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

submitted 1 week ago by ForgottenFlux@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world

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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[–] phoenixz@lemmy.ca 3 points 1 week 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?

[–] ozymandias117@lemmy.world 2 points 1 week 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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[–] noisefree@lemmy.world 1 points 1 week ago (3 children)

This may be out of date, since it's been a while since I last tested this, but: will Signal on desktop still store media in an easily accessible folder where the only security is the use of random strings to identify each individual media file with the file type extension deleted? So, for example, if you've had the desktop Signal client synced with your account for a period of time and have running conversations that include sensitive media, that media can be accessed and viewed without even opening the desktop app (which also, last I tested it, lacks most of the locking/security mechanisms found in the phone versions of Signal).

Most media viewers can open the files without the need for adding the file extension to the end of the filename, albeit you would be browsing the files in a pseudorandom fashion if you didn't try to sort by date or size.

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[–] ThomasCrappersGhost@feddit.uk 1 points 1 week ago

Unfortunately it seems like some people think that that is neutral.

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