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Backup and Restore Messages

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

Android

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

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.

What if my last backup says "Never"?

  • Make sure you have enabled the necessary permissions for Signal:
    Android Phone Settings > Apps or Apps & Notifications > Signal > App Permissions or Permissions > Enable all permissions.
  • Make sure you have enough free space on your phone. 
  • Temporarily unmount or disable your external SD card so the backup can be saved to your internal memory.

How do I restore from a backup?

You will only be able to restore your chat history on a new install of Signal. Signal will automatically detect your messages and media from a local backup and ask you to input the 30-digit passphrase prior to registration.

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. If you have access to the old phone where local backups were first enabled, and your message history is still displayed in Signal, you can create a new backup with a new passphrase.

  1. Disable chat backups to delete all previous backups on your phone
  2. Follow the steps above to enable the feature again and create a new backup with a new passphrase.

How do I move messages to my new phone?

  1. Enable the backup feature on your old phone and ensure that at least one backup has completed successfully.
  2. Locate the most-recent backup on your old phone:
    • Navigate to /Internal Storage/Signal/Backups or /sdcard/Signal/Backups on your old phone.
    • Backup filenames follow a simple format (signal-year-month-date-time.backup) where the date and time in the filename indicate when the backup was created.
    • Some devices may need to power down and restart to see the file.
  3. Transfer the Signal folder from your old phone to your new phone. This process varies by phone and OS.
    • This can be enabled on recent versions of Android through the USB settings tab in Android Settings > Storage.
  4. Confirm you have a backup on your new phone.
    • Navigate to /Internal Storage/Signal/Backups or /sdcard/Signal/Backups on your new phone.
    • Make sure the backup file that you transferred is visible. As a reminder, backup filenames follow this format: signal-year-month-date-time.backup.
  5. Install Signal on your new phone.
  6. Enable all the permissions for Signal.
    • Allow the contacts, media, and calling permissions when they are requested. The media permission is required in order to locate backup files on your device storage.
    • If you are using an older version of Android, you may need to enable permissions here:
      • Android Phone Settings > Apps or Apps & Notifications > Signal > App Permissions or Permissions > Enable all permissions.
  7. Your backup will automatically be detected before the registration screen is displayed.
  8. Select Restore backup.
  9. Enter the 30-digit passphrase for your backup.
  10. Select Restore.
  11. Complete the registration process.

 

iOS

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

Which devices can I transfer data from?

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

What should I know before I start?

  • Make sure both devices have
  • 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.
  • 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 those two steps before transferring.

 

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
      • Select Uninstall Signal.exe in
        C:\Users\<YourName>\AppData\Local\Programs\signal-desktop
      • Delete C:\Users\<YourName>\AppData\Roaming\Signal
    • macOS
      • Delete the Signal.app file from the /Application or ~/Application directory
      • Delete local data from ~/Library/Application Support/Signal
    • Linux
      • Use apt-get remove signal-desktop
      • Delete ~/.config/Signal

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