meglio is unable to activate encrypted messages on their iPhone despite success on their laptop, encountering errors like ‘paper key incorrect’ or ‘key pair incorrect’ across multiple methods — including generating new paper keys, using the Discourse App, and importing key pairs. They tried multiple browsers (Brave, Safari) and even reinstalled the app, but activation fails only on mobile. Lilly couldn’t reproduce the issue and suggested checking case/spaces in keys or using Chrome, but meglio confirmed it works on their laptop in Safari — not on iPhone. anon36555649 speculated it might be device-specific or related to Lockdown Mode, though meglio excluded the site from Lockdown Mode. Others confirmed encryption works for them on the same Discourse instance, pointing to a possible iPhone-specific configuration issue. meglio notes the Discourse App likely uses Safari’s engine, yet it still fails. Finally, sam clarifies that Discourse Encrypt is deprecated and no longer supported on Meta, recommending a third-party plugin for future fixes. The issue remains unresolved for meglio on mobile, despite multiple troubleshooting steps.
Are there any scenarios where I would not be able to activate encrypted messages on my iPhone while they are already actived on my laptop?
I can’t manage to active my encrypted messages on iPhone no matter what I try: existing paper keys or create new paper keys.
What could I be doing wrong?
I tried using the Activate Another Device:
… but when entered the paper key in iPhone (in the Discourse App), it says The paper key you entered is incorrect.
I then tried to add more paper keys and use them directly in the mobile app:
… no luck, same error.
Finally, I even tried exporting/importing encrypted key pair:
… but returns an error as well: The key pair you entered is incorrect.
Hmmm, I cannot reproduce this. I just enabled encryption on my iphone 15 pro max without any issues using paper key generated on my Macbook. Did you try generating new paper keys on your laptop then using those? Be sure you are using same case and spaces in the key.
Yes, two times. Not working.
Also tried to log out from mobile and remove the site from the app entirely, then add it from sccratch. Nothing is working.
I have no more ideas what else to try.
Are you trying to do all this in the the hub app? try adding keys in chrome. edit - I don’t even think it’s possible to add paper key in hub app.
Tried both in the Brave browser and in the Hub app.
hmmm, I really don’t understand why it won’t work for you. I have encryption enabled on multiple Discourse instances with a number of Apple and Linux devices. I’ve just tested it by generating new paper keys and activating a new device without any issues. 
I’m not a Brave user so I don’t know if there are any browser configuration there that would affect this.
Tried in Safari, not working.
So how do we reproduct, identify, and fix the bug? What should I try next?
Please I need help with this, still can’t use encrypted messages on my phone.
I have tried to reproduce this many times and I cannot. I don’t know what it is about your configuration but something is not right obviously. I have enabled encryption on multiple devices on a few different Discourse instances.
Yes I understand that. Hence asking:
Can you try using a physical key instead of paper?
Do you mean this thing that I tried as one of the three various options? Or something else
That looks like a virtual/digital key system, not a physical cryptographic key that you can carry on a keychain.
I can try to test this to see if I experience the same problem, but if no one else experiences the same problem it may not be a bug but problem with the specific site that is happening with.
Physical keys can connect to phone with usb or blue tooth.
Other people on that same instance of Discourse can successfully do what fails for me with activating encrypted messages on the mobile phone. Does it direct the investigation in any way?
Are you an administrator or moderator for that site? If not you can just report this to them, but if it is working for all other members most likely would be a problem with your device configuration.
The recommendation to try with chrome could help, would start with that.
I’m the owner and admin of the site. I mean, I own the server root access.
Don’t even know what to look for. Any ideas?
I just tried in a different browser (Safari, while my main browser is Brave), and the “activating another device” worked just fine.
So looks like it is specific to my iPhone. But I don’t know what can be the root cause.
Can my iPhone’s Lockdown Mode be the reason?? What feature would it turn off that would prevent encrypted messages from working in Discourse?
NOTE: The Discourse instance domain is added as an excluded safari website in the “lockdown mode for websites” section in the Lockdown Mode section. So the site should not be affected by the lockdown mode I guess.
Great, glad you got that to work!
Am not familiar with the iphone lockdown system or integration for that with discourse.
If you have any other encrypted messaging or e-mail system to test with that could help to narrow down what is the issue.
huh? what did you do differently?
