Alby Account

How can I migrate Alby Hub to a different machine?

  1. Important notice

  2. DIY free -> DIY free

  3. Cloud -> DIY Pro

  4. DIY Pro -> Cloud

1. Read this before you continue

You can migrate your Alby Hub to another instance and recover all your funds. This ensures you have full control and flexibility over your Hub. You can safely stop it and move your hub whenever you want.

Alby Hub is encrypted with the password you chose during setup. Only you can access and decrypt its contents, even if it is on the cloud. And only you can migrate your Alby Hub.

  • Migrations of Cloud Alby Hubs with VSS enabled to Self-hosted DIY Alby Hubs are only possible with an active subscription.

  • Migrations from or to LND Alby Hubs (e.g. Umbrel or Start9) are not supported currently.

2. DIY free -> DIY free migration

Migrations from a self-hosted Hub LDK from one hardware or device to another are possible always with LDK.

You will need a migration file, and your 12-word keys. Click on the demo below to follow the migrations steps:

  • If you choose to migrate, make sure to have your 12-word seed and unlock password securely backed up. 🔒 Continue at your own discretion.

  • During and after the migration, do not turn on your original Alby Hub instance any more.

3. Cloud -> DIY Pro migration

How to migrate from your Alby Cloud Subscription to a Self-Hosted Alby Hub (LDK) ?

Important requirements - The first thing to do is checking that you have VSS dynamic backups enabled in settings. You can check this in Settings -> Backup. - If you do not have VSS enabled, please activate it, then click on the top right corner red button to restart your Hub. Then Unlock your Hub again before you continue an make sure VSS is enabled now. - You need to have another account with a DIY Pro plan, since VSS is only a subscribers feature. - Having two Alby web accounts, one for each hub, will make this process easier.

You don’t need a migration file. First, stop your Alby Cloud Hub and keep it offline: Settings -> press the stop button and do not access it again. Do not unlock it, leave it "locked". Then set up your self-hosted LDK Hub (desktop, Docker, Umbrel/Start9) using Advanced setup: sign in with the same Alby Account and enter the same 12-word seed. With an active VSS Pro subscription, your channel state will be recovered and your channels will reappear on the new Hub. This is a one-way move (Cloud → DIY); moving from a Self-hosted DIY back to Cloud isn’t supported yet (If you wish this feature feel free to request it at our feedback forum).

Attention: If you restart the old Cloud Hub afterward, you risk a channel force close. You need to leave the Cloud instance stopped and never come back to it.

4. DIY Pro -> Cloud migration

This is not possible If VSS is not enable on the Self-hosted DIY instance. VSS is a subscriber feature, so it can only be enabled if you have a Self-hosted DIY with a PRO subscription. The steps for this migration are:

  1. Have a Self-hosted DIY with a PRO subscription.

  2. Make sure VSS is now enabled, if it was not, do it, then restart the Hub.

  3. With VSS enable, Shut down your DIY PRO and open a Cloud Hub with your recovery phrase.

Important: For the moment it is not possible to migrate from DIY Pro with VSS -> DIY free . If you want such feature request it at our feedback forum.

We are happy to assist you in the migration! 🎉 Reach out us to support.getalby.com and request our help in your migration 💪🔐 Alby Cloud and DIY Pro subscribers can also schedule a 1:1 call here: https://cal.com/getalby/user-support? Free subscribers also have support but only through email and with less priority than our subscribers.

💳 Get Your Alby Hub Cloud! Unlock exclusive benefits and maximize your experience with the Alby Hub Cloud. Ensure your Hub is always ready for transactions and enjoy premium features.

🔄 Migrate to a Different Alby Hub Flavor! Ready for a change? Discover and migrate to a different flavor of Alby Hub that suits your needs best. Explore new features and enhancements.

🛠️ Learn About Alby Hub Backend Technologies! Curious about the technologies powering Alby Hub Cloud? Dive into the backend tech that makes everything run smoothly and efficiently.

Thank you for stopping by! This section was created with contributions from Moritz & Jean-Paul

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