diff --git a/dist/index.js b/dist/index.js
index b90f5340..3ffd50eb 100644
--- a/dist/index.js
+++ b/dist/index.js
@@ -444,7 +444,6 @@
     handleStringifiedFile = (stringifiedFile) => {
       const file = parseValidObject(stringifiedFile);
       if (file == null) return;
-      this.storeFile(file);
     };
     // methods
     addFile = (file) => {
@@ -462,8 +461,6 @@
         file,
         fileContentName
       );
-      const existingFileContent = this.storageModel.read(fileContentPath);
-      if (existingFileContent != null) return;
       const stringifiedContent = stringify(fileContent);
       this.storageModel.write(fileContentPath, stringifiedContent);
     };
@@ -503,13 +500,6 @@
       const filePath = _FileModel.getFilePath(file.id);
       return [...filePath, fileContentName];
     };
-    static createFile = () => {
-      return {
-        dataVersion: DATA_VERSION,
-        id: v4_default(),
-        contentVersions: []
-      };
-    };
   };
 
   // src/Model/Utility/crypto.ts
@@ -767,7 +757,7 @@
     // utility
     static generateChatInfo = (primaryChannel) => {
       return {
-        dataVersion: DATA_VERSION,
+        dataVersion: "v2",
         primaryChannel,
         secondaryChannels: [],
         encryptionKey: "",
@@ -776,7 +766,7 @@
     };
     static createChatMessage = async (channel, sender, encryptionKey, body, file) => {
       const chatMessage = {
-        dataVersion: DATA_VERSION,
+        dataVersion: "v2",
         id: v4_default(),
         channel,
         sender,
diff --git a/src/Model/chatListModel.ts b/src/Model/chatListModel.ts
index d297fe78..8bc2fdcd 100644
--- a/src/Model/chatListModel.ts
+++ b/src/Model/chatListModel.ts
@@ -66,7 +66,6 @@ export default class ChatListModel {
 
     let allChannels: string[] = [];
     for (const chatModel of this.chatModels) {
-      if (chatModel.info.primaryChannel == undefined) continue;
       allChannels.push(chatModel.info.primaryChannel);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/Model/chatModel.ts b/src/Model/chatModel.ts
index d64a9411..7c9e118e 100644
--- a/src/Model/chatModel.ts
+++ b/src/Model/chatModel.ts
@@ -1,10 +1,6 @@
 // this file is responsible for managing chats.
 
-import {
-  DATA_VERSION,
-  ValidObject,
-  checkIsValidObject,
-} from "./Utility/typeSafety";
+import { DATA_VERSION, ValidObject, checkIsValidObject } from "./Utility/typeSafety";
 import FileModel, { File } from "./fileModel";
 import StorageModel, { storageKeys } from "./storageModel";
 import {
@@ -39,7 +35,7 @@ export default class ChatModel {
   // sorting
   get index(): number {
     return this.chatListModel.getIndexOfPrimaryChannel(
-      this.info.primaryChannel ?? ""
+      this.info.primaryChannel
     );
   }
 
@@ -94,7 +90,6 @@ export default class ChatModel {
 
   addMessage = async (chatMessage: ChatMessage): Promise<void> => {
     await this.decryptMessage(chatMessage);
-    if (chatMessage.id == undefined) return;
 
     // message
     if (chatMessage.body != "") {
@@ -104,7 +99,7 @@ export default class ChatModel {
     }
 
     // file
-    this.fileModel.handleStringifiedFile(chatMessage.stringifiedFile ?? "");
+    this.fileModel.handleStringifiedFile(chatMessage.stringifiedFile);
   };
 
   // delete
@@ -151,7 +146,7 @@ export default class ChatModel {
     }
 
     const sorted = messages.sort((a, b) =>
-      (a.dateSent ?? "").localeCompare(b.dateSent ?? "")
+      a.dateSent.localeCompare(b.dateSent)
     );
     return sorted;
   }
@@ -162,7 +157,7 @@ export default class ChatModel {
     if (senderName == "") return false;
 
     const allChannels = [this.info.primaryChannel];
-    for (const secondaryChannel of this.info.secondaryChannels ?? []) {
+    for (const secondaryChannel of this.info.secondaryChannels) {
       allChannels.push(secondaryChannel);
     }
 
@@ -171,7 +166,7 @@ export default class ChatModel {
     const chatMessage: ChatMessage = await ChatModel.createChatMessage(
       combinedChannel,
       senderName,
-      this.info.encryptionKey ?? "",
+      this.info.encryptionKey,
       body,
       file
     );
@@ -196,12 +191,12 @@ export default class ChatModel {
 
   decryptMessage = async (chatMessage: ChatMessage): Promise<void> => {
     const decryptedBody: string = await decryptString(
-      chatMessage.body ?? "",
-      this.info.encryptionKey ?? ""
+      chatMessage.body,
+      this.info.encryptionKey
     );
     const decryptedFile: string = await decryptString(
       chatMessage.stringifiedFile ?? "",
-      this.info.encryptionKey ?? ""
+      this.info.encryptionKey
     );
     chatMessage.body = decryptedBody;
     chatMessage.stringifiedFile = decryptedFile;
@@ -212,8 +207,6 @@ export default class ChatModel {
   };
 
   subscribe = (): void => {
-    if (this.info.primaryChannel == undefined || this.info.primaryChannel == "")
-      return;
     this.connectionModel.addChannel(this.info.primaryChannel);
   };
 
@@ -278,12 +271,9 @@ export default class ChatModel {
     }
 
     if (encryptionKey != "") {
-      chatMessage.body = await encryptString(
-        chatMessage.body ?? "",
-        encryptionKey
-      );
+      chatMessage.body = await encryptString(chatMessage.body, encryptionKey);
       chatMessage.stringifiedFile = await encryptString(
-        chatMessage.stringifiedFile ?? "",
+        chatMessage.stringifiedFile,
         encryptionKey
       );
     }
@@ -294,11 +284,11 @@ export default class ChatModel {
 
 // types
 export interface ChatInfo extends ValidObject {
-  primaryChannel?: string;
-  secondaryChannels?: string[];
-  encryptionKey?: string;
+  primaryChannel: string;
+  secondaryChannels: string[];
+  encryptionKey: string;
 
-  hasUnreadMessages?: boolean;
+  hasUnreadMessages: boolean;
 }
 
 export enum ChatMessageStatus {
@@ -308,14 +298,14 @@ export enum ChatMessageStatus {
 }
 
 export interface ChatMessage extends ValidObject {
-  id?: string;
+  id: string;
 
-  channel?: string;
-  sender?: string;
-  body?: string;
-  dateSent?: string;
+  channel: string;
+  sender: string;
+  body: string;
+  dateSent: string;
 
   status?: ChatMessageStatus;
 
-  stringifiedFile?: string;
+  stringifiedFile: string;
 }
diff --git a/src/Model/fileModel.ts b/src/Model/fileModel.ts
index 2b3e0141..0948db1d 100644
--- a/src/Model/fileModel.ts
+++ b/src/Model/fileModel.ts
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@ export default class FileModel {
 
   // storage
   storeFile = (file: File): void => {
-    if (file.contentVersions == undefined) return;
     for (const fileContent of file.contentVersions) {
       this.storeFileContent(file, fileContent);
     }
@@ -40,8 +39,7 @@ export default class FileModel {
     );
 
     // check if fileContent already exists
-    const existingFileContent: string | null =
-      this.storageModel.read(fileContentPath);
+    const existingFileContent: string | null = this.storageModel.read(fileContentPath);
     if (existingFileContent != null) return;
 
     const stringifiedContent: string = stringify(fileContent);
@@ -53,7 +51,6 @@ export default class FileModel {
   };
 
   listFileContents = (file: File): string[] => {
-    if (file.id == undefined) return [];
     const filePath: string[] = FileModel.getFilePath(file.id);
     return this.storageModel.list(filePath);
   };
@@ -91,14 +88,14 @@ export default class FileModel {
   };
 
   static getFileContentName = (fileContent: FileContent): string => {
-    return fileContent.creationDate ?? "" + fileContent.id ?? "";
+    return fileContent.creationDate + fileContent.id;
   };
 
   static getFileContentPath = (
     file: File,
     fileContentName: string
   ): string[] => {
-    const filePath: string[] = FileModel.getFilePath(file.id ?? "");
+    const filePath: string[] = FileModel.getFilePath(file.id);
     return [...filePath, fileContentName];
   };
 
@@ -107,20 +104,20 @@ export default class FileModel {
       dataVersion: DATA_VERSION,
 
       id: v4(),
-      contentVersions: [],
-    };
-  };
+      contentVersions: []
+    }
+  }
 }
 
 // types
 export interface File extends ValidObject {
-  id?: string;
-  contentVersions?: FileContent[];
+  id: string;
+  contentVersions: FileContent[];
 }
 
 export interface FileContent extends ValidObject {
-  id?: string;
-  creationDate?: string;
+  id: string;
+  creationDate: string;
 
-  type?: string;
+  type: string;
 }