"Verify to continue messaging" endlessly

[bedub1]

• I have searched open and closed issues for duplicates
• I am using Signal-Desktop as provided by the Signal team, not a 3rd-party package.

---

Bug Description

Signal on Desktop won't stop displaying "verify to continue messaging"

Steps to Reproduce

1. Open Signal
2. click "Continue"
3. Solve the captcha's
4. click "open signal"
5. Nothing happens
6. click "open signal"
7. Nothing happens

Actual Result:

nothing happens

Expected Result:

Error in signal goes away

Platform Info

Signal Version:

Operating System:

Linked Device Version:

6.20.2

Link to Debug Log

https://debuglogs.org/desktop/6.20.2/3a24b54b70a06c382640c36b514520070950c0ac89f82b3d984a6c44952623bb.gz

[scottnonnenberg-signal]

Hey there - sorry you're having trouble. We've identified a problem on Windows with the length of the URLs we try to open from the captcha page to open Desktop. A workaround right now is to choose to copy the URL from the captcha page instead of clicking the button. Then you can start Signal Desktop with Signal.exe <URL> from the Command-line (you can also make a shortcut to do this) and things should work. You'll probably need to close Signal Desktop first before doing this.

For the future, we're working on a solution on our side.

[bedub1]

Looks like I declined to successfully complete the captcha enough times, it's stopped asking me, and also stopped sending messages. Is there some way to trigger it again?

[andreas-hurka]

I am experiencing a similar issue and I am not entirely sure whether this is the correct place to write about it:
#6455 describes a similar issue but the workarounds do not work for me, same issue when using firefox or command line
#5910 is on Linux (as am I) but has been closed
This issue concerns windows…

Anyways, in hopes that this finds the right recipient:
My signal-desktop install (on OpenSUSE Tumbleweed KDE, most likely a third party package) prompts me to verify to continue messaging. clicking verify opens a page with a simple captcha, completing that tries to open a url starting with http://signalcaptcha//signal-hcaptcha.. Firefox assumes that this is a normal webpage and fails to open it, Chromium sees that it wants to open signal and asks whether I allow that, agreeing to that opens the url in Firefox.
So I thought I'd try to temporarily set Signal as my default webbrowser. Clicking the link then opens signal, but it still asks me to verify this.
Copying the link and running signal-desktop [url] also does not work.

Is there any workaround to use while a solution (like a text field to paste a key into) is (hopefully) being worked on?

[scottnonnenberg-signal]

@andreas-hurka The URL you need to start Desktop with starts with signalcatpcha:// - it's a custom protocol URL which is generated at the end of the captcha process, which does happen in your normal browser.

Essentially: You do want to open the captcha site in your default browser.

[andreas-hurka]

The URL you need to start Desktop with starts with signalcatpcha://

Ah, thank you. So I was missing two things. For those running into similar issues and being as slow as I am:

• replace the beginning http://signalcaptcha// with signalcaptcha://
• when running signal-desktop [modified url] makee sure signal is running.
  That seems to solve it, at least for me. (Why it adds http:// is beyond me…)

[trevor-signal]

Looks like I declined to successfully complete the captcha enough times, it's stopped asking me, and also stopped sending messages. Is there some way to trigger it again?

@bedub1 if you are trying to send a message and it can't send due to needing a captcha, we should be showing the dialog. Is this still happening? If so, can you share a debug log after you try to send a message?

[lonnic]

temporary workaround:
When I solve the signal captcha puzzle, I obtain the link: "Open Signal..."
right click / copy address, similar to:

signalcaptcha://signal-hcaptcha.5fad97a......

then
in the terminal I give:

/usr/local/bin/signal-desktop "signalcaptcha://signal-hcaptcha.5fad97ac-7d06-4e44-b18 .... "

I let signal-desktop open the signalcaptcha:// link ...

I hope this helps. I tried also to modify xdg-mime types with no success ...

[beamdee]

I've been struggling for a while with this and finally took the time to look into it, here's what works for me, on linux, desktop:

• Open signal-desktop
• Wait for the prompt to verify your messages
• Click it so it opens in your browser (my case it was chrome based)
• Solve the captcha
• Copy the resulting signalcaptcha://link
• Close signal-desktop
• Run /opt/Signal/signal-desktop '<signalcatpcha://link you copied>'

Signal should open and not ask you (don't know for how long)

<rant>
This should be handled within signal and not via an external provider. It should not be based on client IP but on user, if there's no reason to think the user spammed then the user didn't spam. Blah.
We are living on an internet where source IPs (and hopefully dst IPs) change all the time. VPNs should be transparent. We should help the people.
</rant>

Update: it fails again, signal-desktop is currently unusable for me.
Update2: seems to be hit and miss, I experimented a bit with timings, having the app running or not, every time running /opt/Signal/signal-desktop '<signalcaptcha://link you copied>'. Sometimes it works, doesn't seem consistent, last time it ran successfully it was when I ^Z signal-desktop and then ran a second instance with the signal-captcha argument and then fg the first instance. That seemed to work. TBC

[beamdee]

And off-topic comment, feature request, multiple profiles!! Username per group/conversation! Thanks!

[GitWithIt09]

Similar/same problem. I, also, am no longer being challenged. Message just hangs with the sending indicator spinning, then way after that I get a "Send failed" with a circled exclamation point, both the circle and the exclamation point in red.

Debug log after latest attempt to send (no challenge issued): https://debuglogs.org/desktop/6.40.0/d4165f5d81f5e17ebe7dfdd5ce22a0ae3a37999b198feeaf3d3996069dfc8491.gz

Prior debug log (I think that this was after a successfully completed challenge that just threw me back to Signal with the challenge message displayed): https://debuglogs.org/desktop/6.40.0/5a5b0c82028f1f48f9bbdd7536045ba2c2353c94823484e26be4b3acf6dbb59e.gz

Note that I successfully answered the challenge multiple times but kept getting the Signal challenge message when I was returned to Signal. Note also that I can't try the workarounds suggested above, because I don't get the challenge message anymore. Note, finally, that is is really cutting into my productivity. I need to contact these people but just can't.

[GitWithIt09]

Quitting Signal brings back the "Verify to continue messaging" message.
Click Continue
Firefox opens to captcha webpage.
Solve captcha
Automatic switch to Signal where I see the "Verify to continue messaging" message again

Debug log: https://debuglogs.org/desktop/6.40.0/46159cda0ce338ba8150aeb57cb6c4c5842e4316f737f271642c40dca39aabbd.gz

Can't try the workaround, because I set FF up to go to Signal automatically. If someone can tell me how to undo that I'll give the workaround a shot.

[t3k4y]

Anyways, in hopes that this finds the right recipient: My signal-desktop install (on OpenSUSE Tumbleweed KDE, most likely a third party package) prompts me to verify to continue messaging. clicking verify opens a page with a simple captcha, completing that tries to open a url starting with http://signalcaptcha//signal-hcaptcha.. Firefox assumes that this is a normal webpage and fails to open it, Chromium sees that it wants to open signal and asks whether I allow that, agreeing to that opens the url in Firefox. So I thought I'd try to temporarily set Signal as my default webbrowser. Clicking the link then opens signal, but it still asks me to verify this. Copying the link and running signal-desktop [url] also does not work.

Is there any workaround to use while a solution (like a text field to paste a key into) is (hopefully) being worked on?

I am running Signal Desktop 7.10.0 on Linux Mint and the issue is still occuring.
Workaround via commandline not working..

[scottnonnenberg-signal]

@t3k4y When you say that the workaround is not working, what do you mean exactly? When you try to finish a captcha, nothing happens in Signal Desktop at all? Or something else?

[t3k4y]

@t3k4y When you say that the workaround is not working, what do you mean exactly? When you try to finish a captcha, nothing happens in Signal Desktop at all? Or something else?

I am successfully solving the captcha and signal is getting the focus (window is changing to signal), the challenge popup does not close, instead it maybe reloads (turns 'inactive' for a little while) and than shows the initial prompt to resolve captcha again..

[t3k4y]

ok, that was yesterday.
i just tried it again and after solving the challenge popup disappeared. :-)
So i cannot reproduce anymore :-/

[bootlegcoal]

Having the same issue. Win 11 build 22631, Signal desktop 7.14.0, running a vpn thu PIA, Librewolf as default browser

[scottnonnenberg-signal]

@bootlegcoal Would you consider providing your debug log (View -> Debug Log)? Additionally, anything you can say about your recent messaging behavior would help us understand what's going on. Thanks!

[bootlegcoal]

@scottnonnenberg-signal recent messaging behavior--nothing out of the ordinary.

https://debuglogs.org/desktop/7.14.0/e544efcd3fb447efa9251d1664b409357775fe010fad2403d25addb12e8d124e.gz

ty!

[stephen-huan]

@scottnonnenberg-signal see my comment in #6892 (comment). Sorry that all the issues are scattered around!

[blanchardjeremy]

As this thread seems to be more active, I'm going to mention my situation here:

I get stuck in the infinite verification loop whenever I have my VPN turned on.

Debug log - created immediately after experiencing the issue.

Version: MacOS Desktop 7.18.0

I was able to solve the infinite loop by doing the following:

1. Closing Signal
2. Turning off my VPN (and leaving it off for a couple minutes just in case)
3. Turning signal on
4. Completing the verification CAPTCHA
5. It didn't go into an infinite loop of captchas in that case. I have yet to see how long this will last or what will happen after I turn the VPN back on.

I use PortonVPN.

[blanchardjeremy]

Related issues: This seems to be a fairly widespread issue: #6038, #6803, #6455, #6892, #6785