Signal has expanded its multi-device support, giving users who juggle several handsets and tablets a more flexible way to stay connected. The messaging app announced this week that Android users can now link another Android phone or tablet to their account, while iOS users can link an iPhone to theirs. The updates are available with Signal iOS v8.22 in the Apple App Store and Signal Android v8.20 in the Google Play Store.
To link a new device, download the Signal app onto it and open the app to view a QR code. On the primary account phone, open Signal and head to Signal Settings, then Linked devices, then Link a new device. Scanning the QR code completes the connection, and users can link more than one device at a time.
Transferring your message history
Users who wish to can also transfer their message history along with 45 previous days of saved media to the newly linked device. Signal said the transfer process is fully end-to-end encrypted, meaning the data is scrambled and unreadable to anyone else.
The app now adapts its layout to different screen sizes so it appears more natural on linked devices such as tablets. When viewed on a tablet, the interface adjusts to match the tablet’s aspect ratio. The same applies to foldable phones, which can offer wider screens when unfolded, as well as to iPads and iPhones. Signal said the rising popularity of foldable phones and devices with unconventional aspect ratios prompted the company to upgrade the app’s appearance across various devices.
Users can also link Chromebooks, though Signal noted that this interface is not yet fully updated.
What Signal offers
Signal is a free-to-use messaging app launched in 2014 by American cryptographer Moxie Marlinspike, a pseudonym for Matthew Rosenfeld. The app encrypts text messages so they are unreadable to outsiders, with only the sender and recipient able to read them. It also encrypts voice calls and video chats.
Other messaging apps that use encryption include Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, Session, Threema and Wire. Unlike messages sent through a standard phone service, encrypted messages cannot be read by a mobile carrier, which can otherwise view and store the contents of SMS and MMS messages sent over its network. Even when an app uses end-to-end encryption, it may still log metadata, which can affect how private the service truly is, so users are advised to check the fine print.
Signal has roughly 70 million users, placing it behind rivals such as WhatsApp with 3 billion, WeChat with 1.41 billion, Messenger with more than 1 billion, Telegram with 1 billion and Snapchat with 932 million.
