[Feature]: Easy Account Migration Wizard/Flow

[ShadowJonathan]

Description

I'd like to have an app-blessed method by which I can migrate between two accounts I have, in a way that isn't confusing, doesn't require extra documentation or guidance outside of the app, and doesn't require me to go to the web pages of both accounts.

Suggested Solution

Have a setup wizard (like a full-screen popup setup thingie) with which you select a (logged in) account to migrate from, and a (logged in) account to migrate to, get a screen where you select if you want to import/merge your follows, blocks, filters, mutes, etc. (maybe allow the user to select exactly which things to import), and then a disclaimer screen that posts are not migrated, and then a final button to confirm migration.

This will, in the background, do the imports requested, set the alias on the new account, and do the migration on the old account.

Alternatives

Keep the current system as-is, leaving the migration to be web-based, requiring the user to put in the alias on the new account, and push the button manually on the old account, and still manually download mutes/blocks/filters/etc. and import them manually as well.

Additional Context

This will provide a "blessed" method by which users can easily migrate; a user might never (want to) touch the web interface, and only interface with mastodon through their app. As such, migration should also be easily possible through the app, with a flow by which they can migrate everything as they want, without needing to do the dance manually.

[ShadowJonathan]

This feature is not specific to iOS; I've also filed this for Android under mastodon/mastodon-android#1062

[renchap]

This would go into our larger project of improving account migrations, but not as a mobile-only project.

We need to improve the flow on the web and build an API for it, then implement the flow in the official mobile apps.

[ShadowJonathan]

I agree, but I think mobile is in a unique position to provide a unified experience here, as there's one interface that can puppet both accounts at the same time, with which it can then provide a seamless experience.

On web, instead, there's two interfaces for both accounts, that you then give corresponding instructions to. I would say that any further cross-mastodon cooperation like that would have all sorts of design questions (Who "leads" the migration? The new server or the old server? How would api compatibility work? Cross software compatibility? Etc.), that are more easily solved in a mobile app usecase.

[renchap]

Sure, we can do something in the official mobile apps, but that would be work duplicating what we are already planning to improve for everyone, with a proper API.