FAQ

Here you will find answers to frequently asked questions.

General

Section titled General
  • How can I reset my password?

    Please contact the IT support of your organization or authority.

  • I forgot my recovery key – what can I do?

    The recovery key can not be restored and not reset by IT support. More information can be found in the section “Security and Privacy”.
    If you forgot the recovery key and want to set up BundesMessenger on a new or additional device, this is still possible. A step-by-step guide can be found at the end of the “First Steps” section.

  • How can I use BundesMessenger on a new device?

    A step-by-step guide can be found at the end of the “First Steps” section.

  • Can I change my display name?

    Unfortunately, this is not possible, in order to avoid having too many Bill Gates, Kilroys, or Captain Futures.

  • Why can’t I read all messages in the chat history of rooms?

    Depending on the settings in your organization, you may only be able to read messages from the time you were invited to a chat room.

  • Where can I see on which devices I am logged in?

    As soon as you log into BundesMessenger again, this login will be saved as a new session in your profile. In the settings under “Security” you can view and manage your active sessions, i.e., on which devices you are logged in. Here you can also log out from old devices on which you no longer use BundesMessenger.

Cryptography

Section titled Cryptography
  • Why does the problem “Unable to decrypt” occur?

    The “Unable to decrypt” (UTD) issue can have numerous causes that are not always easy to identify. Sources of error can be found both on the client side – the apps of the sender and receiver – and on the server side (such as multi-device handling, key backup, or within the Matrix protocol). Extensive discussions and further information can be found under UTD MetaIssue GitHub. We are working closely with Element to identify the causes of these problems and reduce their occurrence to a minimum. Through our initiative, a unified, cross-platform SDK structure based on Rust with a comprehensive cryptography library has been established. In combination with extensive testing, this has already led to a significant reduction in UTD cases.

  • Will “Unable to decrypt” disappear completely with the introduction of MLS?

    We aim to permanently resolve the “Unable to decrypt” issue with MLS. At the same time, the Merkle-tree-based key distribution in MLS should enable significantly higher performance in group chats, thereby greatly reducing the chances of “UTD”. However, when introducing new cryptographic procedures, initial hurdles are usually to be expected, which is why we cannot guarantee an immediate and complete solution to this problem. But we are optimistic :)

  • When will MLS be available in BundesMessenger?

    We currently plan to introduce the first MLS functions in BundesMessenger by the end of 2026 and test them together with users, i.e., you. Although we have already made significant progress, unforeseen challenges may arise during the technical implementation, making it difficult to provide an exact timeline. However, we will regularly report on progress, as our goal is to make MLS available to a wide user base as quickly as possible. #SecurityForAll

  • Will federated communication with messengers outside of Matrix be possible via MLS?

    Federated communication with other BundesMessenger instances and also other messengers based on MLS is generally intended, but realistically will not be feasible until 2027 at the earliest. Currently, there is no binding protocol for server-side interoperability with MLS, which is why various concepts are under development. A promising approach here could be the IETF standard “More Instant Messaging Interoperability” (MIMI), although its concrete specification is still open.