Signal a popular encrypted instant messaging app was updated on Monday with a long-awaited feature, which is the ability to change the phone number without losing current conversations.
Since all Signal chats are end-to-end encrypted, the app links the user’s conversations with their phone number, which means that the chats are not synchronized in the cloud. As a result, if a user changes their phone number then all conversations from the previous number are lost.
With the latest update, the messaging app Signal has introduced a new way to let users update their phone numbers without losing conversations and having to create a new account.
If you are keeping your existing phone, but getting a new phone number, the Change Number feature will let you keep your profile and all of your existing groups and messages on your device, while making you reachable at your new number.
In order to change the number registered in your account, you must have access to both the new and the old phone number to confirm the change. You will also need to have the old number enabled on Signal before you can update the new number. All your Signal contacts will be notified about the change.
As detailed by the company in a support article, the new Change Number option requires Signal version 5.30.6 on Android or version 5.27.1 on iOS. You can download the latest version of Signal for free on the Play Store and App Store.
