For years, Signal users have faced a glaring inconvenience: setting up a new device meant sacrificing their chat history. If you linked your iPad or desktop to the app, you’d start with a blank slate—no old messages, no shared photos, no continuity. That’s about to change. In a blog post this week, Signal unveiled plans to roll out message and media synchronization across devices, a feature that rivals like WhatsApp have offered for years. The update, expected to hit beta soon and reach all users within weeks, promises to let your conversations follow you seamlessly—without compromising Signal’s famed security.

What’s changing?

Currently, linking a new device to Signal (like a laptop or tablet) only allows real-time messaging. Your existing chats, media, and call history stay trapped on your primary smartphone. The new feature will enable users to transfer full chat histories, including photos, videos, files, and even nuanced details like reactions, quotes, and read receipts, to any linked device. Notably, the sync will include up to 45 days of media—a limit Signal says balances practicality with storage efficiency.

Once live, the process will be straightforward:

• When linking a new device, choose whether to import your existing chat history.
• Signal’s servers will transfer a compressed, encrypted bundle of your data to the new device.
• All messages and media decrypt locally, ensuring no third party (including Signal itself) can access your content.

Crucially, users can still opt to link devices without transferring data—a nod to privacy purists who may prefer a fresh start.

Signal emphasized that the sync feature adheres to its end-to-end encryption (E2EE) standards. Unlike some services that store backups in vulnerable formats, Signal’s system encrypts data before it leaves your primary device. The archived bundle is secured with a key that only your devices hold, meaning even if intercepted, the data remains unreadable.

This approach mirrors Signal’s existing privacy framework but introduces a rare server-side element. Historically, Signal avoided relying on its servers for message storage, but the company assures users that the encrypted bundles are “ephemeral” and deleted once delivered.

Catching up to WhatsApp—with a privacy twist

Meta-owned WhatsApp has long allowed multi-device syncing, but with caveats. While WhatsApp requires a primary smartphone to stay intermittently connected, Signal’s new method cuts the tether: once synchronized, devices operate independently. This could appeal to users who frequently switch between gadgets or travel without their primary phone.

Still, WhatsApp supports unlimited devices (up to four phones plus web/desktop), while Signal’s current model caps linked devices at five. Signal has not clarified if this limit will adjust post-update.

What’s next?

The feature will debut in beta releases first, with a full rollout expected by late October. To prepare, ensure your app is updated across all devices. Signal also hinted at future enhancements, including broader media retention beyond 45 days.

For now, the message is clear: Your chats no longer have to live in isolation—and neither do you.