I haven’t been able to find a precise answer online, on the following scenario regarding Signal messenger. Thanks for taking time to read it.
Let’s assume I delete my Signal account, keep the same phone number, re-register to Signal with it. I have to verify ownership of the phone number again. (I know this is discouraged, cause Signal has a lot of costs with sending SMS, but this is just an example…)
I lose my contacts and groups I had, because I assume the information is deleted with my previous account even if I still have the Signal PIN, which is useless for this case, other than making me wait 7 days.
However what I am wondering about, how does this reflect on a former contacts side? Upon re-adding them - will they just receive the notification that the “safety number has been changed”? Basically continuing their saved previous chat log they had shared with me? Or will this create a new separate chat with them? Or will the warning message only show for normal re-registration and phone to phone transfers?
I have read that after 120 days inactivity, a deleted account, gets new account identifier. Would this make it possible to cut ties with a previous contact and start fresh? Or is there another way?
[Wouldn’t this be a big issue for journalists or political activists in some countries? Let us say one party gets their phones confiscated and they get unlocked forcefully. They try to guess who the other person was, they were talking to. The person already deleted their account as precaution, but once their phone is obtained, Signal still would reveal (at least for 120 days) that these 2 people talked with each other? Do I understand this limitation right?]