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

submitted 3 weeks 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] -6 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (13 children)

Why is backing up chats so important for people? I see it as an advantage that chat history evaporates eventually. Important information should be stored somewhere where it's actually easy to find.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (2 children)

Convenience mostly, privacy needs to be convenient and easy for people, otherwise no one uses the tools.

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[–] [email protected] 24 points 3 weeks ago (16 children)

People have different opinions about things. Why do you think it's good to lose chat history?

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[–] [email protected] 16 points 3 weeks ago

Should be, but sometimes it just isn't. I've definitely had plenty of times where I was like, oh shit, the only place I have that information is in this chat somewhere.

Other people, kind of like me, are just data hoarders. Just because I can't think of a use of the data now, doesn't mean I won't be able to think of one in the future! I have piles of old inboxes in my archives.

[–] [email protected] 78 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago) (2 children)

because believe it or not, sometimes important information gets mentioned in a normal conversation, and not everyone remembers to add it to their personal self-hosted wiki afterwards.
and some people, including myself, often go back a few years in a chat history to reference something, or reminisce.

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[–] [email protected] 98 points 3 weeks ago (7 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 weeks 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.

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[–] [email protected] -4 points 3 weeks ago (1 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.

[–] [email protected] 29 points 3 weeks ago (15 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] 5 points 3 weeks ago (5 children)

I'm not bagging on signal, here, since I use it too. But what about xmpp? It does e2ee, right?

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