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Why Is Signal’s iPhone Backup Feature Better Than Other Chat Apps for Privacy?
Signal, a private messaging app, now lets iPhone users save their chat history. This feature was already available on Android phones since September 2025, and now iOS users can use it too.
How Signal Protects Your Privacy
Signal works differently than most chat apps. Your messages never sit on Signal’s computers. When you send a message, it goes straight from you to the person receiving it with strong protection. This means if you lose your phone, all your old messages disappear.
The new backup feature helps solve this problem while keeping your messages private:
- Creates a special 64-character code on your phone (called a recovery key)
- Uses this code to lock your messages before sending them to storage
- Only you have this code – Signal cannot see it or help you if you lose it
- You must save this code somewhere safe, like a password manager app
Free Plan vs. Paid Plan
The backup feature has two options:
Free Plan
- Saves all your text messages
- Saves pictures and videos from the last 45 days only
- Available at no cost
Paid Plan ($1.99 per month)
- Saves all your text messages from any time
- Saves all pictures and videos without time limits
How to Turn On Backups (iPhone)
- Open Signal and tap your name in the top left corner
- Look for “Backups” with a Beta label (still being tested)
- Tap “Continue” and then “View Recovery Key“
- Copy the 64-character code and save it in a safe place
- Paste the code again when asked
- Pick either free or paid plan
- Wait while your messages get backed up
You can create new backups, look at your recovery key, or delete old backups anytime from the Backups page.
What You Need
- iPhone with Signal version 7.86 or newer
- Android with Signal version 7.56 or newer
Restoring Your Messages
If you get a new phone or lose your current one, go to Settings > Restore or Transfer Account > Restore Signal Backup. Enter your recovery key to get your messages back.
Signal’s Privacy Leadership
Signal was the first messaging app to stand up against Windows Recall, a feature that took screenshots of everything on your computer. They added Screen Security by default on Windows 11 to stop screenshots from capturing private chats.