WhatsApp-rival Signal now lets you easily move chats to other phones: here is how to do it

WhatsApp-rival Signal is rolling out a new feature using which users can transfer chats or entire accounts to other phones. Signal is currently testing the functionality in beta v5.5.0 and it is soon likely to roll it out for all users. The new feature will be present in the Setting menu as Transfer Account.

However, users need not worry about the privacy aspect of account sharing as the transfer will be end-to-end encrypted, claimed a report by TestingCatalog. Users need to use their WiFi Direct connect to transfer the chat or account from one device to another. However, this does not mean Signal Messenger will support multi-user accounts. Once you successfully transfer the account, you will be able to use it on the new device only.

Signal accounts are not linked to a Phone no, there is only a Pin that the user is aware of. So, tracking users can be difficult on Signal. To ramp up the security of their account, users can further turn on ‘Registration lock’ in the Privacy Settings to protect the account from unauthorised access from unknown devices.

Another added security feature in Signal is disappearing messages. One can set disappearing messages in Signal to a minimum of five seconds. The messages disappear 5 secs after the user has seen them.

Signal Private Messenger is a product of Signal Foundation and Moxie Marlinspike created by WhatsApp co-founder Brian Acton who left the firm after it was acquired By Facebook. Security concerns were one of the reasons why Acton quit WhatsApp.

After WhatsApp created a row over its updated privacy features that was compulsory for all users to keep their access into the accounts, many switched to Signal, making it popular overnight. Signal saw a huge surge in downloads from around the globe and to make things even worse, Tesla CEO, Elon Musk also asked his followers to “Use Signal”. Signal managed to beat the Facebook backed platform for the top spot in India, France, Germany, Finland, Austria, Switzerland and Hong Kong.