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Backup and Restore Messages

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

  • If you have your old device, select the platform to transfer messages:
  • Message restoration or account transfers are not currently supported, if you:

 

Android

Use a backup to move your local Signal data between Android devices.

How do I restore messages?

  1. Enable a backup within Signal on the phone that has your Signal message history.
  2. Record the 30-digit passphrase.
  3. Manually move theSignal folder that contains the backup file.
    • Same phone? Manually move the backup to a computer before you reset this phone.
    • New phone? Manually move the backup file from your old phone to your new phone.
  4. Install Signal and enter your 30-digit passphrase to restore before submitting your phone number for registration.

How do I enable a backup? 

  1. Tap on the profile icon to access Signal Settings profile_avatar.png > Chats and media > Chat backups.
  2. 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. 
  3. Confirm that you have written down the passphrase.
  4. Select Enable backups.
  5. You can verify whether or not a backup has completed successfully by checking the time of the last backup.
  6. Move the backup file to another folder.

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

What if my last backup says "Never"?

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

Where can I find the backup file?

The backup file signal-year-month-date-time.backup can be found at  /Internal Storage/Signal/Backups or /sdcard/Signal/Backups

Where do I move the backup file?

Move the backup file signal-year-month-date-time.backup to /Internal Storage/Signal/Backups

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

  1. Manually move theSignal folder with the backup file to top most level or /Internal Storage/ on your restored or new phone.
    • A common method is to use a cable to plug your phone into your computer. Some phone's require you to use a cable that was provided with your phone in order to transfer data.
      • Recent phones offer steps in Android Settings > Storage.
      • You may need to respond to the notification that appears on your phone to change the mode to Transfer files (MTP).
  2. Install Signal.
  3. Enter your 30-digit passphrase. Signal will automatically detect your local backup and ask you to restore before registration.

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

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

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.

  1. Disable chat backups to delete all previous backups on your phone.
  2. Create a new backup with a new passphrase.

I need some more help.

  • Make sure you moved the backup file to your new phone, or moved it onto your phone that was reset.
  • Some devices may need to power down and restart to see the backup file.
  • Make sure the backup file is visible. As a reminder, backup filenames follow this format: signal-year-month-date-time.backup
  • Enable all the permissions for Signal.
    • The media permission is required in order to locate backup files on your device storage. 
  • Here's another way to make sure your backup file is in the correct spot on your new phone. 
    1. On your new phone, register for Signal without a backup (your old phone will now go offline).
    2. Enable a backup on your new phone.
    3. Find the new backup on your new phone and write down where it is. Look at the file name to confirm you just made this backup.
    4. Uninstall Signal on the new phone.
    5. Carefully find your old backup. Look at the date and time in the file name. 
    6. Move the old backup to the same folder you found in step 3.
    7. Install Signal.

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

 

iOS

You can set up Signal on a new device using information from your current device. Click here if you do not have your previous device available.

Which devices can I transfer data from?

  • iPhone > iPhone
  • iPhone > iPad
  • iPad > iPad
  • Unlinked iPad > iPhone

Requirements

  1. Make sure both devices have
    • Updated to the latest version of Signal
    • iOS 12.4 or later
    • For iOS 14, enabled the Local Network permission in settingsapp.png iOS Settings > Signal
    • Wi-Fi enabled
    • Bluetooth enabled
    • Low Power mode disabled in settingsapp.png iOS Settings > Battery
  2. Your new device
    • is physically close to your old device.
    • needs to complete registration if it is an iPhone, iPod touch, or unlinked iPad.
    • can register with the same number on your old device.
  3. Your old device
    • needs a working camera.
    • will delete your message history after the transfer is complete.

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

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

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

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?

  • Storing messages outside of your active Signal device is not supported. 
  • Messages are only stored locally.
  • An iTunes or iCloud backup does not contain any of your Signal message history.

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.

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

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

  1. On your new device, install and open Signal, and complete registration, if prompted.
  2. Select the option to Register without Transferring.
    Button_-_Register.png

 

Desktop

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 Bad Mac, Error handling incoming message, or Message received was out of sync errors, follow these steps: 

  1. On your old computer, shutdown and quit Signal Desktop. 
  2. From your mobile device, unlink Signal Desktop.
  3. On your new computer, restart Signal Desktop.
  4. From your mobile device, link Signal Desktop on your new computer.
  5. On your old computer, uninstall and delete all data for Signal Desktop:
    • Windows
      Replace <YourName> with your Windows User in the steps below
      1. Select Uninstall Signal.exe in
        C:\Users\<YourName>\AppData\Local\Programs\signal-desktop
      2. Delete C:\Users\<YourName>\AppData\Roaming\Signal
    • macOS
      1. Delete the Signal.app file from the /Application or ~/Application directory
      2. Delete local data from ~/Library/Application Support/Signal
    • Linux
      1. Use apt-get remove signal-desktop
      2. Delete ~/.config/Signal

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