Confirm your device and identity

A new device must be confirmed before it can read your encrypted messages. You can do this with another signed-in device or with your recovery key.

Why do I have to confirm my device?

Confirming shows that the new device really belongs to you. Only a confirmed device gets access to your encrypted messages and can send encrypted messages itself.

Often this happens by itself: if Rasum finds your recovery key in the iCloud Keychain or your Google account, the device is confirmed automatically after you sign in. See Recovery key.

When does the app ask for confirmation?

The app asks after you sign in if the automatic recovery did not work. You then see “Confirm your digital identity” with three options:

“Use another device”
“Use recovery key”
“Can’t confirm?”

Android: If you skipped the confirmation, the note “Verify it’s you” appears in the chat list.

Confirm a device with another device

With another device, you confirm by comparing emojis. The other device must be signed in to Rasum and already confirmed itself. This also works between iPhone and Android.

On the new device, tap “Use another device”.
Open Rasum on your other device.
A request appears on the other device (iPhone: “Verification requested”). Accept it.
Both devices show “Compare emojis” with a row of emojis.
Check whether the emojis are the same on both devices.
If they are the same, confirm on both devices (iPhone: “They match”).

After that, the app shows “Device verified”. The new device can now read your encrypted messages.

If the comparison does not work, the app shows an error message, for example “Verification failed”. Then start the process again. Make sure both devices have an internet connection.

Confirm a device with the recovery key

Tap “Use recovery key”.
Enter your recovery key in the “Enter…” field.
Confirm.

If it works, the device is confirmed. If you make a typing mistake, “Incorrect recovery key” appears. More about this under Enter the recovery key.

Reset your identity

Resetting your digital identity is the last resort. Only use it if you no longer have another confirmed device and you have lost your recovery key.

You reach it through “Can’t confirm?” or through “Forgot your recovery key?”. The app then shows “Can’t confirm? You’ll need to reset your digital identity.”

What happens when you reset:

Your account details, contacts, settings and the list of chats are kept.
You lose earlier messages if they are only stored on the server.
You have to confirm all your devices and contacts again.

How to reset:

Tap “Continue reset”.
Follow the next steps. iPhone: The app takes you to your account page at rasum.chat. You confirm the reset there.

After that, Rasum automatically creates a new recovery key.

What do the icons in the header of a direct chat mean?

In the header of a direct chat, an icon can appear next to the name.

Badge with check mark: The other person is verified.
iPhone: filled circle with i: The other person has reset their digital identity.
Android: red exclamation mark in a circle: The verified identity of the other person has changed.

If a verified person has reset their identity, the chat shows a note like “…’s digital identity was reset.” This happens, for example, when the person has set up a new device without a recovery key. If in doubt, ask the person through another channel whether everything is fine.

The app does not send messages to such a person at first. The app then explains the reason and offers “Withdraw verification and send”. It is similar when a verified person has not confirmed all their devices: then the app offers “Send message anyway”. More about this under Message is not sent.

Can I verify other people?

iPhone: This is not possible in the app. The app shows the note “Use the web app to verify this user.”