4 ms·

It's been promised for years, but you still can't use a second phone as a linked/secondary device. As a result, it is literally impossible to have the same sign

It's been promised for years, but you still can't use a second phone as a linked/secondary device. As a result, it is literally impossible to have the same signal account on two iPhones. Since they already support using an iPad as a linked device, this would require little more than changing a flag and a recompilation. Maybe they have their reasons, but all they keep saying is 'soon'.

BugsJustFindMe 5y ago
> but you still can't use a second phone as a linked/secondary device. As a result, it is literally impossible to have the same signal account on two iPhones. I use my google voice number on multiple phones.
- legalcorrection 5y ago
  That's not how that works. If you sign up for Signal with the same number on multiple iPhones, for example, only the last one will still be connected. The iPhone app only supports being the primary device. There can only be one primary device per account.
lkxijlewlf 5y ago
This is the feature I want most. I have my EDC and then I have a "if I drop it in the ocean, oops" phone.
- gefhfffh 5y ago
  You could bridge Signal with Matrix and then use two Matrix clients. Quite a workaround, but should work ;-)
  - zaik 5y ago
    Bridges break end-to-end encryption.
    - gefhfffh 5y ago
      Not if you run them yourself
- sneak 5y ago
  The solution I use for this is group chats for my most important conversations, that have the other party and both of my phones in them.
  - lkxijlewlf 5y ago
    This is what I currently do, also. It technically works, but I would much rather not have to use groups like this.
cyberei 5y ago
I think this is could be a rather complicated feature. It's easy if your second phone is just a linked device like iPad or desktop client, but I imagine this might be very confusing for users. Now you have two phones with signal installed, but one has fewer features and if you lose the main device, you're screwed. This is unexpected for most users. On the other hand, if the second phone should have the same capabilities as the first one, key management suddenly gets extremely complicated. For instance, each device has to be able to revoke others; what happens if the revoked device had granted access to three other phones, are they revoked as well? Can a device revoke it's "parent" device? And so on. I imagine they avoid this while they can.
ternaryoperator 5y ago
> this would require little more than changing a flag and a recompilation. Almost never is this true, even on small projects, which Signal is definitely not.

BugsJustFindMe 5y ago

> but you still can't use a second phone as a linked/secondary device. As a result, it is literally impossible to have the same signal account on two iPhones. I use my google voice number on multiple phones.

legalcorrection 5y ago
That's not how that works. If you sign up for Signal with the same number on multiple iPhones, for example, only the last one will still be connected. The iPhone app only supports being the primary device. There can only be one primary device per account.

lkxijlewlf 5y ago

This is the feature I want most. I have my EDC and then I have a "if I drop it in the ocean, oops" phone.

gefhfffh 5y ago
You could bridge Signal with Matrix and then use two Matrix clients. Quite a workaround, but should work ;-)
- zaik 5y ago
  Bridges break end-to-end encryption.
  - gefhfffh 5y ago
    Not if you run them yourself
sneak 5y ago
The solution I use for this is group chats for my most important conversations, that have the other party and both of my phones in them.
- lkxijlewlf 5y ago
  This is what I currently do, also. It technically works, but I would much rather not have to use groups like this.

cyberei 5y ago

I think this is could be a rather complicated feature. It's easy if your second phone is just a linked device like iPad or desktop client, but I imagine this might be very confusing for users. Now you have two phones with signal installed, but one has fewer features and if you lose the main device, you're screwed. This is unexpected for most users. On the other hand, if the second phone should have the same capabilities as the first one, key management suddenly gets extremely complicated. For instance, each device has to be able to revoke others; what happens if the revoked device had granted access to three other phones, are they revoked as well? Can a device revoke it's "parent" device? And so on. I imagine they avoid this while they can.

ternaryoperator 5y ago

> this would require little more than changing a flag and a recompilation. Almost never is this true, even on small projects, which Signal is definitely not.