Signal beta lets Android users transfer messages to other smartphones

Beta version 5.5.0 of the chat service Signal allows Android users to transfer their messages encrypted to another phone via a Wi-Fi Direct connection. Currently, this is only possible through local backups. It is unknown when the feature will be officially released.

The beta feature was introduced recently, TestingCatalog and XDA Developers noted. The chat data is described as being transferred over a “private, local Wi-Fi Direct connection” between the two smartphones. This connection is provided with end-to-end encryption. The feature is only being tested on Android phones, as the iOS version of Signal already offers a similar feature, which works via a QR code.

Beta users can access the feature by pressing ‘transfer account’ on their old smartphone in the settings menu of the app. After this, users can install Signal on their new device, then select ‘restore account’ and press ‘transfer from Android device’. Because the function works via Wi-Fi Direct, the devices must be close to each other.

Signal is a chat service that places an emphasis on end-to-end encryption and privacy. The platform has been adding new features for some time. Earlier this year, for example, a beta version appeared with more extensive profiles and chat backgrounds. Since the beginning of this year, the chat service has been dealing with a large influx of new users worldwide. This growth occurred after WhatsApp published its new terms of use. At the end of January, it turned out that the number of Signal users had doubled to 40 million in a month.

The Transfer Account version from Signal beta 5.5.0. Image via TestingCatalog