{"article":{"id":360007059752,"url":"https://owssupport.zendesk.com/api/v2/help_center/en-us/articles/360007059752.json","html_url":"https://support.signal.org/hc/en-us/articles/360007059752-Backup-and-Restore-Messages","author_id":2239457238,"comments_disabled":true,"draft":false,"promoted":false,"position":53,"vote_sum":0,"vote_count":0,"section_id":360001602792,"created_at":"2018-07-12T19:25:27Z","updated_at":"2026-08-04T23:16:57Z","name":"Backup and Restore Messages","title":"Backup and Restore Messages","source_locale":"en-us","locale":"en-us","outdated":false,"outdated_locales":[],"edited_at":"2026-04-08T17:29:02Z","user_segment_id":null,"permission_group_id":1709612,"content_tag_ids":[],"label_names":["recover","icloud","itunes","restore","backup","import","export","backups","message history","history","restore backup","back up","forgot passphrase","where backup","cloud backup","cloud transfer","time machine","timemachine"],"body":"

Signal messages, pictures, files, and other contents are stored locally on your device.

 

\nAndroid

Use a backup to move your local Signal data to a new Android phone. 

\nWhat if I do not have my old Android phone, restored my Android phone to factory settings, or lost my phone?\n

You can not do this if you do not have access to your message history. Signal does not have a copy of your messages. 

    \n
  1. On your new device, install and open Signal, select Continue and complete registration.
    2. \n
  2. If you selected the Transfer or restore account option, go back or swipe close then open Signal again and select Continue.
    3. \n

\nWhich devices can I transfer data from?\n

Which messages will not be transferred?

Requirements

    \n
  1. Make sure both devices have\n
    2. \n
  2. Your new device\n
    3. \n
  3. Your old device\n
    4. \n

Steps to move messages

    \n
  1. On your new device, install and open Signal.
    2. \n
  2. Select Transfer or restore account.
    \"android_transfer_or_restore.png\"\n
    3. \n
  3. Choose which way you want to move messages.\n
    4. \n

How do I transfer from an Android device?
 

    \n
  1. On the new phone, install Signal > select Transfer or restore account > enable permissions > select Transfer from Android device > Continue.\n
    2. \n
  2. On the old phone, go to Signal Settings \"profile_avatar.png\" > Account > Transfer account > Continue.
    3. \n
  3. Physically move the new phone near the old phone and accept the alert on the new phone.
    4. \n
  4. Confirm the 7-digit code matches on both phones and select Continue on each phone.
    5. \n
  5. On the new phone, tap Continue registration and register the device.
    6. \n
  6. On the old phone, tap Done to complete.
    7. \n
  7. On the old phone, uninstall Signal typically in Android Phone Settings > Signal > Uninstall or through steps specific to your phone.
    8. \n

Still having trouble?

    \n
  1. Disable your VPN or Wi-Fi Hotspot that interferes with Wi-Fi Direct connections.
    2. \n
  2. Enable permissions for Signal:
    Android Phone Settings > Apps or Apps & Notifications > Signal > App Permissions or Permissions > Enable all permissions.
    3. \n
  3. Restart both phones.
    4. \n

How do I restore from a backup file?

    \n
  1. On the phone that has your Signal message history, go to Signal Settings > Backups > tap On-device backups.
    2. \n
  2. Record the 30-digit passphrase.
    3. \n
  3. \nManually move theSignal folder that contains the backup file.\n
    4. \n
  4. On the new phone, install Signal select Transfer or restore account, select restore from backup, and enter your 30-digit passphrase to restore before submitting your phone number for registration.\n
    5. \n

\nHow do I enable a backup? 
 

    \n
  1. Tap on the profile icon to access Signal Settings \"profile_avatar.png\" > Backups > On-device backups > Turn on.
    2. \n
  2. For Android OS version 9 or earlier, go to step 3.
    For Android OS version 10 or later, select Choose folder and choose where to save the backup file.
    3. \n
  3. Copy the 30-digit passphrase from left to right, top to bottom. You will need this passphrase in order to restore a backup. Keep it in a safe place. 
    4. \n
  4. Confirm that you have written down the passphrase.
    5. \n
  5. Select Enable backups.
    6. \n
  6. Tap Create backup. You can verify whether or not a backup has completed successfully by checking the time of the last backup.
    7. \n
  7. Signal displays where you can find the backup under the title Backup folder. Go to that folder.
    8. \n
  8. Move or save a copy of the backup on a device that is not your phone.\n
    9. \n

Click here to scroll up to the steps to restore messages.

What if my last backup says \"Never\"?

    \n
  1. Tap Create backup.
    2. \n
  2. Enable permissions for Signal:
    Android Phone Settings > Apps or Apps & Notifications > Signal > App Permissions or Permissions > Enable all permissions.
    3. \n
  3. Free up space on your phone. 
    4. \n
  4. Temporarily unmount or disable your external SD card so the backup can be saved to your internal memory.
    5. \n

Where can I find the backup file?

\nWhere do I move the backup file?\n

Move the backup file signal-year-month-date-time.backup to a device that is not your phone.

What do I do on my new phone or phone that was reset?

    \n
  1. Manually move theSignal folder with the backup file to your phone. For older versions of Signal, move it to the top most level or /Internal Storage/ on your restored or new phone.\n
    2. \n
  2. \nInstall Signal.
    3. \n
  3. Select Restore backup. If it is not available, Select Continue.
    4. \n
  4. If you selected Continue in step 3, then
      \n
    1. Accept the permissions.
      2. \n
    2. Signal will automatically detect your local backup and ask you to restore before registration. If it is not detected, try the steps below.\n
      3. \n
    3. Select Restore backup.
      4. \n
    \n
    5. \n
  5. If you selected Restore backup in step 3, choose the backup folder and file.
    6. \n
  6. Enter your 30-digit passphrase.
    7. \n

Click here to scroll up to the steps to restore messages.

\nWhat if I forget my 30-digit passphrase and need to restore messages on a new phone?\n

You will be unable to restore a backup without the passphrase. Think of the 30-digit passphrase as a key that can not be duplicated. You can create a new backup to create a new passphrase.

Go to Signal Settings \"profile_avatar.png\" > Backups > On-device backups.

    \n
  1. Tap Turn off to disable chat backups and delete all previous backups on your phone.
    2. \n
  2. Tap Turn on to create a new backup with a new passphrase.
    3. \n

\nI need some more help.\n

Click here to scroll up to the steps to restore messages.

 

\niOS

You can set up Signal on a new device using information from your current device.

Which devices can I transfer the account from?

What happens with a transfer?

Requirements

    \n
  1. Make sure both devices have\n
    2. \n
  2. Your new device\n
    3. \n
  3. Your old device\n
    4. \n

How do I transfer my account and messages to a new iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch?

\"ios-transfer-animation-small.gif\"

Choose a time when you won't need to use either device for several minutes. 

    \n
  1. On your new device, install and open Signal, and complete registration, if prompted.
    2. \n
  2. Select Transfer from iOS Device and select Next (linked iPad only) to see a QR code.
    \"ios_button_transfer.png\"\n
    3. \n
  3. \nOn your old device, select Next and physically move it to scan the QR code from step 2.
    \"Old_Phone_Transfer_Account.png\"\n
    4. \n
  4. When the transfer is complete,\n
    5. \n

Can I merge my message history?

No. Your old device becomes the new one. Your old device will be disabled. 

How do I enable a backup? Can I use an iCloud backup?

Does this use my Signal PIN?

This migration is separate from registration and your Signal PIN but you will need to complete both before transferring.

 

\nI need some more help.\n

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
What is the issue?Steps to resolve
Registered too often.Please wait an hour then try to register again.
The Local Network permission is missing.\n

On each device,

\n
    \n
  1. Visit https://signal.org/install to see if you can update.
    2. \n
  2. Confirm your phone is updated to iOS 15 or later.
    3. \n
  3. Go to the iPhone Settings App > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Location & Privacy on the device then swipe close Signal and open it again.
    4. \n
\n
The Transfer Account option does not appear or is stuck.\n

On the new phone,

\n
    \n
  1. Swipe to close Signal.
    2. \n
  2. Use the camera app to scan the QR code that is shown on the old phone.
    3. \n
\n
The QR code does not scan.
    \n
  1. Increase the brightness of the screen.
    2. \n
  2. Hold the camera very close to the QR code and hold it steady.
    3. \n
  3. Follow steps from Apple's support page to
      \n
    • make the font size smaller and
      • \n
    • disable bold font.
      • \n
    \n
    4. \n
  4. Rotate your phone to landscape mode.
    5. \n
There is an alert Wrong Device after scanning the QR-code.\n

You can not transfer from a linked iPad to your phone.

\n
    \n
  1. On your iPad, select the option to Add as New Device.\n
    2. \n
  2. \nFollow steps to link the iPad to your phone.
    3. \n
\n
\n

There is information about linking a device.

\n
    \n
  • Link New Device
    • \n
  • Linking Device Failed
    • \n
  • QR code is not valid
    • \n
\n		\n

This is not the account transfer option.

\n\n
\n

The old phone scanned the QR code and is stuck at Connecting... 

\n

\"transfer_connecting.png\"

\n
    \n
  1. Restart your old phone.
    2. \n
  2. Pay particular attention to the requirements and steps listed above.
    3. \n
\n

There is an alert the Transfer couldn't complete.

\n

\"transfer-could-not-complete.png\"

\n
    \n
  1. Restart both devices.
    2. \n
  2. After scanning the QR code, physically place the phones to touch.
    3. \n
  3. Do not move the phones while the transfer is in progress.
    4. \n
\n

The transfer moved off your old phone and you are asked to register again.

\n

\"unregistered_banner_ios.png\"

\n
    \n
  1. On your new phone, register a second time.
    2. \n
  2. On your new phone, enter your PIN.
    3. \n
  3. On your new phone, select \"Register without Transferring\" to see your transferred chats and to start messaging again.
    4. \n

 

Can I transfer from Signal iPad or Signal Desktop to my phone? I still see messages on my linked iPad or Desktop.

No. Linked devices do not have the same account information as your phone. On your new phone, select the option to Register without Transferring to continue.

\nWhat do I do if I do not have my old device, restored my phone to factory settings, or lost my phone?\n

Messages are only stored on your devices. Without an existing message history accessible to you account transfers are not supported.

    \n
  1. On your new device, install and open Signal, and complete registration, if prompted.
    2. \n
  2. \n

    Select the option to Register without Transferring or Add as New Device (iPad Only).

    \n
    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
    \"Button_-_Register.png\"
    \"ipad-transfer-linked.png\"
    \n
    3. \n

 

\nDesktop

Which devices can I transfer data from?

How do I resolve issues if I transferred one computer OS to another?

Manually transferring folders is not supported and may result in errors. Signal uses a stateful protocol, meaning that you cannot simply copy files to another instance of Signal or copy files after linking and using Signal.

To resolve Chat session refreshed, A message from [contact] could not be delivered, or Message received was out of sync errors, follow these steps: 

    \n
  1. On your old computer, shutdown and quit Signal Desktop. 
    2. \n
  2. From your mobile device, unlink Signal Desktop.
    3. \n
  3. On your new computer, restart Signal Desktop.
    4. \n
  4. From your mobile device, link Signal Desktop on your new computer.
    5. \n
  5. On your old computer, uninstall and delete all data for Signal Desktop:\n
    6. \n
"}}