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New Number or New Phone

Changing numbers is not currently supported. Follow steps below to set up a new phone number on a new install of Signal.

What if I do not have access to my old number?

  1. Just as you would do this for your non-Signal contacts who only send you SMS, tell your Signal contacts about your new number and ask them to remove the old number.
  2. Messages and calls to your old number will go undelivered.

What if someone registers with my old number? 
If someone registers with your old number on their phone, then they will have an empty message history. Your contacts will also be made aware of a safety number change if they start messaging with the old number. 

Android

New Android phone with a new number

  1. On your old phone, 
    • Leave all groups.
      You may want to notify your group members that you will be leaving the group and will need them to add your new number to the group.
    • Unregister your Signal number.
      This will prevent you from missing messages until your contacts update their phones with your new number. 
  2. On your new phone, download and install Signal Android and register with your new number.
  3. Ask your contacts to add you to groups that they share with you. 
  4. Re-link any instances of Signal Desktop. 

New Android phone with the same number

  1. Download and install Signal Android.
  2. If you previously used iOS, skip to step 5.
  3. If you previously used Signal Android, confirm you've completed a backup on your old phone and transferred files to your new phone.
  4. Enter your 30-digit passphrase for your backup.
  5. Register with your phone number. All new messaging and calling will be handled by this new phone.
  6. Ask your contacts to send messages in or update any groups that they share with you.
  7. Re-link any instances of Signal Desktop.

New phone number on the same phone

  1. Leave all groups 
    You may want to notify your group members that you will be leaving the group and will need them to add your new number to the group.
  2. Unregister your Signal number 
    This will prevent you from missing messages until your contacts update their phones with your new number. 
  3. Uninstall and reinstall Signal with your new number. You will start Signal with an empty message history.
    Note: If you re-register and retain your message history, then messages in groups will only show one checkmark. Make sure to uninstall then register with your new number.
  4. Ask your contacts to add your new number to groups that you left. 
  5. Re-link any instances of Signal Desktop.

 

iOS

New iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with a new number

  1. On your old device, 
    • Leave all groups.
      You may want to notify your group members that you will be leaving the group and will need them to add your new number to the group.
    • Unregister your Signal number.
      This will prevent you from missing messages until your contacts update their phones with your new number. 
  2. On your new device, download and install Signal iOS and register with your new number.
    • All new messaging and calling will be handled by this new phone.
    • A new install of Signal also generates a new safety number with your contacts.
    • An iTunes or iCloud backup does not contain any of your message history. Only new messages, not conversation history, will be displayed. 
  3. Ask your contacts to send messages in or update any groups that they share with you. 
  4. Re-link any instances of Signal Desktop. 

New iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with the same number
Follow these steps to set up Signal on a new device using information from your current device.

New phone number on the same phone

  1. Leave all groups.
    You may want to notify your group members that you will be leaving the group and will need them to add your new number to the group.
  2. Unregister your Signal number.
    This will prevent you from missing messages until your contacts update their phones with your new number. 
  3. Uninstall and reinstall Signal with your new number. You will start Signal with an empty message history.
  4. Ask your contacts to add your new number to the groups that you left. 
  5. Re-link any instances of Signal Desktop. 

 

Desktop

New phone and new number
Follow the steps for a new number.

New phone

  1. Register on your new phone. 
  2. Close and restart Signal Desktop or your computer.
  3. Open and re-link Signal Desktop. Your existing message history on this Signal Desktop instance will remain if you are linking with the same phone number that you previously used.

New phone number

  1. Unregister your Signal number.
    This will prevent you from missing messages until your contacts update their phones with your new number. 
  2. Delete account from within Signal Desktop. This will clear your message history on this Signal Desktop instance.

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