[Feature request] Option for silent start

[leafcutterant]

• I have searched open and closed issues for duplicates

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Feature request

I'd like to request an option to have Signal started silently/quietly (meaning: when it is started, the window is not brought to the front, but remains minimized on the system tray once #1653 is implemented).

This could be achieved with a parameter command, which would already be great, but offering it as an option in Settings would be the most optimal.

My goal is to

1. have Signal start up with the system startup ([Wish] Option to start / boot with system startup #1653),
2. not coming to the foreground or appearing in any non-minimized way at all,
3. remaining on the system tray ([Electron] Minimize/Close to tray #1480).

This could be a step towards a seamless UX. 1) can be achieved with some tweaking, the other two can be achieved only by adding them as features.

I think this makes sense only once #1480 (being able to stay on the system tray) becomes implemented.

Related:

• [Electron] Minimize/Close to tray [Electron] Minimize/Close to tray #1480
• [Wish] Option to start / boot with system startup [Wish] Option to start / boot with system startup #1653

Platform info

Operating System: Windows 7 x64
Signal version: Desktop 1.0.35

[Vandroiy]

At least points 2 and 3 should be default behavior. Signal for Android is a background app that auto-starts on reboot and doesn't appear at all unless there's a message. Why should Signal desktop be the complete opposite?

Remaining in the tray is a requirement for use in productive environments. The taskbar is intended for tasks the user is working on; an idle messenger is not such a task and must not hog attention.

[vectorlit]

Completely agree; it takes up ~20% of space on my panel in XFCE. It's actually very difficult to use because of this.

[Nightfirecat]

(2) and (3) should now be possible via the --start-in-tray flag, ala #1676.

[vertigo220]

Personally, I prefer to have it pinned to the taskbar, so it's quick and easy to access and, more importantly, if I receive a text it will flash, so I'll see it when I get on the computer if I was away, whereas having it in the tray I won't see it. There should really be a start-minimized option as well. Or, at the very least, it should flash the pinned taskbar icon even when the program is only running in the tray.

[hiqua]

(2) and (3) should now be possible via the --start-in-tray flag, ala #1676.

and (1) can easily be done via the OS, so everything in this ticket has been implemented.

[MartinX3]

But I'm still missing the options to start with system startup and to start in tray.

[hiqua]

But I'm still missing the options to start with system startup and to start in tray.

You can look up "how to start an application on startup". This is not specific to Signal.

Starting in tray is done by using the --start-in-tray flag as mentioned before. You can look up "how to add a flag to application".

What's possibly missing the corresponding documentation.

[vertigo220]

(2) and (3) should now be possible via the --start-in-tray flag, ala #1676.

and (1) can easily be done via the OS, so everything in this ticket has been implemented.

Technically, yes, but as I said, an option to start minimized would still be preferable, so it can be set to start on system startup without having to manually minimize it every time and without having to start it in the tray, which to me is useless.

[MartinX3]

But I'm still missing the options to start with system startup and to start in tray.

You can look up "how to start an application on startup". This is not specific to Signal.

Starting in tray is done by using the --start-in-tray flag as mentioned before. You can look up "how to add a flag to application".

What's possibly missing the corresponding documentation.

Much things are possible by ourselves if we ignore the experience of the average computer user which only wants to use his computer to browse in the internet, do office stuff and view and backup his photos.
But do you really want to teach each user lacking experience how to add a terminal flag or how to add signal into the system startup while each other messenger applications exposes 2 checkboxes in the settings menu doing this job regardless of the underlying system (Windows, MacOS/Unix, Linux)?

[stale]

This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has not had recent activity. It will be closed if no further activity occurs. Thank you for your contributions.