A Synchronized Start for Linked Devices - Signal Messenger

Signal’s upcoming beta releases will also introduce the option to transfer your messages and media when you link your primary Signal device to a new Desktop or iPad. Instead of starting fresh, and having only new messages show up, you can choose to bring your chats and your last 45 days of media with you. Or, you can choose not to.

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People trying Signal for the first time coming from WhatsApp will be happier than other new comers to Signal have been when they learn history now carries over when they set up desktop versions.

Overall, good new update!

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Signal keeps getting better.

When I spent time trying out different Linux distros, it was a pain that every time I installed the desktop Signal app it would have a blank slate… no history.

This new ability from Signal will help everyone who does a new Linux install.

Perhaps I’m the weird one, but I can’t imagine a scenario where this is useful. I read messages the one time and then have them auto-delete 30 seconds later.

Rarely but does tend to come in Handy if I need to recall a past event. (and I’ve had times where I wish I could just transfer them from my phone)
Of course this is why I think the 4 weeks signal provides of disappearing messages is good enough.
And it just feels seamless.

Yup, plus there are literally dozens of us who use short term release distros and have to get to update every ~six months. It’s of course been possible to backup the Signal DBs from home dir but I haven’t yet bothered to automate that part. This update means I probably don’t have to. I rarely have to look up anything beyond six weeks anyway so it’s going to be more than good enough system. Yay!

I think this could help make Signal more attractive to regular people who aren’t as extreme about privacy as we are.

I’ve struggled to get friends and family to move to Signal, so anything that makes it a better experience for regular people could help. Most normal people will want to have access to at least some amount of history, and if that helps in getting them to leave WhatsApp, then I’m giving it a thumbs up! :+1:

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I know a lot of people that are hesitant to move to Signal because they want their message history with their friends or romantic partners.

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I can agree that occasionally it would be nice to have the ability to save a disappearing message. Not necessarily forever, but being able to add a week to the destruction timer or similar.

I know most people are used to having the history, my question is more whether anyone actually ever reads over old messages, and I mean beyond the odd important piece of information like an address or a task to remember.

This is something I hadn’t really considered. I don’t really get it with friends as much, but perhaps with romantic partners. On the other hand, face-to-face conversations and calls are very much ephemeral, so I’m personally quite content with messages being the same.

It seems it is, in fact, me who is weird lol. Thanks, everyone, for your insight.

At least in my experience when you setup a additional device the groups you are in don’t sync across and only appear when someone else sends a message in them. I’ve had times when I was on my additional device but couldn’t send a message to that group because it hadn’t transferred to the new device.

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yup that happens too

Mm, the nice part is the sense of relief when you know it’s the last one you’ll ever have to move, and when the verifiable security gives you peace of mind to freely express yourself, send saucy pics etc, without having to worry who might get access to them.

But I get it, to some having that past remain accessible is already too important and to them, there’s not much new left for a third party to see or hear had they gotten access to everything that came before.

I genuinely can’t use any platform with ephemeral messages. Like I gotta have that history.

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Is there an ETA when this will be available in the stable release of the desktop app?

Nvm there is an ETA:

and you can help us start testing it soon before it begins rolling out to production over the next several weeks.

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