# New phone or additional device

> What happens to your messages when you switch phones, add another device or reinstall the app, and how to proceed.

Source: https://doc.rasum.chat/en/konto/neues-geraet/

You can use Rasum on a new phone or on several devices at the same time. So that you can keep reading your older encrypted messages, the new device needs your recovery key or a confirmation from another device.

## What happens to my messages on a new device?

Your chats and messages are on the server. After you sign in, they also appear on the new device.

The new device can only read older encrypted messages once it has access to your chat backup. There are three ways to do this:

- Rasum fetches your recovery key automatically from the iCloud Keychain or your Google account.
- You confirm the new device with another signed-in device.
- You enter your recovery key by hand.

Until this has happened, older messages show notes like **"Historical messages are not available on this device"**. See [Encryption notes on messages](https://doc.rasum.chat/en/nachrichten/verschluesselungs-hinweise/).

## Before switching: what you should check

1. Keep your old device signed in until the new device is fully working.
2. On the old device, check under **"Settings"** → **"Encryption"** whether key storage is turned on (iPhone: **"Save key in iCloud"**, Android: **"Store key in your Google account"**).
3. If you switch between iPhone and Android, keep the old device at hand or write down your recovery key beforehand. See [Create a new recovery key](https://doc.rasum.chat/en/sicherheit/wiederherstellungsschluessel/#create-a-new-recovery-key).

## Set up a new device

1. Install Rasum on the new device. See [Getting started](https://doc.rasum.chat/en/erste-schritte/).
2. Tap **"Sign in"**.
3. Sign in on the sign-in page with your username and password.
4. What happens next depends on your case, see the next sections.

## New iPhone (previously iPhone)

Sign in on the new iPhone with the same Apple ID as on the old one. Then Rasum fetches your recovery key automatically from the iCloud Keychain.

You briefly see **"Verlauf wird wiederhergestellt …"** (shown in German in the app; it means "Restoring history …"). After that, your older messages can be read. You do not need to enter anything.

## New Android phone (previously Android)

Sign in on the new phone with the same Google account as on the old one. Then Rasum fetches your recovery key automatically from the Google account.

You briefly see the note **"Restoring your message history…"**. After that, your older messages can be read.

**Android from F-Droid:** There is no automatic recovery here. Confirm the device with another device or enter your recovery key.

## Switching between iPhone and Android

When you switch between iPhone and Android, automatic recovery does not work. The key is in the iCloud Keychain or in the Google account, and the other system cannot reach it.

Use one of these ways instead:

- **Confirm with the old device:** On the new device, tap **"Use another device"** and compare the emojis with the old device. This also works between iPhone and Android. See [Confirm a device with another device](https://doc.rasum.chat/en/sicherheit/geraet-bestaetigen/#confirm-a-device-with-another-device).
- **Enter the key:** Tap **"Use recovery key"** and enter your recovery key. After a failed automatic recovery, the button on the iPhone is called **"Schlüssel manuell eingeben"** (shown in German in the app), on Android **"Enter recovery key manually"**.

## Use an additional device

You can use several devices at the same time, for example a phone and a tablet. Sign in on the additional device as described above.

Confirm the additional device with your first device or with the recovery key if Rasum does not find the key automatically. Both devices then stay signed in.

## App reinstalled

For Rasum, a reinstall is like a new device. Sign in again. If key storage is turned on, Rasum usually restores your history automatically. Otherwise confirm the device with another device or enter your recovery key.

## What to do if automatic recovery does not work?

The app then shows a note:

- **iPhone:** **"Wiederherstellung fehlgeschlagen"** with **"Schlüssel manuell eingeben"** and **"Später"** (shown in German in the app).
- **Android:** **"We couldn't restore your message history"** with **"Enter recovery key manually"** and **"Not now"**.

Then enter your recovery key or confirm the device with another device. Your messages stay backed up on the server, even if you choose **"Später"** (iPhone) or **"Not now"** (Android).

If you have neither another device nor the key, read [Reset your identity](https://doc.rasum.chat/en/sicherheit/geraet-bestaetigen/#reset-your-identity).

## Sign out the old device

Once the new device is working, you can sign out the old one. See [Sign out](https://doc.rasum.chat/en/konto/abmelden/).

You no longer have the old device, for example after losing it? Then sign it out on your account page: **"Settings"** → **"Manage account & devices"**.

## Related pages

- [Recovery key](https://doc.rasum.chat/en/sicherheit/wiederherstellungsschluessel/)
- [Confirm your device and identity](https://doc.rasum.chat/en/sicherheit/geraet-bestaetigen/)
- [Sign out](https://doc.rasum.chat/en/konto/abmelden/)
- [Notifications are not arriving](https://doc.rasum.chat/en/probleme/benachrichtigungen/)