Signal Now Offers Free & Paid Chat Backups
▼ Summary
– Signal introduced a free backup feature for text conversations and the last 45 days of media, addressing a previous lack of cloud backup options.
– The app now offers its first paid feature, a $1.99 monthly plan providing 100GB of storage for full media backups beyond the 45-day limit.
– Signal uses zero-knowledge technology for secure backups, generating a 64-character recovery key on the device to protect user privacy.
– The backup feature is currently available only on the beta Android app, with cross-platform availability and expanded backup options planned for the future.
– Free users receive 100MB of compressed storage, which Signal claims is sufficient for even heavy users’ text and recent media needs.
Signal has rolled out a new backup feature that lets users securely save their text conversations at no cost, along with media from the past 45 days. For those needing more extensive storage, the platform now offers a paid plan providing up to 100GB of space for complete media backups.
In the past, Signal did not support any form of cloud backup, which posed a significant risk for users who lost or damaged their devices. Although transferring chats between phones was possible, the absence of remote storage made data recovery challenging. This update addresses that gap, enhancing Signal’s appeal as a secure and practical messaging solution.
The free backup option includes 100MB of compressed storage for messages and recent media, which the company states should accommodate even frequent users. For individuals wishing to preserve media beyond the 45-day limit, a subscription priced at $1.99 per month unlocks 100GB of backup capacity.
This marks Signal’s first venture into paid services, with the company clarifying that the fee helps cover storage expenses while maintaining user privacy. Backups are secured using zero-knowledge encryption, meaning they cannot be associated with individual accounts or payment details. Users receive a unique 64-character recovery key generated on their device to access stored data.
By comparison, WhatsApp provides encrypted backups as an opt-in feature, though Signal’s approach emphasizes greater user control and anonymity. The backup function can be activated through the app’s Settings menu, after which it performs automatic daily updates.
Initially, the feature is available only in the beta version of Signal’s Android application, but support for other platforms is expected soon. Future updates may allow users to choose their own storage locations for backups and enable cross-platform message history transfers.
(Source: TechCrunch)
