Signal Is Testing a Feature That Will Make It Easier to Migrate Account to New Device

Instant messaging app Signal, that gained significant attention after the recent privacy policy fiasco involving WhatsApp, is now reportedly testing a new migration tool that will help users transfer their account and all of its data to a new device over a local and protected Wi-Fi connection. Signal, which gained a lot of users recently, does have a feature that helps users transfer their chats to a new device, the process is too long, as it requires users to take a local backup, transfer the local backup to the new device, and then restore it to access their messages.

With this new feature, Signal will offer a much simpler solution. According to a report in TestingCatalog, the latest update on the Signal Beta Channel (v5.5.0) introduces a new migration tool that will help users transfer their account and all of its data to a new device over a Wi-Fi connection. The report quotes that changelog as saying, “Quickly and securely transfer your Signal information to a brand-new Android phone. Use the end-to-end encrypted migration feature to move your account and messages from an old device to a new device over a private local WiFi Direct connection.”

This new feature, apart from being easy and seamless, also offers a certain level of safety as it offers end-to-end encryption for backups. Those who are enrolled as beta testers for Signal can find the new “Transfer Account” feature within the Chat Settings on the app.

In order to transfer all Signal data to a new account, users need to log in to Signal on the new device > Transfer or Restore account > Transfer from Android Device > Continue. This will instantly migrate a user’s account to their new device. The feature requires Wi-Fi Direct in order migrate accounts, so it is advised that users keep the two smartphones close to each other.

It is important to note that this feature is only available for only some beta testers. It is not known as to when Signal will release this feature to all users.

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