Mastodawn

lauchgott Sep 8, 2025

Until now, if you lost or broke your phone, your Signal message history was gone, a real challenge for everyone whose most important conversations happen in Signal. So, with careful design & development, we’re rolling out opt-in secure backups.

Secure backups will let you save an archive of your Signal messages remotely in privacy-preserving form, refreshed daily.

Now available in the latest Android beta release, rolling out to iOS & Desktop soon

https://signal.org/blog/introducing-secure-backups/

Introducing Signal Secure Backups

In the past, if you broke or lost your phone, your Signal message history was gone. This has been a challenge for people whose most important conversations happen on Signal. Think family photos, sweet messages, important documents, or anything else you don’t want to lose forever. This explains wh...

Signal Messenger

zaire arcana Sep 8, 2025

@signalapp ok how about not tying every user to a phone to begin with

Thibaultmol 🌈Sep 8, 2025

@soop @signalapp signal implemented usernames this year...
Edit: see replies, fair enough

zaire arcana Sep 8, 2025

@thibaultmol @signalapp ok can i install a signal client on my desktop and register with a username

if not you don’t have a point

gator Mator Sep 8, 2025

@soop @thibaultmol @signalapp Exactly. Even if you register on a phone and link it to a desktop, the desktop program needs to relink manually every 30 days

David Chisnall (*Now with 50% more sarcasm!*)Sep 9, 2025

@gatorMator @soop @thibaultmol @signalapp

The linking isn't manual. It just needs to run every 30 days. I installed Signal Desktop around five years ago and have not had to do any manual linking between the phone and desktop clients since then.

The initial requirement for the phone number is still there and, I think, the phone needs to connect periodically.

Aprettyture! [0172]Sep 8, 2025

@thibaultmol @soop @signalapp did you know that raccoons douse their food in water not to wash it but to increase the sensitivity of their paws

- carrie

Thibaultmol 🌈Sep 8, 2025

@aperture @signalapp sorry, what does that have to do with the thread?

Aprettyture! [0172]Sep 8, 2025

@thibaultmol @signalapp i thought we were just sharing fun facts

honestly, im just giving you a hard time like look i think i get what you're getting at here but like, cmon kbfhvxnfbxfv
that's clearly not what shi's asking about, like sure maybe it's groundwork sure, but clearly it is not the feature described vcfhbfhbxv

not really gonna argue about this cause it'll waste everyone's time and i think youve got the gist of it, just want to be clear

- carrie

yawnbox Sep 8, 2025

@signalapp can this be used (carefully) to merge old messages from an old device, but same number?

nai 🖤Sep 8, 2025

@signalapp err, what about doing backups and using syncthing to store them on a computer?

Christian Sep 8, 2025

@nyx_lyb3ra @signalapp or encrypted in a private cloud, webdav, sftp, ftps, scp - somehow user defined remote?

@schrumpelnase @nyx_lyb3ra but that would necessitate @signalapp to actually care, which they don't...

5225225 Sep 8, 2025

@nyx_lyb3ra @signalapp the point is to target people who aren't nerds[affectionate] who don't particularly want to set up syncthing or similar

you already could set that up right now, anyways.

Signal Update Info Sep 8, 2025

@5225225 @nyx_lyb3ra @signalapp Signal has also confirmed that they're working on rewriting Local Backups to use the new cross-platform backup format which is greatly improved.

Source: https://community.signalusers.org/t/public-signal-backups-testing/69984?u=salt505

Patrick Leavy Sep 8, 2025

@nyx_lyb3ra I presume we can still do that? Is that correct, @signalapp ?

The new feature should be for those who don't know how to back up the back up file manually....

maia // magmaus3 Sep 8, 2025

@patrickleavy @signalapp @nyx_lyb3ra yeah, you'll still be able to

Iker Sep 8, 2025

@signalapp Heck yes. I've accidentally lost message history before and this would make it easy to keep a backup not on-phone. Thank you for continuing to improve the app.

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧Sep 8, 2025

@signalapp Amazing!

Shannon Clark Sep 8, 2025

@signalapp would this also work for the use case of upgrading a phone (where you want continuity of your message/media history?)

Or do you already have a process for that? (I haven't replaced my phone in years - but plan on doing so soon - and retaining my signal groups etc on my new phone is a key feature I need and assume there is a method to do that)

(I'm on iOS if it matters)

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧Sep 8, 2025

@Rycaut @signalapp Currently, if you get a new phone, you can transfer the chat history as long as you still have access to your old phone and haven’t wiped it yet using signals built in transfer tool. It does not transfer chats as part of the system or iCloud transfer

RoelandDeVries Sep 8, 2025

@Rycaut @signalapp that has already been possible for a long time on iOS, as long as you have access to Signal on your current phone: https://support.signal.org/hc/en-us/articles/360007059752-Backup-and-Restore-Messages#ios_requirements

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: Android iOS Desktop Message restora...

Signal Support

Shannon Clark Sep 8, 2025

@RoelandDeVries @signalapp good to know! As I mentioned been a while since I upgraded my phone so hadn't encountered this feature yet.

(though it looks like that support page will need to be updated as the new Backup feature roles out to iOS as it now has slightly inaccurate information about backups - currently still true for iOS devices but sounds like it won't be for long)

alex Sep 8, 2025

@Rycaut @signalapp Migrating to a different phone, while both devices are still working, is possible. Done that two years ago and I think it's described in the documentation? #Signal

Shannon Clark Sep 8, 2025

@lespocky @signalapp indeed it is the case (someone else in my replies added a link to the documentation) the last time I switched phones was eh many years ago and I don't think I was an active Signal user then. But I do need to upgrade my now very old iPhone sometime soon (waiting until after Apple's announcements later this month to decide if I go for the 17 or the 16 which likely will be a bit discounted.

tuxwise Sep 8, 2025

Why is this remote-only?

Where is my backup stored, exactly?

What guarantees are you giving concerning the availability of one's backup?

Why is this still, in 2025, all tied to smartphones, and to phone numbers, with desktop applications being only second-class citizens of the ecosystem?

uvok cheetah Sep 8, 2025

@tuxwise @signalapp
local backups already exist. This is an additional service.

(edit: On Android. My bad).

Jan Sep 8, 2025

@uvok @tuxwise @signalapp Well, on iOS they don't, sadly.

uvok cheetah Sep 8, 2025

@jaffex @tuxwise

ah, is that it? My bad, I only know it's on Android and assumed it's on iOS as well.

Zind Sep 8, 2025

Can you give some more info? I don't see the option in the desktop app or my mobile app. (iOS) Sure you can zip up the appdata on desktop but that's not guaranteed portable and you can't re-import or merge histories on a new install

@uvok @tuxwise @signalapp

RoelandDeVries Sep 8, 2025

@uvok @tuxwise @signalapp not yet on iOS, but that is coming as well with incremental backups and multi-platform restore.

James M.Sep 8, 2025

@tuxwise @signalapp you can use an alphanumeric username instead of a phone number. That's been true for a few years.

algol Sep 8, 2025

@jamesmarshall @tuxwise @signalapp

Not to register. That is the point.

👊🇺🇸🔥Sep 8, 2025

@algol @jamesmarshall @tuxwise @signalapp You can hide your phone number from people you talk to and from being searched. It's under privacy in the settings.

algol Sep 9, 2025

Are you kidding?

The piont is to hide it from @signalapp.

👊🇺🇸🔥Sep 9, 2025

@algol @signalapp For what reason? They don't, because they can't, associate phone numbers with identifying information. https://signal.org/bigbrother/

Government Communication

When legally forced to provide information to government or law enforcement agencies, we'll disclose the transcripts of that communication here.

Signal Messenger

algol Sep 9, 2025

@Avitus @signalapp

If they don't need the numbers, why refuse to allow anonymous register with nick, when I have to tell my friends the nick (because of the hided number 😇) anyway?

We have this discussion for years now.

And what @signalapp tell us, noone have a chance to control.

If (like in some countries) your life depends on e2e and anonymity, you don't trust such things.

tuxwise Sep 8, 2025

Signal has handles (usernames) since last year in February, not "for a few years", and you still need a phone number to sign up.

Shanie MyrsTear Sep 8, 2025

@tuxwise @signalapp Some of these are big, rude questions for open source free software, don't you think? #4 in particular.

https://github.com/signalapp

Signal

Signal has 126 repositories available. Follow their code on GitHub.

GitHub

AlexTECPlayz Sep 8, 2025

@shanie @tuxwise "big, rude questions" lol, considering Signal's revenue and expenses in 2023 were $35.8 million (https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/824506840), and considering how the USA is going.

Some people still call Signal "European software" - but is it, when all of its infrastructure is centralized to servers based in the US? No federation, no plans for that, and this phone number concern is well grounded in the history of Twilio, the third-party intermediary that Signal uses to send SMS registration messages through - which costs them ~$6 million/year PLUS the fact that Twilio has a seriously bad track record when it comes to breaches.

So bad in fact, that back in 2022 hackers broke into Twilio systems, which could have allowed hackers to read the registration messages, essentially being able to impersonate users. According to Signal themselves, the hackers targeted 1900 users (https://www.vice.com/en/article/how-a-third-party-sms-service-was-used-to-take-over-signal-accounts/)

Signal Technology Foundation - Nonprofit Explorer

Since 2013, the IRS has released data culled from millions of nonprofit tax filings. Use this database to find organizations and see details like their executive compensation, revenue and expenses, as well as download tax filings going back as far as 2001.

ProPublica

AlexTECPlayz Sep 8, 2025

@shanie @tuxwise Such a "big, rude" question to not have Signal end up spending a monstrous and almost definitely unsustainable $50 million/year by this year (per their estimates - https://signal.org/blog/signal-is-expensive/) AND to ensure that a third-party such as Twilio isn't involved in the process anymore.

It's an important question these days - not just about dropping phone number verification, but also about federation and moving Signal's own infrastructure out of the US.

Molly.im at the very least has received funding for a self-hosted Signal server from NLnet (https://nlnet.nl/project/Flatline/), so at least we'll eventually have an alternative to the central Signal server, but that's going to take a long while.

And as for desktops being second-class citizens, this also matters more now than ever. Android is looking into requiring third-party devs to verify their apps, so an alternative OS such as pmOS still has to run Signal Desktop, which still requires Signal to be installed on Android or iOS.

Privacy is Priceless, but Signal is Expensive

Signal is the world’s most widely used truly private messaging app, and our cryptographic technologies provide extra layers of privacy beyond the Signal app itself. Since launching in 2013, the Signal Protocol—our end-to-end encryption technology—has become the de facto standard for private commu...

Signal Messenger

Shanie MyrsTear Sep 8, 2025

@alextecplayz @tuxwise 35.8 mil in expenses and can still keep the lights on as a not for profit? Pretty amazing. Is that a knock on Signal?

Regardless, thanks for the Twilo info - didn’t know that & more info is good info. I still think it’s a big ask, especially starting with “In 2025” like Signal hasn’t been playing catch-up with the Big Monoliths while still being the most secure of them all, to stretch thin because said Big Monoliths are changing the game.

AlexTECPlayz Sep 8, 2025

@shanie @tuxwise I'm not trying to knock on Signal, they clearly are doing very well, AND they're compensating their 50 employees very competitively (in that Signal article I've linked they mentioned that they spend ~$19 million on staff wages, compensation, benefits, etc.).

But the idea is that they can easily shave off like $6 million by giving Twilio a kick in the butt.

As for catching up, I don't think that's necessarily the case (then again, it depends on what we're talking about catching up - users or software-wise?), considering WhatsApp uses Signal's encryption and verification + XMPP for their messaging.

tuxwise Sep 8, 2025

It would be a big ask if I hadn't seen them venture into features like "stories". Or cryptocurrencies, FWIW.

Is it worth playing catch-up here, when getting rid of the phone number requirement is by far the most desired "feature" in the history of Signal?

David Fleetwood Sep 8, 2025

@tuxwise @signalapp On the first point, if you read the linked article choosing your backup location is in the roadmap.

RoelandDeVries Sep 8, 2025

@tuxwise @signalapp local backups based on this new format(multiplatform and incremental) are coming as well.

Talya (she/her) 🏳️‍⚧️✡️Sep 8, 2025

@tuxwise @signalapp
1. answered in the blog
2. linked to in the blog
3. same guarantees that already exist for stored data such as SVN
4. a totally different discussion

Quixoticgeek Sep 8, 2025

@tuxwise @signalapp you can already do an on device backup. You can even make it do the backup every day. Write down the encryption key, and keep it in a safe place. No remote needed. This has been available at least in android for years.

econads Sep 9, 2025

@quixoticgeek @tuxwise @signalapp and they're no longer tired to phone numbers... *I believe*, there are user names you can use now. Although I've not.

Fossman Sep 10, 2025

@tuxwise @signalapp
1. CIA, NSA, NSO, etc.
2. Amazon (CIA contractor).
3. Trust us, you already provided your citizen ID (aka #KYC mobile no.).
4. #ClientSideScanning on Android and iOS, to protect the children, of course!

Just for fun, btw! Not serious, I think...

Richard Williams Sep 8, 2025

@signalapp Looking forward to seeing this in action. An update to the existing backup utility was long overdue.

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧Sep 8, 2025

@signalapp Wait, so backups are to signals servers? I can’t store it where I want it? That sucks

Edit: I see now these features are planned in the backup-roadmap! Awesome work, can’t wait

@tweece @signalapp you can already backup locally and move that wherever

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧Sep 8, 2025

@joel @signalapp Not on iOS

@tweece @signalapp oh right, oh well :/

Maxi 12x 💉Sep 8, 2025

@joel @tweece It’s super strange that the article makes no mention at all about local backups on Android (for the last 15 years!). But the pictured phone isn’t an iPhone.

motofix Sep 8, 2025

@joel @tweece @signalapp yes, but the backup file only gets bigger and bigger, making it hard to sync on regular basis (11G for me). What we need is local incremental backup to be used with sync tool like nextcloud.

David Fleetwood Sep 8, 2025

@tweece @signalapp Read the article, it's in the roadmap to choose your backup.

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧Sep 8, 2025

@reflex @signalapp Welp you caught me, I didn’t read to the bottom.

“The technology that underpins this initial version of secure backups will also serve as the foundation for more secure backup options in the near future. Our future plans include letting you save a secure backup archive to the location of your choosing, alongside features that let you transfer your encrypted message history between Android, iOS, and Desktop devices.”

This is incredible news! So excited for these features, especially being able to move history between platforms

David Fleetwood Sep 8, 2025

@tweece @signalapp Yeah, they probably should have put that in the blurb they posted here, would have eliminated all but one of the negative responses I've seen.

I'm mixed on Signal, but it's the best option that I can get most people to actually use.

(ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧Sep 8, 2025

@reflex @signalapp I finally got my main group chat to move to signal after a pixel joined and we got reverted to RCS, but that person eventually got an iPhone and we end up moving back to iMessage after complaints from the normies about needing to use yet another app. Oh well, I will win the battle someday, and in the meantime just be really annoying to all my friends about having advanced data protection enabled