Signal’s Secure Backup Feature Now Available Across All Supported Platforms
Signal, the popular secure messaging app, has completed the rollout of its secure backups feature across all supported operating systems. This means that users can now create end-to-end encrypted backups of their chats and restore them on other devices if they lose their phone.
The backup system offers two options: Signal-hosted backups, which are limited to 45 days of media and 128 KB per message for free users (100 GB in paid plans), and on-device, local backups, with no size restrictions. Both options require a recovery key to decrypt the backups, providing an additional layer of security.
The introduction of this feature has caught the attention of threat actors, who have begun targeting the backup recovery keys. Signal’s engineers have implemented various measures to protect these keys, including rotating them daily inside a Trusted Execution Environment for forward secrecy.
The latest update brings on-device backups to iOS and desktop platforms, revamping Android backups to use the same cross-platform format. This change will improve the overall user experience, as users can now easily transfer older attachments from one device to another when linking a new device from their primary device.
Signal has also implemented several improvements to its backup system, including storing media separately from the backup archive and eliminating duplicate files by storing them only once. Paying users will get an additional option to purge old media from local storage and keep only thumbnails, while automatically retrieving them in full from hosted backups.
Another notable improvement is the introduction of direct iPhone-to-iPhone transfer using a local end-to-end encrypted Wi-Fi Aware link. Signal claims that this feature improves speed and reliability compared to traditional transfer methods.
While users who take both hosted and on-device backups should note that the former does not wipe the latter, expired disappearing messages from local backups will be skipped during restoration. This ensures that sensitive information is not inadvertently included in the backup archive.
The completion of Signal’s first phase of the backups project marks a significant milestone in its efforts to provide users with secure communication and data storage solutions. As threat actors continue to evolve their tactics, it is essential for users to stay informed about the latest security features and best practices.
In practical terms, this means that users should take advantage of Signal’s secure backup feature by setting up both hosted and on-device backups. This will provide an additional layer of protection against data loss or device compromise. Users should also be cautious when sharing their recovery keys with others, as they can be used to access sensitive information. By being aware of these risks and taking proactive steps to secure their data, users can enjoy the benefits of Signal’s secure messaging app while minimizing potential security threats.
Source: Bleeping Computer — 2026-09-29