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

submitted 5 days ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]

108 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] -4 points 5 days ago (21 children)

When they gonna allow sign up without a phone number. Or allow federation with 3rd party signal severs. Or allow sign up without a phone number that's linked to ur real identity by law in most countries.

The more I learn about signal the less I trust them.

[–] Supernova1051 29 points 5 days ago (20 children)

The day security researchers say Signal is bad is the day I'll stop using it. Until then, it's the best option we have that both provides both great privacy and UX. The only thing that comes close - and it still has a ways to go - is SimpleX, but it's basically a signal fork and it's devs still support Signal.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

SimpleX is not a Signal fork. It is it's own protocol, service and app. It just utilizes Signal protocol for encryption like every good e2e encrypted messenger out there.

SimpleX allows anonymous identity, federation between servers and still a good UX.

[–] Supernova1051 2 points 4 days ago

You're right! not sure why I thought SimpleX was a fork, it's definitely just using the Signal protocol. Thanks for the clarification. That said, I would objectively state the UX needs some work to get to where Signal is at. SimpleX is oddly both easy to use but confusing and unreliable. I've been using it for a little over a year now and very often messages just stop getting delivered or received, forcing a fall back to Signal.

SimpleX is still very promising and more secure than Signal if your threat model necessitates it, but I continue to champion Signal for its ease of use, reliability, and security compared to more mainstream messengers.

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