# Switching relays: still getting messages to the old one

**URL:** <https://forum.delta.chat/t/switching-relays-still-getting-messages-to-the-old-one/4882>\
**Category:** Mutual Help\
**Tags:** multi-transport, chatmail\
**Created:** [March 11, 2026, 2:15pm UTC](https://forum.delta.chat/t/switching-relays-still-getting-messages-to-the-old-one/4882 "2026-03-11T14:15:08Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![marcel](https://forum.delta.chat/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@marcel](https://forum.delta.chat/u/marcel)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 2:15pm UTC](https://forum.delta.chat/t/switching-relays-still-getting-messages-to-the-old-one/4882/1 "2026-03-11T14:15:08Z")

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**Delta Chat version**

Delta Chat 2.43.0

Hi! I have added a new relay (a chatmail) to an account that was using classical mail.  
I am still using old profile, but after deleting the original “relay” (the classical mail server), I still receive the encrypted mails on it.  
Is there any way to avoid getting this messages? In theory it should not use the old mail server, isn’t it?

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**Author:** ![Minim](https://forum.delta.chat/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/ccd318/32.png) [@Minim](https://forum.delta.chat/u/Minim)\
**Post date:** [March 11, 2026, 4:16pm UTC](https://forum.delta.chat/t/switching-relays-still-getting-messages-to-the-old-one/4882/2 "2026-03-11T16:16:55Z")

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If I have this right, in theory, once you have sent a message to every DC contact you have, they will know to use your new address. If they are using older clients I think that might not work, though.

If you have actually deleted to old classic server’s login details from DC then it should be unable to get messages, but you probably want to be sure you are talking to your friends on the new relay first or they might write messages you don’t get.

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**Author:** ![marcel](https://forum.delta.chat/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@marcel](https://forum.delta.chat/u/marcel)\
**Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 6:11pm UTC](https://forum.delta.chat/t/switching-relays-still-getting-messages-to-the-old-one/4882/3 "2026-03-12T18:11:50Z")

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Ok! I’ll make sure they have updated the app…

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Minim](https://forum.delta.chat/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/m/ccd318/32.png) [@Minim](https://forum.delta.chat/u/Minim)\
**Post date:** [March 12, 2026, 11:16pm UTC](https://forum.delta.chat/t/switching-relays-still-getting-messages-to-the-old-one/4882/4 "2026-03-12T23:16:20Z")

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If they don’t want to update then they just need to get a new contact, the one with your new address, and remove the old one. You can temporarily set your profile name or bio text to something like “THIS IS MY NEW 2026 INFO” if it helps distinguish. You yourself can add the new contact for you to all groups and dyadic chats containing you, and remove the old contact from the same.

Updating is likely les confusing, though. 🙂

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**Author:** ![bestman](https://forum.delta.chat/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/b/96bed5/32.png) [@bestman](https://forum.delta.chat/u/bestman)\
**Post date:** [March 13, 2026, 3:11pm UTC](https://forum.delta.chat/t/switching-relays-still-getting-messages-to-the-old-one/4882/5 "2026-03-13T15:11:32Z")

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I also noticed that when you delete the relay, it still actively receives and sends network requests, but only when you force-stop the application and restart it, they disappear. It turns out that the relay is not completely removed until the application is stopped. But perhaps that is another story.)

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**Author:** ![link2xt](https://forum.delta.chat/user_avatar/forum.delta.chat/link2xt/32/1971_2.png) [@link2xt](https://forum.delta.chat/u/link2xt)\
**Post date:** [March 22, 2026, 4:38am UTC](https://forum.delta.chat/t/switching-relays-still-getting-messages-to-the-old-one/4882/6 "2026-03-22T04:38:46Z")

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With version 2.46.0 there will be a way to hide/unpublish the relay without deleting it:

> <https://github.com/deltachat/deltachat-android/pull/4289>
>
> this PR adds the "unpublishing" functionality to the UI, however, instead of say…ing "unpublish" and "default", already saying in the name what it does:
> 
> \- Used for sending
> \- Hidden from contacts
> 
> the PR requires current main core checked out, or just relased 2.46 - the core change is not part of this PR, as usual.
> 
> https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/cb9a45d3-d8c9-4322-9439-fb0b90a47120
> 
> 
> 
> \<img width="250" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/529d327e-76b3-4869-8cc0-1e99fce94923" /\> \<img width="250" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/398af535-4499-401d-91ab-36974c8a509a" /\> \<img width="250" src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/2b95fef1-5682-4b20-ba1d-a25b11805527" /\>
> 
> \- adding hint "messages are received on all relays" to the list can be done in another PR. not sure what is an easy approach for that, can also go to another PR. but the string should in any case be reviewed already, on iOS and desktop that is easier
> 
> closes #4260

When migrating to a dedicated address users can now add a new relay and unpublish the old relay to keep downloading messages that arrive there until all contacts notice that you have changed the address. Sync messages are also not sent to unpublished relays.