How to Create and Restore Backups on Signal

The signal is the messaging app that is becoming popular day by day, especially after the controversial WhatsApp privacy policy update. It is an open-source project started by the former Facebook employee ‘Brian Acton’. If you are new to the Signal app or planning to switch then this guide is for you. Here you will know how to backup Signal Messages and how to restore backups on Signal.

Backup is an important feature of WhatsApp. And if you are switching to the new app, you will surely need this feature. Luckily Signal has a Backup feature that is also encrypted, unlike WhatsApp. But its restoration process is also different.

Since WhatsApp starts pushing a new privacy policy which is mandatory to accept if users want to use WhatsApp. And this is the reason why users are choosing Signal over WhatsApp. Signal gained many users over the past week. We will split the guide into two steps, one for creating backups on Signal and the second for restoring backups on Signal.

How to Backup Signal Messages

If you use Signal or any messaging app, you don’t want to lose your conversation. But what if you want to reinstall Signal for any reason such as switching to a new phone etc. Then, in this case, you can create backup of Signal messages and restore on other devices. You can also backup Signal Messages on iPhone using this guide.

Since the backup on the Signal app is encrypted the whole process will be a bit complicated. You can follow this guide to easily get your Signal messages at any time. Let’s now start with taking a full backup of Signal Messages.

Step 1: Open Signal App on your phone and open Settings in the App.

Step 2: Now go to the Chats and Media section from various options.

Step 3: In the Chats & Media you will find Backups option, open it.

Step 4: Now tap on the Turn On button and choose the folder where you want to save backups. Create a new folder with the name Signal for convenience.

Step 5: once you select the folder, you will get a 30-digit passphrase. Make sure to write it down or take a screenshot of it.

Step 6: Confirm that you have written down the passphrase, then tap on Enable Backups.

Step 7: Now tap on Create Backup, and it will create a backup file in the selected folder. Make sure to keep a copy of the backup & passphrase on your PC.

That’s it, now you can just click on Create Backup whenever you want to backup signal messages. There is no option for recurring backup, so you have to take the backup manually at least weekly. Now you have the backup file, you can restore the backup file on your new device. Follow the below guide to restore signal messages.

How to Restore Messages on Signal

Step 1: Copy the backup file to your phone store.

Step 2: Install and open the Signal App on your device.

Step 3: Now in the first app setup page tap on Restore Backup.

Step 4: Allow some required permissions and then tap on Choose Backup.

Step 5: Locate and select the Signal messages backup file.

Step 6: Now tap on Restore Backup and enter your passphrase that you noted down when creating a backup.

Step 7: It will restore the backup and prompt to choose the folder if you want to take backup. Select the folder where you want to save backup or you can skip it.

Step 8: Now enter your phone number and login with your OTP.

Step 9: That’s it, after login you can access your old chats. You need to enable backups again if you haven’t chosen the folder during step 7.

You can follow the same process when you want to take backup. And it is mandatory to note down your passphrase as you need to enter it during restoration. This is a bit complex compared to WhatsApp, but it is safer. In future Signal updates, we can see options for automatic updates. But for now, you need to take backups of Signal Messages manually.

So, there you have it, the guide on how to take a backup of Signal Messages and how to restore messages on Signal. In case if you have any queries do let us know in the comment section.

Also Check:

• How to Setup & Link Signal to your Desktop (Windows & Mac)
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