Manual method
- Update Signal. On-device backups are available on Android, iOS (from version 8.30) and Desktop; use the backup controls in the current app.
- On Android, open Signal Settings, Backups, then On-device backups. Enable backups and choose the destination folder.
- Save the recovery key separately and confirm it in Signal. Create a backup, wait for completion and copy the entire resulting folder to your archive drive.
- Keep all database, attachment and manifest files together. Before replacing a device, check the restore instructions for the destination version and keep the old device until recovery succeeds.
What you get: On-device backups preserve history in an encrypted, app-dependent format, not readable documents. Older Android versions used one .backup file; newer backups use a folder. View-once and some disappearing content are excluded. Signal Secure Backups are a separate hosted option: the free tier includes text and the latest 45 days of media; longer media retention requires the applicable paid plan. Provider instructions. Supporting reference 1. Supporting reference 2. Supporting reference 3.
Size and waiting time
Planning example: 5 GB; light/heavy scenarios: 0.05–100 GB. These are estimates, not a measured population average or fixed limits. A selected retained message history with a few thousand media attachments. Backup scope and media retention determine the true size.
Preparation: Allow minutes to hours for local backup creation as a planning estimate. Copying to a drive uses local disk speed; an online backup also requires upload time.
Network transfer of 5 GB: about 1.6 hours at 10 Mbps, 19 min at 50 Mbps, or 10 min at 100 Mbps. This assumes 70% sustained throughput and excludes preparation, manual work and extraction. For local exports, this is a comparison for transferring the saved files online; disk speed determines local copy time. Online backups use your upload speed. Transfer calculations and large-file examples.
Store and check your archive
An encrypted external SSD or hard drive is a good main archive for this collection. Allow roughly 15 GB of working space for the example, including an original, an extracted working copy and room to check it. Very compressed packages can need more. A USB key is useful for a spare copy, but should not be the only one. An encrypted online copy protects against losing the local devices.
Keep the complete backup in signal/YYYY-MM-DD/original/ and record the app version, account alias and covered dates. A backup that cannot be read directly needs a restore check using the supported app, not a document viewer. Keep recovery keys separately. Check the app’s restore requirements before changing devices, and retain the old device until recovery succeeds. Storage and recovery instructions.
Sources and review
Public documentation was reviewed on 27 October 2026. No signed-in export or restoration was performed. Account options and availability can change; follow the current provider instructions.