Files
buzz/mobile
6eb65919f1 feat(identity): recover desktop identity from a signed-in phone (#4845)
**Category:** new-feature
**User Impact:** People who lose a desktop identity can securely restore
it from a signed-in Buzz phone without creating a replacement identity.

**Problem:** A fresh or identity-lost desktop could not recover its
existing full Buzz identity from an already-authorized phone.

**Solution:** Add a SAS-confirmed reverse NIP-AB transfer, durable
desktop import, a dedicated mobile recovery entry point, and clearer
desktop recovery dialogs with tested loading, drag-and-drop, and failure
states.


https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/e9215c9c-80d0-462f-9161-0fa184ca2f74

<details>
<summary>File changes</summary>

**crates/buzz-core/src/pairing/session.rs**
Adds the reverse encrypted payload and source-completion state
transitions used for phone-to-desktop recovery.

**desktop/src-tauri/src/commands/identity.rs**
Exposes the existing guarded identity commit path for recovery imports.

**desktop/src-tauri/src/commands/pairing.rs**
Adds recovery-mode pairing, durable nsec import, start serialization,
stale-task protection, and explicit rejection of unsupported recovery
payloads.

**desktop/src-tauri/src/lib.rs**
Registers the recovery pairing command.

**desktop/src/app/App.tsx**
Refreshes the recovered identity before continuing onboarding.

**desktop/src/features/onboarding/machineOnboarding.ts**
Adds recovery transitions to the onboarding state machine.

**desktop/src/features/onboarding/ui/BackupPasswordTimeline.tsx**
Adds the visual backup-to-password-to-unlock progression.

**desktop/src/features/onboarding/ui/IdentityRecoveryPairing.tsx**
Implements QR generation, copy fallback, SAS confirmation, cancellation,
expiry, and completion UI.

**desktop/src/features/onboarding/ui/MachineOnboardingFlow.tsx**
Connects private-key, phone, and backup recovery paths to the onboarding
flow.

**desktop/src/features/onboarding/ui/NostrKeyImportForm.tsx**
Polishes recovery dialogs, backup drag-and-drop, loading stability, and
security copy.

**desktop/src/shared/api/tauri.ts**
Keeps the existing pairing API surface focused on standard
desktop-to-mobile pairing.

**desktop/src/shared/api/tauriPairing.ts**
Adds the recovery pairing invoke without growing the ratcheted shared
API file.

**desktop/src/testing/e2eBridge.ts**
Mocks recovery pairing commands and lifecycle events for browser tests.

**desktop/tests/e2e/identity-lost.spec.ts**
Covers lost-identity entry, QR/copy recovery, SAS, cancellation, expiry,
success, errors, backup import, drag-and-drop, and screenshots.

**desktop/tests/e2e/onboarding.spec.ts**
Verifies recovered identities continue through harness setup without
replacement-key side effects.

**mobile/lib/features/pairing/pairing_page.dart**
Adds recovery-only scanning and explicit identity-handoff warnings.

**mobile/lib/features/pairing/pairing_provider.dart**
Recognizes recovery codes, returns the signed-in nsec after mutual SAS
approval, and waits for desktop completion.

**mobile/lib/features/settings/settings_page.dart**
Accepts the recovery route builder at the app composition boundary to
preserve feature isolation.

**mobile/lib/features/settings/settings_page/connection_section.dart**
Adds the signed-in “Send identity to desktop” settings action.

**mobile/test/features/pairing/pairing_page_test.dart**
Covers recovery-only validation and handoff messaging.

**mobile/test/features/pairing/pairing_provider_test.dart**
Covers reverse payload encryption, confirmation ordering, success,
failure, timeout, and cleanup.

</details>

## Reproduction steps

1. Launch Buzz Desktop with identity-lost state and choose **Recover
from your phone**.
2. Confirm the QR and persistent **Copy pairing code** fallback appear
without layout shift.
3. On a signed-in phone, open **Settings → Send identity to desktop**,
scan or paste the recovery code, and compare the six-digit SAS on both
devices.
4. Confirm on both sides and verify Desktop restores the identity and
continues to harness setup.
5. Repeat from identity-lost state with **Recover from a backup file**;
verify picker and drag-and-drop both advance to password entry and
restore the encrypted backup.
6. Exercise cancellation, mismatched/unsupported codes, expired
sessions, and an invalid backup; verify each returns actionable,
non-stuck UI.

## Screenshots

### Desktop phone recovery — complete flow

| Recovery entry | Pairing QR | Code match | Receiving identity |
|---|---|---|---|
| ![Desktop recovery
entry](https://d24qwcpro867f5.cloudfront.net/repos/buzz/prs/4845/desktop-phone-01-recovery-entry.png)
| ![Desktop phone recovery
QR](https://d24qwcpro867f5.cloudfront.net/repos/buzz/prs/4845/desktop-phone-02-qr.png)
| ![Desktop security-code
match](https://d24qwcpro867f5.cloudfront.net/repos/buzz/prs/4845/desktop-phone-03-sas.png)
| ![Desktop receiving
identity](https://d24qwcpro867f5.cloudfront.net/repos/buzz/prs/4845/desktop-phone-04-receiving.png)
|

### iOS Simulator — complete handoff flow

| Settings entry | Recovery scanner | Manual recovery code | Code
confirmation |
|---|---|---|---|
| ![iOS Settings entry for Send identity to
desktop](https://d24qwcpro867f5.cloudfront.net/repos/buzz/prs/4845/ios-01-settings-entry.png)
| ![iOS recovery scanner
entry](https://d24qwcpro867f5.cloudfront.net/repos/buzz/prs/4845/ios-02-recovery-entry.png)
| ![iOS manual recovery code
entry](https://d24qwcpro867f5.cloudfront.net/repos/buzz/prs/4845/ios-03-manual-code.png)
| ![iOS security-code
confirmation](https://d24qwcpro867f5.cloudfront.net/repos/buzz/prs/4845/ios-04-sas-verification.png)
|

### Encrypted backup recovery — adjusted file flow

| File picker | Drag-and-drop target | Password step |
|---|---|---|
| ![Desktop encrypted-backup file
picker](https://d24qwcpro867f5.cloudfront.net/repos/buzz/prs/4845/desktop-backup-01-file-picker-settled.png)
| ![Desktop encrypted-backup drag-and-drop
target](https://d24qwcpro867f5.cloudfront.net/repos/buzz/prs/4845/desktop-backup-02-drag-drop.png)
| ![Desktop backup password
step](https://d24qwcpro867f5.cloudfront.net/repos/buzz/prs/4845/desktop-backup-03-enter-password.png)
|

## Verification

- `cargo test -p buzz-core pairing` — 71 passed
- `just mobile-test` — 1,169 passed
- `pnpm build:e2e && pnpm exec playwright test identity-lost.spec.ts
--project=smoke` — 15 passed
- Full pre-push gates — desktop checks, desktop unit tests, Rust tests,
Tauri checks, and mobile tests passed

---------

Signed-off-by: Taylor Ho <taylorkmho@gmail.com>
Co-authored-by: npub1223z34hd7vtwc6qj4s7flsxkj644nlre2nthu7lrrmkumhu3xddsrx9r6w <52a228d6edf316ec6812ac3c9fc0d696ab59fc7954d77e7be31eedcddf91335b@buzz.block.builderlab.xyz>
Co-authored-by: Carl <acda9e433d19dcd0e6b6840f7f4b98f3a56f1fab98049d444c087019e6d36560@buzz.block.builderlab.xyz>
2026-08-06 11:47:18 -07:00
..

Buzz Mobile

Flutter mobile client for Buzz.

Setup

cd mobile
flutter pub get

Run

# From repo root (recommended — starts Docker, relay, and simulator):
just mobile-dev

# Direct (requires services and relay already running):
cd mobile && flutter run

Worktree-aware debug identity

Debug builds produced from a git worktree get a unique app identifier keyed to the worktree directory name (com.buzz.buzzMobile.<slug> on iOS, xyz.block.buzz.mobile.<slug> on Android) plus a display-only branch label in the app name (Buzz (my-branch), or a short SHA when the worktree is detached). Because the identifier follows the directory rather than the branch, one worktree keeps exactly one installed app — and its login state — across branch switches, and builds from multiple worktrees install side by side, mirroring the desktop dev experience. Release and profile builds always keep the production identity and name.

just mobile-dev and just mobile-build-android apply this automatically by running scripts/mobile-worktree-overrides.sh, which writes two gitignored files:

  • mobile/ios/Flutter/WorktreeOverrides.xcconfig (included by Debug builds only; a developer's AppOverrides.xcconfig is included after it, so app-specific overrides like a personal BUNDLE_IDENTIFIER for device signing always win)
  • mobile/android/worktree.properties (read by the debug build type only)

For direct Xcode / Android Studio / flutter run development, run ./scripts/mobile-worktree-overrides.sh from the repo root once per branch switch to refresh the display label (the install identity never changes); the persisted files are then picked up by any subsequent build. In the main checkout the script is a no-op that removes stale override files, restoring the plain Buzz identity.

To remove leftover worktree-suffixed installs from booted iOS simulators and connected Android emulators, run just mobile-clean (add --dry-run via ./scripts/mobile-worktree-clean.sh --dry-run to preview). Production installs are never touched.

Checks

dart format --output=none --set-exit-if-changed .
flutter analyze
flutter test

Or from the repo root: just mobile-check and just mobile-test.

Android release signing

Android release builds fail unless all upload-key inputs are supplied through the environment:

  • BUZZ_ANDROID_UPLOAD_KEYSTORE_PATH: path to a CI-vended keystore file
  • BUZZ_ANDROID_UPLOAD_KEYSTORE_PASSWORD
  • BUZZ_ANDROID_UPLOAD_KEY_ALIAS
  • BUZZ_ANDROID_UPLOAD_KEY_PASSWORD

The keystore path must be absolute, and the keystore must remain outside the repository. Development and debug builds do not require these variables.

Release pipelines that sign through the central APK Signer service instead of a local upload keystore must set BUZZ_ANDROID_RELEASE_SIGNING=external. That mode produces an unsigned release bundle and refuses to run if any BUZZ_ANDROID_UPLOAD_* value is also set.

Architecture

lib/
├── main.dart              # Entry point, Riverpod bootstrap
├── app.dart               # MaterialApp with theme
├── shared/
│   └── theme/             # Catppuccin light/dark, spacing tokens, extensions
└── features/
    └── home/              # Placeholder home surface
  • State management: Riverpod + Hooks (HookConsumerWidget)
  • Theme: Catppuccin Latte (light) / Macchiato (dark) — matches desktop
  • Spacing: Grid tokens for consistent spacing
  • Linting: flutter_lints + riverpod_lint via custom_lint
  • Feature isolation: No cross-feature imports except shared/