In this new era of privacy-oriented messaging apps, Signal is extending its multi-device support to meet the same features used in mainstream messaging apps like WhatsApp, to make user experience much better. Signal has released a major cross-platform update for the use of multiple accounts available on its main accounts through tablets and makes it possible for users to connect their primary accounts to each other across platforms with the app’s cross-platform support and not limited to desktops and iPads. In addition to that, Signal said they have made extensive backend improvements in the beta testing phase to increase the user interface to be smoothly and visually attractive on larger displays.
For Android users, the new feature will be available in Signal version 8.20, which is currently available throughout the ecosystem. To use the feature on a mobile device, just go to the app settings and select a 'Link Devices' option to guide the user through the secure pairing.
In fact, the best part of the new functionality is the ability to transfer chat history and 45 days of saved media to a secondary device without having to move so far in your mobile phone or tablet - a choice that we can also keep if you want to start from scratch. Signal stresses that this all linking and synchronization works from the very ground up and is encrypted from the beginning through the same framework as was used on desktop or tablet to get the same feeling of security.
Though successful sales have driven the system to new levels, they said the big screen tablet experience remains a work in progress with some secondary tools (e.g. dedicated settings menus, camera controls, and keyboard shortcuts) still under development. Signal 8.22 on iOS has also been released on the App Store, extending its multi-device link support to Apple users.
This comes soon after Signal's other major privacy breakthrough a few weeks ago: the creation of unique usernames. Long sought by privacy-conscious users, this is a way for them to connect on the platform without sharing their phone numbers. Users of the service are identified using their own username IDs, and thus do not have to share their phone numbers with anyone else on their contact list.
