Viber will now save your history of chats accumulated through years of exchanging stickers and messages with friends and family even after you have changed your phone numbers or switched to a new device, the instant messaging (IM) service announced earlier this month. The company is adding this functionality through a client-side update for its Android app that already started rolling out on the Google Play Store a few days back and should now be available for download worldwide.
To enable the new feature on your Viber account, simply choose to create a backup of your chat history before replacing your SIM card. The backup feature saves your data on Google Drive and allows you to migrate your conversations, contacts, accounts you follow, and stickers to your new number only if you are switching your contact number while retaining your handset. Once it becomes necessary to upgrade your phone, Viber says the same procedure must be performed on your old phone before you can transfer your SIM card to a new device. That means you must select the Google Drive backup option prior to entering your new phone number on your current device, after which you can then choose to restore your data once you set up your Viber account on your new handset. That process is currently somewhat more convoluted than it could have been, though the firm likely opted to design it in the manner described above for security purposes.
On top of saving your chat history in the event of a SIM card or device replacement, Viber also spares you the burden of having to notify your friends individually about your new phone number. If your contacts don’t save your new number instantly, the app may even occasionally remind them to do so, Viber implied, without clarifying on the matter. The instant messaging service will be sending in-chat notifications to your Viber contacts, informing them about your updated phone number, the company revealed. The IM service has been receiving numerous new features in recent months and is likely to remain being updated on a regular basis in the future.