ONYX v1.2-beta - now actually comfortable to use

I’ve been working on ONYX for a while now, and v1.1 was honest about one thing — it was secure, but using it every day felt like a chore. This update is mostly me fixing that.

What’s new

  • File uploads now show a preview and progress.
  • Message forwarding — took longer than it should have, but it’s in
  • Keyword search across chats
  • Smooth send/receive animations — on by default if you search the settings, and I liked having them
  • Tap a reply to jump to the original message
  • Message pinning (local only for now — I want to add it for both sides in next patches)

Improved

  • LAN mode stability — this one was long overdue
  • General performance

Fixed

  • LAN mode connection issues
  • Various bug fixes

Still a lot to do.

If you want to follow what’s coming — there’s an update channel inside the app: 12e01467-c154-447b-84f8-133ae76684a1 (channel token)

https://github.com/wardcore-dev/onyx/releases/tag/v1.2-beta

Feedback in the comments is welcome.

    • wardcore@lemmy.worldOP
      1·
      1 day ago

      Yes, 16 characters minimum. Since there’s no phone number, no email, and no alternative recovery method - the password is the only thing protecting your account. A weak password with no fallback is a real risk, so I set the bar higher intentionally. It also reduces brute force viability. Passphrases are supported but currently not used for login - just the password for now.

      • dajoho@sh.itjust.works
        2·
        1 day ago

        That’s a shame. It was my reason for uninstalling. I don’t have a password manager on mobile so there is no chance of me remembering such a long password, so it would lead me to either writing it down on paper, or worse, sending it to myself via a messenger so I don’t need to type it in all the time, which I feel in all cases is less secure than having a shorter but more complicated password (maybe about 8 characters).

        I’m assuming other users may share my opinion, especially for a genre of app like a messenger, for which it is generally hard to convince people to install as they don’t want to leave their closed WhatsApp playpen.

        Maybe a solution which caters for both worlds could be considered: recommend 16 but accept and warn if someone types in a shorter one (with a minimum of 8)?

        • wardcore@lemmy.worldOP
          2·
          3 hours ago

          I understand it’s not for everyone. But the 16-character minimum is there for a reason — your password is the only key to your account, no fallbacks, no recovery via phone or email. That requires a strong password. There’s a built-in password generator in the app — one tap, cryptographically secure, 16 characters, done. Save it once and you won’t need to type it again. Think of it like a crypto wallet seed phrase — you store it once somewhere safe and that’s it. If the priority is speed over security, Telegram is a better fit. ONYX was built for people who actually care about privacy, and that comes with a slightly higher entry bar. That said, I’ll consider dropping the hard minimum to 8 characters with a strong recommendation to use 16 — so people have the choice but know the tradeoffs.