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> alongside features that let you transfer your encrypted message history between Android, iOS, and Desktop devices. That's actually the feature I've been look

by nikeee 1y ago

> alongside features that let you transfer your encrypted message history between Android, iOS, and Desktop devices. That's actually the feature I've been looking forward to. As I moved vom Android to iOS, I lost _all_ message histories from all messenger apps that use E2EE (Signal, WhatsApp, Threema, etc). The only one that "just worked" was Telegram due to not being encrypted. WhatsApp had a migration app that has to be done when setting up the iPhone, but it failed due to some bug. Signal had backups, but they didn't seem to be compatible between different OS versions.

nar001 1y ago
You already can, if you at least set up desktop, you can transfer also message history, though you won't have your media older than 45 days. Maybe it can work as a stopgap before they roll out encrypeted backups everywhere
- zbrozek 1y ago
  That's a weird and crappy arbitrary limitation when I could move an arbitrary amount of data between the two devices otherwise. It's the worst part of Signal.
  - anilakar 1y ago
    It also does not work on Windows clients but errors out. Android and Linux are fine.
    - nar001 1y ago
      It does for me, sure why it errors out for you
  - rjzzleep 1y ago
    On top of that you don't have that limitation on Android. It's like enterprise IT, where you put up restrictions everywhere on files and then people can upload files to their personal one drive.
arccy 1y ago
doesn't signal also have a transfer to other device flow now?
- flaburgan 1y ago
  They have it between two Android phones next to each other for years, but probably not Android to iOS
- internet_points 1y ago
  iOS to iOS works Android to Android works iOS to/from Android does not work stolen phone to new phone does not work :)
  - giancarlostoro 1y ago
    > stolen phone to new phone does not work :) I'm curious about that, has this been tested by someone who "steals" the phone, and tries to migrate before the actual phone owner even realizes?
    - jraph 1y ago
      you need to be able to unlock the phone and then you need the Signal PIN code for this.
    - internet_points 1y ago
      haha I was actually thinking of the case where you don't have your phone any more and want your signal history, but that's another way to read it :)
littlestymaar 1y ago
> WhatsApp had a migration app that has to be done when setting up the iPhone, but it failed due to some bug. It's appalling to see how poor there QA is for a company that big. They also have a migration tool for migrations between android devices without going through a Google drive, but this one didn't work either when I tried it two years ago.
giancarlostoro 1y ago
I've always been able to transfer history, from Android phone to Android phone, when I switched to iOS, I didn't bother since my wife was just going to start using Messages due to its encrypted nature. I really only used Signal with my wife, she only used it because I was using it and it allowed us to send images back and forth without losing quality.
- 47282847 1y ago
  > without losing quality Signal does lossy compression on images. You can change image quality from “Standard“ to “High“ in its settings but not disable it.

by nikeee 1y ago

nar001 1y ago

You already can, if you at least set up desktop, you can transfer also message history, though you won't have your media older than 45 days. Maybe it can work as a stopgap before they roll out encrypeted backups everywhere

zbrozek 1y ago
That's a weird and crappy arbitrary limitation when I could move an arbitrary amount of data between the two devices otherwise. It's the worst part of Signal.
- anilakar 1y ago
  It also does not work on Windows clients but errors out. Android and Linux are fine.
  - nar001 1y ago
    It does for me, sure why it errors out for you
- rjzzleep 1y ago
  On top of that you don't have that limitation on Android. It's like enterprise IT, where you put up restrictions everywhere on files and then people can upload files to their personal one drive.

arccy 1y ago

doesn't signal also have a transfer to other device flow now?

flaburgan 1y ago
They have it between two Android phones next to each other for years, but probably not Android to iOS
internet_points 1y ago
iOS to iOS works Android to Android works iOS to/from Android does not work stolen phone to new phone does not work :)
- giancarlostoro 1y ago
  > stolen phone to new phone does not work :) I'm curious about that, has this been tested by someone who "steals" the phone, and tries to migrate before the actual phone owner even realizes?
  - jraph 1y ago
    you need to be able to unlock the phone and then you need the Signal PIN code for this.
  - internet_points 1y ago
    haha I was actually thinking of the case where you don't have your phone any more and want your signal history, but that's another way to read it :)

littlestymaar 1y ago

> WhatsApp had a migration app that has to be done when setting up the iPhone, but it failed due to some bug. It's appalling to see how poor there QA is for a company that big. They also have a migration tool for migrations between android devices without going through a Google drive, but this one didn't work either when I tried it two years ago.

giancarlostoro 1y ago

I've always been able to transfer history, from Android phone to Android phone, when I switched to iOS, I didn't bother since my wife was just going to start using Messages due to its encrypted nature. I really only used Signal with my wife, she only used it because I was using it and it allowed us to send images back and forth without losing quality.

47282847 1y ago
> without losing quality Signal does lossy compression on images. You can change image quality from “Standard“ to “High“ in its settings but not disable it.