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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Signal will now allow your old messages being exported to another device. Previously needed to do a full transfer to another device.
This change will impact how you set up Signal on your desktop computer. Previously, after linking your desktop to your phone, you would be presented with basically an empty window.
This change will allow you to, optionally, synchronize your message history from your phone to your desktop, filling it with your previous messages, making it much easier to pick up where you left off with your conversations.
Pictures and videos that were sent will also synchronize, as long as they are from the past month and a half.