Minimize to system tray is not minimizing to system tray, close does

[indig0F10w]

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

Bug Description

Minimize to system tray is not minimizing to system tray and when Minimize to system tray is checked the close button minimizes Signal to system tray instead of closing Signal

Steps to Reproduce (using numbered list as provided by Bug report team in create new issue)

1. Open Signal
2. File > Preferences > Check Minimize to system tray
3. Press minimize button or go to Window > Minimize or press CTRL+M

Actual Result:

Signal minimizes to taskbar

Expected Result:

Signal should minimize to system tray and not remain in taskbar
Close button should close Signal and not minimize it to system tray

Platform Info

Signal Version: 5.36.0

Operating System: Windows 10 Pro 21H2 19044.1620 x64

Debug log

https://debuglogs.org/desktop/5.36.0/1f01a60d7b1b92691ae735ffc5d6807b4de9c4060a8d8a6987d4fecb7a79c630.gz

[scottnonnenberg-signal]

It is currently behaving as designed - do you have any ideas for improved wording of our options?

[indig0F10w]

Usually, the minimize option by default is used to minimize software to taskbar. When adding minimize to system tray, it is expected for an app to be minimized to system tray and removed from taskbar. Then you have option to close to system tray which also removes app from taskbar but closes it to system tray. If close to tray is not checked, the close button should close the app.

As I am communicating with you and A.B. via email, I came to conclusion that you're using default Windows taskbar settings - always combine taskbar icons and always show system tray icons not enabled. Maybe even Linux or Mac with default combining to dock or whatever.

While this works for a lot of people, I do not like hidden icons or hidden window titles while only icons remain in a combined view. This results in somewhat restricted space on taskbar when a lot of apps are running.

This is when an option like minimize to system tray comes in handy.

As I was asked by A.B. to "tell him of another app that does not remain in the taskbar when minimized?" I had easy answers. For example, every app that has option to minimize to system tray never remains in taskbar after minimizing. I'll name just two of your direct competitors - Telegram and Viber.

The quickest "fix" would be to rename Minimize to system tray to Close to system tray. This would remove some discrepancy between naming but it is not really a fix because the user still has to enable Minimize to system tray just to get a system tray icon and not gain minimizing to tray functionality. User gains close to tray functionality instead of minimizing.

Sorry for the wall of text but I tried to explain as detailed as I can.

[mbeirouti]

This seems old and untouched. Any particular reason why? Either way can I give this a shot?

[scottnonnenberg-signal]

@mbeirouti What change do you plan to make?

[mbeirouti]

I'd like to clarify what the issue is - it seems like there are a couple according to @indig0F10w:

1. To get the system tray icon, one needs to enable the "Minimize to system tray" setting
2. Currently, the "Minimize to system tray" setting actually requires a user to press the close (red x) button in order to send the program to the system tray only and remove from the taskbar icon.

Honestly the current functionality is working as designed. I looked into three different apps to see how they behave with this setting.

1. Discord (A "Close Button" setting that minimizes to tray):
   

2. Battle.net (A dropdown menu that allows you to select what happens when you hit the close button):
   

I also looked into the Windows App for Telegram and honestly their settings are confusing, at least to me. With Telegram, the minimize button always minimizes to the taskbar. The close button can either minimize to the taskbar, or move to the tray and remove from the taskbar depending on what settings you have selected. The specific Telegram settings and the valid combinations are listed below (you can't deselect show tray icon and show taskbar icon at the same time for example). I think @indig0F10w wants functionality like this.

Personally, I feel like the Discord or Battle.net functionality is the most intuitive. They match the current functionality in the Signal app. You can minimize with the minimize button or send to the tray with the close button. I can clarify the meaning of the setting on it's respective page in the app.

We could add a separate option in the settings to show the tray icon if desired.

Hypothetically, we could also add a couple of other options to allow the user to customize what they want the minimize and close buttons to do (for example for the minimize, it could minimize to taskbar or minimize to tray and for close it could minimize to tray or close the program). This however seems needlessly complicated and anecdotally, I doubt it would get much use.

[indig0F10w]

Let me try this approach.

[prabou]

I am running the latest version of Signal Desktop (6.41.0) on Kubuntu 23.04, and the issue is still here.
Moreover, in Preferences, I don't have any checkbox to Minimize to system tray.
I am worried that no solution has been pushed since ...months!