this post was submitted on 28 Jan 2025

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764

Signal will finally let you transfer your encrypted chat history to new linked devices (mas.to)

submitted 3 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

107 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Signal has announced new functionality in its upcoming beta releases, allowing users to transfer messages and media when linking their primary Signal device to a new desktop or iPad. This feature offers the choice to carry over chats and the last 45 days of media, or to start fresh with only new messages.

The transfer process is end-to-end encrypted, ensuring privacy. It involves creating a compressed, encrypted archive of your Signal data, which is then sent to the new device via Signal's servers. Despite handling the transfer, the servers cannot access the message content due to the encryption.

With the introduction of a cross-platform archive format, Signal is also exploring additional tools for message transfer to new devices or restoration in case of device loss or damage. Users can begin testing this feature soon, with a wider rollout expected in the coming weeks.

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[–] [email protected] 111 points 3 days ago (5 children)

Holy shit no way, basic functionality needed at absolutely all times, in my signal? More likely than you think!

Kudos to the Devs! Maybe time to give this app another shot!

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[–] [email protected] 96 points 3 days ago (5 children)

I’m still waiting for the day that I can make a full backup of my chats and save it on an external hard drive so that I won’t lose all of my message history when I lose my phone.

[–] [email protected] 64 points 3 days ago (6 children)

You can on Android. If you have an iPhone you can link using the molly signal fork on an android device and then backup using that.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 hours ago

indeed, I have this daily archive backed-up via syncthing like any other data.

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[–] [email protected] 37 points 3 days ago (2 children)

You can already do it. I have Signal create daily backups, sync it to my NAS using Syncthing with versioning enabled.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago

Oh fucking shit, setting this up today

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[–] [email protected] 26 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Finally I can transfer my one and only chat to my PC

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago

I know right. I wish more people used it. It's nice and simple. No fuss in the way. And especially now with chat transfers. Should be Gucci.

[–] [email protected] 57 points 3 days ago (1 children)

Original announcement: https://signal.org/blog/a-synchronized-start-for-linked-devices/

[–] [email protected] 29 points 3 days ago (2 children)

Blogs like these drive me fucking crazy: there's a primary source out there, why not just link to that at the end of your (evidently pointless) opinion piece?

It's almost like they know their commentary isn't adding anything and they're worried we'll click away immediately.

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[–] [email protected] 17 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Thanks, I love Signal, but can we get Android tablet linking?

Molly has it.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 days ago (3 children)

What's Molly in this context?

[–] [email protected] 18 points 2 days ago (2 children)

https://molly.im/

A hardened Signal fork that works with Signal's servers and adds features I like that Signal doesn't support.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 days ago (1 children)

I heard signal dislikes forks using its server, did molly get approval to do so, or is this based on generosity until signal can ban them?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 2 days ago

I heard that too...1ish years ago and Molly still seems to work okay. I would assume by now that Signal knows they exist, so hopefully they'll keep playing nice.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 2 days ago

TIL. Thank you!

[–] [email protected] 7 points 2 days ago (1 children)

in this context? haha

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

A good time 🌚

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago (1 children)

That's why "in this context"!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Still a good time in that context 🤭

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago

Fair enough.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 2 days ago (3 children)

So is there a signal alternative that is fully open source and not under control of one single company?

Bett as I understand it, it's still from a company and still locked to the whims of a CEO and I'm done with that.

What's the best alternative?

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago

Simplex chat is a great alternative. I use both signal and simplex simultaneously

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 days ago

Matrix as a protocol, and the official client is Element.

I'm baffled Signal didn't support transferring chats... I thought it was supposed to be easier than Matrix

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[–] [email protected] 27 points 3 days ago

Yay Signal!

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