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#261 encrypt drafts by default
Whenever Enigmail is installed it should by default encrypt all automatically or manually saved drafts encrypted to the identity's key.
Many a time a user would start typing a message first then go on to setting it for encryption later on. But if the message has already been saved as a draft to the mail provider in cleartext or sent over an unencrypted connect then later encryption is meaningless.
While this functionality could be effected by requiring all new messages to be encrypted by default, this option itself is not enabled by default. Moreover the two functions are semantically different.
I don't agree with enabling of encrypted drafts by default (mainly because encryption is quite slow, and if your Drafts folder is local, encryption is often irrelevant).
But I do agree that we could ask the user by default if drafts should be encrypted, and not only when encryption is enabled.
Please note furthermore that encryption is only possible if Enigmail is enabled for a specific identity. For unconfigured identities there is a high chance that the draft cannot be encrypted, which would lead to bothering the user unnecessarily.
The assumption of having Enigmail configured for the the identity in order for this to work is implied. Otherwise encryption is not really a concern to the user, even if Enigmail is installed. Agreed.
As for enabling by default: in my experience encryption never caused noticeable delays. Others' may vary. Also local storage reduced the urgency - though not eliminate it. Have we got any idea about the usage patterns of Enigmail users regarding this point? I know all of my drafts folders are online (at the mailbox).
Last edit: Ahmad Gharbeia 2014-03-05
I would like to see it NOT encrypted by default (as it is doing for me now with 1.72). I can't change it to not do it. Also, it may not be local where the drafts are saved, so some people may want drafts encrypted (IMAP). I would like a choice.
You can change the setting for encrypting drafts in Tools -> Account settings -> (Select your account) -> OpenPGP Security. Check or uncheck the tickbox for "Encrypt draft messages on saving".
The default has been changed to "encrypt drafts" with Enigmail v1.7.2