Signal Now Lets You Link a Second Phone to One Account With Full Chat History

Signal has expanded its multi-device capabilities. Android users can now connect another Android smartphone or tablet to their account, while iPhone owners can add a second Apple device. The update is available in Signal iOS v8.22 on the App Store and Signal Android v8.20 on Google Play.

The linking process is straightforward: install the app on the new device, open it, and a QR code will appear. On the primary phone, go to Signal Settings, select "Linked devices," and scan the code. Multiple devices can be linked to a single account.

If desired, users can transfer their entire message history and saved media from the last 45 days to the new device. The company says the transfer is fully end-to-end encrypted, meaning the data remains scrambled and unreadable to anyone else.

Signal has also improved how the app adapts to different screen sizes. On tablets and foldable phones, the interface now automatically adjusts to the display's aspect ratio. This applies to iPads and iPhones as well. Chromebook support is also included, though the interface for those devices is not yet fully updated.

The company attributes the redesign to the growing popularity of foldable devices and gadgets with unconventional screen proportions, which required reworking the app's appearance for various form factors.

Signal is a free messaging app launched in 2014 by American cryptographer Moxie Marlinspike (a pseudonym for Matthew Rosenfeld). It encrypts text messages, voice calls, and video chats so only the sender and recipient can read or hear them. Similar encryption is used by WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Session, Threema, and Wire. Unlike standard SMS and MMS, encrypted messages are also invisible to mobile carriers, which otherwise can view and store the contents of messages sent over their networks.

CNET privacy expert Attila Toma notes that while encryption makes messaging apps generally secure, users should still read the fine print.