restore from and add to going forward. Connect this session to key backup before signing out to avoid losing any keys that may only be on this session."

Outcome

What did you expect?

A message like "This session is backing up your keys"

What happened instead?

"This session is not backing up your keys"

Operating system

Ubuntu 22.04.1

Application version

1.11.10

How did you install the app?

flatpak install flathub im.riot.Riot

Homeserver

Synapse 1.68.0

Will you send logs?

Yes

[dbkr]

I strongly suspect this won't be actionable without logs.

[schildbach]

I just sent logs.

[schildbach]

I just retested on Element 1.11.13 and Synapse 1.71.0. It's still not working as expected – backup cannot be enabled.

[schildbach]

I just retested on Element 1.11.14 – this time on the webapp. t's still not working as expected – the backup cannot be enabled and the keys are lost on logout.

[schildbach]

I just retested on Element 1.11.15 and Synapse 1.72.0 – same issue.

[schildbach]

…and I sent debug logs again, just in case.

[AIlkiv]

I had the same problem.
Solving:

1. "Export E2E room keys"
2. In section "Secure Backup" click "Reset" for create new backup.
3. "Import E2E room keys"

Result, I have correct message "This session is backing up your keys."

[mrx23dot]

Can we make backup/restore automatic/seamless?

It's so annoying that I have to micromanage the encryption itself, we all got better things to do in life.
Not whatsapp/signal/wire require us to do the same for e2ee, they just work out of the box.

It's totally fine not to see history before the point I joined a room, but I shouldn't need to do anything to see everything after.

[valynor]

I have the same issue as OP.
Element version: 1.11.30
Olm version: 3.2.12

Despite the message suggesting that keys are not backed up properly everything is working fine on all of my 4 sessions.
This is only on element-web, on iPhone and iPad it says that it's backing up the keys from the session.

[sascha-wi]

Same issue here.

Element version: 1.11.31
Olm version: 3.2.14

On linux. When trying to "connect this session to key backup" it gives some kind of progress with count of 400 something being reached and "Keys restored Sucsessfully restored 491 keys". Clicking ok dialog disappears. But reopening security setting still says "this session is not backing up your keys"

[valynor]

Element-Web 1.11.37 on two different Macs, still the same issue:
"This session is not backing up your keys"

Just to check if this would change something I logged out & deleted the desktop session completely from browser storage.
Logged in, verified .. same issue: "This session is not backing up your keys".
My two iOS sessions on two devices on the same account as above back up fine.

I think this should get some priority getting fixed, it's very confusing to say the least.

[sevenrats]

Losing conversations to this bug. Very disappointing. It appears that having a second session open and in sync can function as a workaround though. For example, my android device is properly connected to key backup, so if my Android is in sync when I log out of desktop, then the keys will be backed up properly by the Android device and can be restored to the desktop by verification. However, if the Android is not in sync when I log out of desktop, keys and conversations are lost. This is very inconvenient, but certainly a much better workaround than manual key management.

[sascha-wi]

Element version: 1.11.59
Crypto version: Rust SDK 0.7.0 (fac36bc), Vodozemac 0.5.1

Under cryptography in Settings -> Security & Privacy it still shows "Session key: "

[richvdh]

Duplicate of #26530, I think