Mastodawn

I have the task to switch an family member from iOS to Android. It turns out there are quite some challenges.

One is the migration of Signal.
Sadly a migration including the message history is not simple if it is possible at all.
I really wonder what technical (?) reason prevents this? Is incompatibly local encryption? To risky file transfer? (and yes, I understand, if you enable the migration of messages to a different phone it would enable someone with temporary physical access to extract all your messages. The prevention of this is IMHO the reason that you are only allowed to use Signal on one phone)

I have no idea.

The possible "solutions" I found feel wrong. They either use a questionable third party tool or require you switching to Molly

Even if you have Signal Desktop in use it doesn't help 😞 (that would actually be a path, if I somehow could load the messages in the new Signal on Android installation)

If anyone has a different solution at hand please let me know

#Boost, #Signal #Android
cc @signalapp

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Marcel Waldvogel Mar 14

@realn2s @signalapp
The new backup option introduced a few days ago does not address the problem?

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utzer Mar 14

@marcel @signalapp @realn2s or the old backup function included for years? Or the direct transfer from phone to phone? Both work from Android to Android.

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Claudius Link Mar 14

@utzer @signalapp @marcel
The new backup option could possibly work if the Signal documentation wasn't updated yet

https://support.signal.org/hc/en-us/articles/360007059752-Backup-and-Restore-Messages
states:

"Message restoration or account transfers are not currently supported, if you switched between Android and iOS."

😬

Backup and Restore Messages

Signal messages, pictures, files, and other contents are stored locally on your device. If you have your old device, select the platform to transfer messages: Android iOS Desktop Message restora...

Signal Support

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utzer Mar 14

@realn2s @marcel @signalapp here it lists that it is possible.
support.signal.org/hc/en-us/ar…

Just some Media, I guess that is an iLimit.

Backups and Device Transfers on Signal

Signal offers several secure options for backing up or transferring your messages, depending on your device and situation. Signal Secure Backups are an optional, secure backup solution that store y...

Signal Support

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Marcel Waldvogel Mar 14

@utzer @signalapp @realn2s
Ah, excellent! Thanks!

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utzer Mar 14

@marcel @signalapp @realn2s hope it works.

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Claudius Link Mar 14

@utzer @signalapp @marcel
Sadly i don't think so because of the following section

"Device to device transfers let you move your message history during setup between compatible phones on Android and iOS. Both devices must be available, and transfers only work within the same platform."

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utzer Mar 14

@realn2s @marcel @signalapp I think that is about the free on device backup.
You need to use the Signal Secure Backuo, which starts at 1,99 per month (I think if you want to transfer all media you need to pay more. After moving I think you can cancel it again, so it is more like a one time fee.

On Android I strongly recommend on device backup and use something to upload that to you personal cloud.

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Claudius Link Mar 14

@utzer @signalapp @marcel
Oh, yes. You are right 🙏🏻

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cherti Mar 15

@realn2s @utzer @marcel

The background why this never worked before is because the internal data structures of the iOS and the Android app were just too different (and the Android local backup was apparently such a pain to maintain that the iOS team decided not to do that).
The new solution should be a stratification of everything in that direction, and given that I doubt they built two different formats in the cloud, the format should now be compatible with both and hence transferable.

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utzer Mar 15

@cherti then I wonder why the transfer from device to device or even via the backup file does not work.
Probably a limitation to transfer or store that kind of data on an iPhone?

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cherti

@utzer that link is afaik direct device to device, whereas the backup is more of a upload then download kinda workflow (which also requires storage space somewhere externally), which is unsurprisingly more robust than streaming from one device to another which has two connection sides that can break instead of one and uses an apparently less reliable connection type (which tracks with my experience of WiFi being a much more stable connection than NFC, even though I never tested on iPhone)