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Signal Secure Backups

signal.org

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Re: Signal Secure Backups

#41

Post by georgeck »

chimeracoder wrote: post #21
georgeck wrote: post #15

It would be really useful to have more client-side control over media storage. That way, I could better manage storage growth without wiping entire threads. For example, being able to see all media across chats, sort by file size, and optionally group by conversation would make it much easier to clean things up.

> It would be really useful to have more client-side control over media storage. That way, I could better manage storage growth without wiping entire threads. > For example, being able to see all media across chats, sort by file size, and optionally group by conversation would make it much easier to clean things up. I have good news for you: this already exists. On Android: Settings >> Data and Storage >> Manage Stor…

Thanks, that’s helpful.

I’m also hoping similar media management options are available on iOS and desktop, since I use Signal across devices.

By the way, does Signal treat synced devices (like desktop or a second phone) as “replicas” vs a “primary”? If so, does this affect how storage or message history is handled between them?

Would appreciate any insight from folks familiar with the technical side of this!

Re: Signal Secure Backups

#42

Post by ectospheno »

tkel wrote: post #22
rogerkirkness wrote: post #2

The main way I specialize messages at this point is basically 'Am I going to want this later'? If the answer is yes, I use email. If not I use Signal. It's interesting this was the most requested feature... it wouldn't be for me even though I love Signal.

It's important for Signal groups, because on a new device without a backup the groups you were in don't show up until someone sends a message in the group. Say if you were the only admin in an announcement-only group, no one else can send a message in the group, so that group is now lost to you.

This is the only backup feature I’m interested in. I use signal for the expiring chats.

Re: Signal Secure Backups

#44

Post by growse »

poisonborz wrote: post #39

Backing up Signal on Android for free and offline was ~always possible. The app creates a multi GB backup file on the phone memory under the Signal folder that you can just copy out and back on a new phone. The file is encrypted with the passcode and the database can be extracted. https://github.com/bepaald/signalbackup-tools

Personally, I find that having orchestrate and regularly schedule the exporting of that file off my device to somewhere else, and then look after it there to be not "free".

The new offering is reasonably priced imo.

Re: Signal Secure Backups

#45

Post by gruez »

nairb774 wrote: post #16
y7 wrote: post #6

Without paying for remote backups, can I just manage my own backup on my own hard drive, and restore it when I want to?

Yep. Local backup generation has been around for at least a few years. You can have signal make a backup for you every day. You just need to get it off the device. This looks to be adding a remote option for this existing feature.

Only on android, not ios

Re: Signal Secure Backups

#46

Post by cosmic_cheese »

antris wrote: post #31
amluto wrote: post #8

Wow, maybe as a side effect users will be able to migrate between Android and iOS without losing their message history. Seriously, why is the migration protocol completely different on the two platforms?

> Seriously, why is the migration protocol completely different on the two platforms? Because they don't want to make jumping to the competitor too easy.

This is the result of differing storage implementations in the app between platforms and has nothing to do with the platform itself. Painless cross-platform migration is possible but simply wasn’t factored into the original design. IIRC WhatsApp also has this problem.

Re: Signal Secure Backups

#47

Post by vigilans »

X-Istence wrote: post #43

I already pay Apple for storage, please just back up my chats/media to iCloud.

This BS is why I completely stopped donating to the signal foundation.

The messages are mine, not theirs, and yet they refuse to allow me to handle them how I deem fit.

Re: Signal Secure Backups

#48

Post by Sesse__ »

poisonborz wrote: post #39

Backing up Signal on Android for free and offline was ~always possible. The app creates a multi GB backup file on the phone memory under the Signal folder that you can just copy out and back on a new phone. The file is encrypted with the passcode and the database can be extracted. https://github.com/bepaald/signalbackup-tools

There are a couple of problems with the existing backup:

1. It is non-incremental. This means you'll need about as much free space on your phone as your Signal database takes, and it may take many hours to make if your database is large (mine is 18GB). I used to wake up to find my phone had not even fully charged because it had been so busy writing Signal backups.

2. Once you have it on disk, how do you get it away from your phone? Especially after SyncThing disappeared from Play Store (because it was basically a non-Android app behind a thin Android shell that couldn't easily be upgraded to more modern native APIs), there's nothing super-obvious here.

I would have loved a better solution for local backups, but realistically, $2/month for cloud backup is really cheap, and a pragmatic solution.

Re: Signal Secure Backups

#50

Post by _heimdall »

growse wrote: post #44
poisonborz wrote: post #39

Backing up Signal on Android for free and offline was ~always possible. The app creates a multi GB backup file on the phone memory under the Signal folder that you can just copy out and back on a new phone. The file is encrypted with the passcode and the database can be extracted. https://github.com/bepaald/signalbackup-tools

Personally, I find that having orchestrate and regularly schedule the exporting of that file off my device to somewhere else, and then look after it there to be not "free". The new offering is reasonably priced imo.

Agreed. I prefer setting it up myself and have had Signal backing up to my home server for a few years now, but for most users an opt-in with a basic free tier and cheap enough paid plan makes a lot of sense.

Glad to see they're finding potential revenue streams that don't compromise their focus on privacy and security.

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