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> easy backup when you get a new phone I just recently got a new phone, and used the new feature to do this (uses wi-fi direct) and I have to say it seemed lik

> easy backup when you get a new phone I just recently got a new phone, and used the new feature to do this (uses wi-fi direct) and I have to say it seemed like it would be easy enough for non-techy users to use.

tw04 6y ago
Try transferring from an iOS phone to Android. Try transferring messages to a new desktop (you can't). It's 2021, I don't want to be platform locked and none of the other popular messaging apps have that issue.
- dividedbyzero 6y ago
  Last I checked (about a year ago I think) Whatsapp backups were platform-locked as well.
  - bilal4hmed 6y ago
    They are working on it https://9to5mac.com/2021/04/05/whatsapp-chat-history-migration-iphone-android/ https://9to5mac.com/2021/04/05/whatsapp-chat-history-migrati...
  - blendergeek 6y ago
    > Last I checked (about a year ago I think) Whatsapp backups were platform-locked as well. I'm not sure why you are being downvoted. Whatsapp backups are still platform locked to this day. But that may change soon. https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/whatsapp-may-soon-allow-you-to-transfer-chat-history-between-iphone-and-android-devices/articleshow/81927926.cms https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/whatsapp-may-s...
  - orbifold 6y ago
    You can get a dump of all your messages with someone pretty easily.
  - frosted-flakes 6y ago
    Not completely. WhatsApp pushed out an Android-compatible backup option on their BlackBerry 10 app when they announced that they were shutting the app down a few years ago. But it was behind a notice that said it was 'not supported', even though it worked fine. Only to Android though.
- tsimionescu 6y ago
  Whatsapp does, so it's probably not that critical of a feature.
  - stjohnswarts 6y ago
    Most people don't switch platforms very often so it's not a big deal to them and just a corner case. Also most people don't care that much about old messages so again a corner case.
- eptcyka 6y ago
  I transferred between two Android phones, and had to re-pair desktop clients. It all worked, but now the desktop client won't receive messages I've sent via phone. Also video calls still don't synchronize orientation. It's very hard not to stoop down to use more vulgar language to express my feelings about this.
  - pmlnr 6y ago
    > Also video calls still don't synchronize orientation. This is insanely annoying in real life.
Y-bar 6y ago
My phone needed to be factory reset, where was my backup to restore from without purchasing a second phone?
- crtasm 6y ago
  I only just got this set up, but you can point the automatic backups to your SD card on Android. I guess some cloud sync app could pick it up from there or internal storage.
  - pseudalopex 6y ago
    Signal for iOS disables backup.
ent 6y ago
Not sure why this was downvoted. I switched phones yesterday and transferring signal with the direct wi-fi transfer was easier than transferring whatsapp, I do know that that used to not be the case.
- bosie 6y ago
  because it is only relevant for one very specific type of 'switching phones'
eptcyka 6y ago
Yeah, but consider the use case where you lose your phone in an accident or someone steals it. You can recover your sim card, you know your recovery password. But you'll be SoL and you won't be able to recover the history of all of your group and individual chats. This sucks.
- yaomtc 6y ago
  There's a backup function. Maybe they should add some cloud drive integration to that feature.
  - pseudalopex 6y ago
    Signal for Android allows backup. Signal for iOS doesn't.
pmlnr 6y ago
Did you ever try to salvage data off a dead phone? Many of us only buy a new device when the old is fubar.
izacus 6y ago
Will that feature work if you drop your phone and it breaks? Or will you lose all your conversations and photos then?
simias 6y ago
That's great to know, I didn't know they had improved on that front. Last time I tried to do it you had to manually copy a file from a micro-SD card (and it was only supported on Android) and then you had to copy a crypto key. In the end I couldn't get it to work and gave up. Unfortunately day-to-day my issue is more with syncing the desktop to the phone client's history and as far as I know it still won't let me do that. An other super convenient feature of Whatsapp and Telegram is that they offer a pure web interface with basic functionality which is super convenient if you're in a pinch and don't want to/can't install the standalone desktop application.

tw04 6y ago

Try transferring from an iOS phone to Android. Try transferring messages to a new desktop (you can't). It's 2021, I don't want to be platform locked and none of the other popular messaging apps have that issue.

dividedbyzero 6y ago
Last I checked (about a year ago I think) Whatsapp backups were platform-locked as well.
- bilal4hmed 6y ago
  They are working on it https://9to5mac.com/2021/04/05/whatsapp-chat-history-migration-iphone-android/ https://9to5mac.com/2021/04/05/whatsapp-chat-history-migrati...
- blendergeek 6y ago
  > Last I checked (about a year ago I think) Whatsapp backups were platform-locked as well. I'm not sure why you are being downvoted. Whatsapp backups are still platform locked to this day. But that may change soon. https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/whatsapp-may-soon-allow-you-to-transfer-chat-history-between-iphone-and-android-devices/articleshow/81927926.cms https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/whatsapp-may-s...
- orbifold 6y ago
  You can get a dump of all your messages with someone pretty easily.
- frosted-flakes 6y ago
  Not completely. WhatsApp pushed out an Android-compatible backup option on their BlackBerry 10 app when they announced that they were shutting the app down a few years ago. But it was behind a notice that said it was 'not supported', even though it worked fine. Only to Android though.
tsimionescu 6y ago
Whatsapp does, so it's probably not that critical of a feature.
- stjohnswarts 6y ago
  Most people don't switch platforms very often so it's not a big deal to them and just a corner case. Also most people don't care that much about old messages so again a corner case.
eptcyka 6y ago
I transferred between two Android phones, and had to re-pair desktop clients. It all worked, but now the desktop client won't receive messages I've sent via phone. Also video calls still don't synchronize orientation. It's very hard not to stoop down to use more vulgar language to express my feelings about this.
- pmlnr 6y ago
  > Also video calls still don't synchronize orientation. This is insanely annoying in real life.

Y-bar 6y ago

My phone needed to be factory reset, where was my backup to restore from without purchasing a second phone?

crtasm 6y ago
I only just got this set up, but you can point the automatic backups to your SD card on Android. I guess some cloud sync app could pick it up from there or internal storage.
- pseudalopex 6y ago
  Signal for iOS disables backup.

ent 6y ago

Not sure why this was downvoted. I switched phones yesterday and transferring signal with the direct wi-fi transfer was easier than transferring whatsapp, I do know that that used to not be the case.

bosie 6y ago
because it is only relevant for one very specific type of 'switching phones'

eptcyka 6y ago

Yeah, but consider the use case where you lose your phone in an accident or someone steals it. You can recover your sim card, you know your recovery password. But you'll be SoL and you won't be able to recover the history of all of your group and individual chats. This sucks.

yaomtc 6y ago
There's a backup function. Maybe they should add some cloud drive integration to that feature.
- pseudalopex 6y ago
  Signal for Android allows backup. Signal for iOS doesn't.

pmlnr 6y ago

Did you ever try to salvage data off a dead phone? Many of us only buy a new device when the old is fubar.

izacus 6y ago

Will that feature work if you drop your phone and it breaks? Or will you lose all your conversations and photos then?

simias 6y ago

That's great to know, I didn't know they had improved on that front. Last time I tried to do it you had to manually copy a file from a micro-SD card (and it was only supported on Android) and then you had to copy a crypto key. In the end I couldn't get it to work and gave up. Unfortunately day-to-day my issue is more with syncing the desktop to the phone client's history and as far as I know it still won't let me do that. An other super convenient feature of Whatsapp and Telegram is that they offer a pure web interface with basic functionality which is super convenient if you're in a pinch and don't want to/can't install the standalone desktop application.